Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

July 13th, 201M2019BC.
Saturday.
Weather conditions? Sunny enough to make a blind man squint.

I look down the busy street that my bus deposited me by.
It is lively for sure.
Stores, homes, and people of all species intermingling in an organic way that gives the whole place a special kind of charm that I never saw back home… If only it wasn't for the ‘fucking Dinofornian heat!’

Why did I agree to travel halfway across the fucking country in the middle of fucking July again?
Sure, the morons at Rock Bottom High can all go burn, but at least I wasn't about to die just from standing around.

I start walking down the street, lost in my mind fog.
The smell of coffee brings me back to my senses as I stop outside a café of sorts that also advertises live music.
Just on the other side of the glass pane sits a green girl reading… Manga.
I pick up the pace, crossing over to the other side.

No, I couldn't stay… The bullying would only continue to ramp up.
They finally found something to openly get me with, not like they needed it before, but at least it was only a couple of groups that would talk shit and trip me every now and again.
But this…? I whip out my ancient phone and try to find my way to my new shitty apartment.
Typical dad, couldn't pay just a little extra to at the very least get me out of the fucking infamous murder slum of this state.

At least mum had a lucid moment and remembered her old classmate who runs a highschool here now, so I'm not going to that delinquent school near Skin Row.
…Sigh.
Not that I blame her for getting lost in the sauce, not with ol’ Sergeant Thundercunt being such a loose trigger nowadays…
I just wish she'd stand up for me more, I mean for fucks sake!
I'm your fucking son!
‘No, no, chill out Anon…’ She did put her foot down when they had to pick me up from the hospital after some shitstain tried to shank me on the last day before summer break.
When I broke down and begged to transfer schools and my old man said no, it was as if her eyes cleared up and she finally told him off.
Who knows, maybe me nearly dying was her wakeup call.

So here I am, getting a new chance at life in one of the heaviest ‘dodger regions of our fine country… ‘Man, it is gonna take a while to get used to all these living splotches of color.’
While we did have some back home, they were few and far between, plus they all felt kinda muted, but I think that's just what living in Rock Bottom will do to you, saurian or not.

I come to a halt by a corner apartment and check the road signs.

“Corner of Cretaceous Street and Jurassic Avenue, huh…”

As I plot out a course to my new place that avoids as many of the alleyways as possible, I start to notice some commotion coming from behind, so I prepare to put my phone away and che-
*WH-CRACK!!!*

Stars burst forth in my vision as a splitting headache comes over me.

“GHARGH! What the fuck!?!”

I turn around and see a crimson… Parasaur?
Never thought an herbie could look so predatory, holy shit.
Her ripped jeans, white top, brown boots and spiked crimson leather jacket completes a look that screams ‘Up to no good!’

And that bloodlust, I can fucking feel it rolling off of her and it is bad enough to make my fear dull the pain in the back of my head.
Every quark in my body is screaming at me to get the fuck outta dodge, but I instinctively know that I won't make it more than a step or three.

The sneer on her snout intensifies as her surprisingly young sounding voice rings out.

“I said, get the fuck back to Skin Row where your monkey looking ass belongs, you fucking fleshbag!”

Her shouting garners more than a few onlookers and some start running off to get help, or at least I hope so.

She tosses aside the now broken piece of wood that she smacked me across the head with and gets into a fighting stance, not giving me a chance to gather myself before a fist flies at me.

*SMACK!*

Pain shoots forth from the left side of my face where her fist connected, the force sending me spinning on my heel.
Thoughts of a thread on a Bulgarian Boxing Club forum came to mind as I let the force of the spin carry me back around, my own arm shooting out with an added twist, my fist drilling into scales.

*CRACK!!!*

It was not my arm making that sound.
Nothing broken on my end.
As the world stops spinning I see the red menace standing there, cradling her snout as crimson flows from it.
She spits on the ground, a white fang laying there in a puddle of spit and blood.

I fucked up.
Should have just taken the follow up punch and passed out.
There's no doubt that she is gonna kill me any second now.
‘Fuck my life…’

Her eyes flick back to my own.
The icy blues almost seemed to glow red from pure hatred, a guttural growl rumbling from her throat.
There are no rational thoughts left in her, just pure instinct to murderize the ape in front of her.

She scrapes the ground with a foot and launches towards me.
The world slows to a crawl as death approaches, my shitty life flashing before me.
I miss my mom, I miss the banana bread she used to bake.
I miss the way she would hang from a branch while cradling me when I'd been picked on again.
How she would hum her favorite songs to cheer me up.
How she once was, before dad got back from his service tour.

And dad, fuck! I miss his old self!
When he would take me fishing by the river or up into the woods to camp!
When we would tinker with my old bike and mom would call us her beloved grease monkeys!
Why did you change!? Why did you turn so bitter and hateful!
Why did you stop loving me?
Fuck, fuck… Fuck my fucking life!

I feel the sting of tears about to form when a blue fist suddenly starts to fly in from the side.
Sky blue meets crimson as the fist connects to the para's snout, sending her flying to the side as the world speeds back up.

In front of me stood a blue gator looking saurian sneering down at the parasaur who was now squirming on the ground, clutching her snout again, legs flailing in the air.

“Yo, humie! You a'ight?” The feminine voice asked through the fog that was starting to settle over my mind.

“...Huhwachamallama!”

“...That can't be good.” She mutters just loud enough to be heard.

…Fucking great work there, brain!
Really nailed that first impression!

We are sorry, but the brain you are trying to reach is currently in the middle of shutting down, please try again later.

Well, shit!

“YOU FUCKING BIIIIIITCH!!!”

The red menace is up and standing again, still cradling her snout, but her focus is now honed in on the intruder.

“Oh fuck off, Moretti,” gator girl scoffs, taking a more relaxed pose, one arm hanging down her side while the others hand rests on her hip, “You come around here, causing trouble for everyone and now you're even attacking our tourists?”

I feel my vision darken as I start swaying.

“I know that losing someone dear to you is hard, but don't start attacking random people on the street just because you don't like the cut of their jib.”

The growl is low, full of promises of excessive violence.

“You know nothing about me, you oversized handbag…”

“Maybe, maybe, but I do know that you need help, real help. You should consider it before you get chased out of town for all the trouble you've been causing these past couple of months.”

That causes the crimson girl to pause as both she and I start noticing all the people that have begun to gather around us.

Pointed looks full of annoyance or anger are levied at her, while looks of worry and pity are sent my way.
Knowing she took it too far, the Moretti girl starts backing away, but not before shooting my savior a look that could kill.

“We are not done yet, you blue bitch, I will get you back for this!”

With that, she turns in a huff and power walks down the street, people jumping out of her way.

“Well, that could have gone better… Could also have gone a lot worse, I guess.” She shrugs and turns to me, letting me finally get to take in the appearance of the lady who saved my life. “You gonna be okay, humie?”

Her outfit gave off a lively vibe, definitely a tomboyish style with that white, loose shirt with red and blue designs down the arms and baggy black cargo pants with lots of pockets and finished off with white sneakers, red laces on one and blue on the other.

But what stood out the most, was her scales and short cut hair.
She was like a fragment of the sky itself, blue, wild and free.
Then I noticed the tattoos snaking their way over her exposed shoulder, like chains keeping her grounded here among mortals.
And those silver eyes, sharp and curious.
I don't care what my old man thinks about meteor dodgers anymore, because she looks like ‘a beautiful silver-eyed angel…’

Everything went dark.

Chapter Text

“A beautiful silver-eyed angel…”

Wha-!? Oh shit, he’s falling!

I slide under him and cushion the fall, can’t have the poor kid suffer any more damage than he already did.
Pretty sure two major blows to the noggin’ isn’t healthy, no matter the species.
Gently cradling his head, I check the damage done.
That punch is definitely leaving a mark, sheesh… But at least it isn’t as bad as the lump on the back of his head.

I still cannot believe ol’ Dario’s niece would do something like that.
I get it, I do, she’s hurting after losing him… We all are.
Dario was one of the greatest pillars here, up there with LJ and Moe, but there is no way he would want his little Principessa to run around smashing up property and now attacking people.

With a deep sigh, I finish the inspection of his head, my fingers running over his smooth skin, feeling for any unseen damage.
It’s so weird, but pleasant to the touch…

I shake my head and get a better look at him.
He seems a few years younger than me, scrawny too, almost as if he hasn't been fed properly in years…
His cheap no-brand green jacket seems to be hanging on by a thread, with a washed out shirt that was once white. He’s got it paired alongside some ratty blue jeans and sneakers.
But what stood out the most was his smooth, bald head as well as those pools of radiant green that made up his eyes.
I gently brush a finger over the lid of one of them.
It was only for a few seconds, but those green orbs of his are burned into my mind now.

“Nicky! You’re never gonna beat those bary allegations by doing that, humie lover!”

My head snaps to the voice of my long time friend and fellow band mate.

“Sh-Shut the fuck up, Trent! Just hurry up and call Doc, we need to get some professional eyes on this guy! Also, where the fuck is Curtis?”

My rotund purple chasmosaurus friend just laughs, causing a few of the others still around to join in. I can fucking feel my cheeks burning crimson right now.

“Already got Doc on the line, tells me to keep his head stable and not move it too much. And as for Curty, he’s fetching the van.”

I sit up properly on the walkway, resting the guy's head on my lap to steady it while placing a hand on his stomach to keep him in place.

“Doc say anything else?”

“Nah, just don't jostle him too much, in case of a concussion,” Trent looks down the street hoping to catch sight of the van, “We'll be there in about 15 minutes, Doc… Yeah… Yeah? A'ight. Later Doc.”

He ends the call and turns back to me, scratching his crest.

“Doc will have a bed prepped and ready for the guy, so once Curty comes back we'll clear some space for you and your new heater.” I chuck an oddly smooth rock from the side of the road at him, which he just sidesteps with a laugh, “Once you're both secure we'll race off to the clinic and get this guy looked at, okay?”

I'm about to open my maw again when the familiar sound of our band's van reaches us, quickly followed by the van itself, screeching to a halt right by us.

The pink atrociraptor jumps out, shoots me a nod and a grunt before he gives Trent a quick nuzzle. They both get to moving gear around in the back to make space.

That's when I feel someone put a hand on my shoulder, turning my head I see the sweet little cat lady, an elderly compy who lives in the block the attack happened by.

“Here you go dearie.” She smiles and hands me a thick quilted blanket and decorative couch pillow. “Don't want the poor boy to be uncomfortable now, do we?”

I thank her for her kindness and watch as she titters to herself and walks back into where she lives.
That is when a new feeling makes itself known.
Something warm and plush snakes itself around my wrist on the hand resting on his stomach.

Looking down I see a… Simian tail?
Lifting his shirt a bit, I see a long hazel furred tail wrapping around his waist, almost like… Oh my Godzilla, he's doing it just like the Simiajin's did in the beginning of Kaiju Ball Z!
I gently pat the tip of it and watch as it quivers a bit, seeking out my palm for more.

That is so fucking adorable.

“Ayyy! Nicky!” The shout from the rotund simian owner of my favorite sandwich deli across the street rips me out of my admiration of just how soft and warm that tail is.
The jolly Italian comes trundling over with a takeaway bag, “I made'a yous four some'a fresh hoagies!”

The smell from the bag is absolutely divine and I feel my stomach rumble.

“Can't have'a il ragazzo's first day here end like'a that!” He slaps his belly and guffaws, “I made'a all the ones ya like'a and more than enough per terzi!”

Trent jumps out of the van and speed walks over.

“Ayo!? Freebies from my favorite deli?” He takes the bag from the smiling simian. “Yooo! I smell those grilled asparagus, peppers and mushrooms! Fuzzy you slick devil, you spoil me!”

Curtis walks up behind him, shaking his head.

“Please don't spoil him, he's got enough on him as is,” he gripes while squishing one of Trent's love handles.

He just laughs it off and gives Curtis a half-lidded look, “I certainly don't hear you complaining at night.”

The pink raptor went crimson in the blink of an eye, sputtering a string of what would most likely be every curse in the book if they were coherent.
I toss the quilt and pillow at the stammering raptor and he happily hides his face in it.
We all have a good laugh at that as Fuzzy returns to his shop.
Trent takes the bag of hoagies and blushing partner back to the van to finish up.

As Trent jumps in the back of the van and Curtis hands him the blanket and pillow, I see Lj walk around the back of the van. She hands two thermoses off to Curtis before making her way over.

“This the boy?”

The older carnotaurus asks with a raised brow as she comes to a halt.
Taking a proper look at him she freezes, a whirl of emotions making their way onto her face.
I have never seen her like this in all the years I’ve known her.

“Nicole.”

I sit up straight, she never uses my full name unless it is serious.

“Help me get him up, please, I want to carry him.”

There’s a frailty to her voice, but I do as she requests and support his head as she helps me lift him up. As we get him cradled in her arms, his head gently lolls against her shoulder.

She looks at him, a soft smile on her lips, “...I haven’t held you like this since you were three months old, little ‘Nonny.” I hold my breath as I see a tear fall from her eye, “Gods, you’re nothing but skin and bone… What the fuck did they do to you…?”

Seeing the always headstrong and confident owner of Lava Java, who once took me in and taught me all she knows, looking like she’s about to crumble from the tsunami of emotions hitting her is almost eerie.

“Lj…? Are you alright?”

She sucks in a breath through her teeth and turns her head to me.

“Sorry, just got lost in my head for a moment.” Her eyes trail down to see his tail, still wrapped around my wrist, and spark back to life with glee as she lets out a laugh. “Hmhmhm! I see he still does that! You should have seen him when he was still a baby, his tail would cling to whomever held him and it was a battle to make him let go!”

She shakes her head, a soft smile now adorning her snout.

“And the joy on old Dario’s face when he got to hold him that day, he was dancing around Hanna and Paron, happy as though it was his own child! Everyone worried that he’d drop the baby, but with how tightly his tail wound around Dario’s wrist, he couldn’t drop him even if he tried.”

Letting out a happy sigh, she nods towards the van.

“Come on, let’s get you both situated in the van so you can get Emmett to check the damage.”

“Sure!” I notice something catching the light a few feet from us as I get ready to head over, so I gently pry off his tail and watch as it quickly latches on to Lj's arm, my mentor giving a small squeal of delight.

Picking it up I see it is an old smartphone model, must be his, I also see the tooth he knocked out of Mia.

That punch really was something, maybe coach Misha would be interested in him.

Picking up the prize for his fight, I pocket both and turn back to Lj shooting her a quick nod.

We make our way over as the guys jump out of the back, Curtis making his way to the driver's seat while Trent sweeps an arm towards the back entrance.

“We got everything sorted and the quilt laid out, so you just get him in and then we’ll be off.”

Lj crouches slightly as she enters with me and gently places… Nonny? Must be a nickname, but she gently lays him on the quilt, resting his head on the pillow.
Gently brushing his cheek, she smiles and whispers to him.

“I promise to come see you after I close the shop, so rest now little ‘Nonny.” She turns to me, still smiling, “Look after him, Nicole.”

I swallow a lump in my throat and nod.

“I promise you that I will, I owe you that much.”

“You owe me nothing, but I would appreciate it if you did. Anon is the son of an old friend of mine and though she may have had to leave her family here in VB behind, I still care for her and her son.” She reaches over and ruffles my hair. “Just like I care for you, Nick.”

The smile she shows me is warm, motherly and I can’t help but feel my eyes moisten a little.
She jumps out and shuts the door and I get myself secured on the floor, holding on to Anon.

I can't help but smile as his soft tail wraps itself around my wrist again and I give it another pat.

Trent calls to me from the front, “You all ready back there?”

“We’re set! Let’s get going!”

The engine rumbles to life and we’re off.

Chapter Text

Ah, I was back.

The last day of my second year.

My body entered Rock Bottom High regardless of what I wanted.
I was trapped, a passenger on the one ride I never wanted to step aboard on as I had to relive the moment my life shattered all over again.

It started like always, some hushed snickers here and there, nothing new in this stupid town.

With nothing big going for it, the people of Rock Bottom latched on to whatever they found entertaining and refused to let go again.

And what do you know? Laughing at the bald hybrid kid was apparently entertaining enough.

But something was off, it wasn't just the usual suspects but also people I've never had to interact with before. 

Some of the snickers turned to laughter, more fingers pointing as words were being thrown about among them with no intention of hiding what was said.

“Look! It's fucking baldie! Where's his crusty Bodypillow!?”

Laughter.

“Think he has any of those cartoon porn books? I bet he can't even turn the fucking pages anymore!”

So much laughter.

"What's wrong Monkey Man, couldn't stop playing with your Banana?"

It just keeps coming.

“Banana muncher!”

“Half-man!”

“Weabooape!”

“Horny Monkey!”

“Twig Tail!”

“Furred Freak!”

“Filthy Halfy!”

“Tree Hopper!”

“Vine Swinger!”

What the fuck did I do to deserve all of that!?

That was when I noticed it.

All along the walls, printed out and plastered up for the world to see.

The fucking hoverhand images I did for that cringe-off a couple of years ago and they're the uncensored versions… Why?

Only two people here could possibly have access to them!

So why!? I thought we were friends!

My eyes roam the wall of laughing faces until they land on the two I once trusted.

Laughing merrily with fucking Brian of all people!

The person who has made it his personal mission to make my life hell since middle school!

Thinking he’s hot shit just because he’s dating the bitch from the main family.

Otto and Aleksei are just standing there, faces twisted into fucking mocking laughter.

I guess four years of friendship couldn’t beat getting in with the popular kids for their final year, huh?

‘Well, fuck you too, you fucking faggots!’

"Look out! The Skinhead Ape's gonna throw his shit at you!"

I felt someone shove me from behind as I was sent tumbling to the floor.

Groaning from the impact, I tried to get up but someone heavyset slammed down on me as an annoying voice spoke up.

“Lookit here, man-ape, we all know ya must suffer from bein’ such a freak! So we’s gunna do yer hybrid ass a favor.”

The dirty sneaker belonging to Cletus, the local psycho, stepped into my field vision.

The spindly little shit squatted in front of me, a knife hanging loosely from his hand as I saw some of the fuckers around the hallway actually look nervous and slink off.

“Eddie! Stretch out his tail!”

The big oaf on my back reached his greasy hand up my shirt and painfully yanked my tail free.

“GARGH! What the fuck!? This isn’t supposed to happen here!”

“Don'tchu worry yer stupid little head, soon ya’ll be all human!” Cletus cackled as he sidled up to my tail, placing the blade at the base.

“Wait! Don-”

PAIN! IT HURTS! PAINPAINPAIN! IT FUCKING BURNS! Every nerve in my tail is on FIRE as the blade starts to slice into my skin!

Oh god! I’m gonna lose it, the only thing I have from my mom!

Fuck! FUCK! FUUUUCK!

The world grew dark, walls turning to bloodied mud as the roof turned to darkened skies.

“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!? GONNA CRY TO YOUR MOMMA, YOU SKINNIE PIECE OF SHIT!” The twisted voices howled.

Everything warped as Cletus melted into a puddle, his crimson hair spreading out, growing into a blob of ink and blood and from it emerged a flaming red parasaurolophus.

“THOUGHT YOU COULD JUST PUNCH ME AND LIVE!? FLESHBAGS LIKE YOU DESERVE TO SUFFER!”

Her fingers changed, warping into the crooked blade Cletus used, but now she had ten of them.

Swinging them at me wildly, each slash leaving scorching lines across my body.

It hurts, it hurts! IT HURTS! ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS! I’M GONNA DIE!

Light! A ray of light cut through the darkness blinding both my attacker and I as a resounding crack could be heard throughout the area.

Squinting my eyes, I saw that the twisted demon had been vanquished but more importantly, I saw her .

The silver-eyed angel, ‘ she saved me again.’

She turned to me and opened her mouth to speak, but instead of words I heard humming.

The melody was lively, full of care and promises of a better tomorrow.

Slowly, the light grew brighter, but her silver orbs kept me entranced as everything faded and it felt like I surfaced after being under water.

My eyes fly open but the humming is still there, warm and calming, abating my incoming panic attack.

After letting my eyes get used to suddenly being open again, I take in my new location.

I’m in an off-white room with a fluorescent light hanging above me, a droning buzz coming from it.

Turning my eyes to the side, I see the blue girl from before.

Calmly humming her tune, eyes closed as she rests in a chair next to me.

That is when I notice a weirdly pleasant and tingling sensation from my tail.

Looking at the girl, it is firmly wrapped around her wrist and she is gently petting it.

She gasps as I quickly try to get the muscles in it to cooperate and untangle it.

“Oh! You’re finally awake.” A male voice says from somewhere else.

‘Oh god! I got Skyrimmed!’

A burst of laughter from the new voice rings out in the room as the girl just tilts her head in confusion.

Looking towards the foot end of the bed I see two dino's resting on a small couch.

One was a dark purple triceratops of sorts with an ‘impressive crest.’

He snorts out a laugh while the cotton candy colored raptor next to him clings a bit harder to his side, which in turn makes the trike laugh even harder.

Huh.

They must swing that way, not something you see every day but ‘good on them.’

The candy raptor puffs his chest out, feathers fluffing up as a proud look sprouts on his muzzle.

Only lasts a second as the tricera turns his head and pecks his cheek causing the raptor to go from bubblegum pink to lobster red.

It is hard not to chuckle at the sight and I hear that I’m not the only one.

Looking to my side, I lock eyes with the silver orbs of my savior as we both smile and laugh fully at the sputtering raptor.

When the laughter finally died down and we were sitting in a comfy silence, I looked at the girl and finally decided to say what had been on my mind.

“Thank you.”

“Whuh?”

“For saving me.”

“I didn't do much.”

“Bull.”

“Nah, I meant what I said.” 

She shifts in her seat, leaning forward to look me properly in the eyes.

“What Mia did is not okay. Just because she's hurting does not give her the right to hurt others.”

“...What even happened that could have made her attack me like that?”

The three dino's in the room all share a look as an unspoken conversation is held between them before the blue-bary speaks up again.

“She lost her beloved uncle…”

The air feels heavy with unspoken grief, silence lasting a solid moment before a new voice pipes up from the couch.

“He… Dario was a pillar of our Downtown community.”

The pink raptor speaks up, a small smile on his maw.

“He was always there for anyone in need. Hell, when Trent here picked up that rusty heap of junk from George's List of all places.” He whaps who I now know as Trent over the head with his tail. “Dario was the one who fixed her up good as new and he only asked that we pay for any new parts he had to get.”

Trent rubs the back of his head and sheepishly smiles.

“Man was a legend and Mia was as keen with a wrench as he was, to the point that she was known as his little principessa dell'officina automobilistica to everyone.”

I guess I can see how that might make her lash out. 

Fuck, it sure did that for me when grandpa Greene died, but I was only 10 so it was limited what damage I could do… Still, something isn't adding up.

Before I can take that line of thought any further, a voice suddenly sounds from above me.

“Great Scott! You’re finally awake lad!”

Looking up, I nearly have a fucking heart attack when I see the head of an old dino but no body.

The head seems to be that of an herbie with a balding top and wild white hair on the lower half where it still remained.

I then noticed the neck that stretched up and into the rafter, crawling its way all the way back out through a slot in the top of the wall.

‘Huh, must be so he can easily check up on patients’

“Right you are!” A big grin forms on his muzzle.

His head snakes its way over to the wall by my headboard and I notice a bunch of tools jutting out from it.

“Now, let's see what the damage is…”

He chomps down on the weird looking end of one of the tools and slides it out of the wall slot.

His head comes back down, what I now see is a flashlight aimed at my eyes.

He bites down and I hear a click as the light blinds me.

I grunt in annoyance as he does it a couple more times alternating between my eyes before returning the flashlight to its slot.

“Pupil reaction seems fine, you're not slurring your words if any of the bits of conversation I heard is to go by… Just want to test one last thing.”

He slides a rubber mallet out from a slot and zooms down to my knee before giving it a whack.

“OW! What the fuck!?”

Giving the other a whack this time, it too jerks upwards in reaction.

Hammer is returned to the wall and he comes back down with a smile that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous.

“A test of your reflexes, lad.”

“ Very funny. ”

“Hah! But no, I was simply seeing if everything is working properly.”

His smile softens.

“And luckily you’re gonna be just fine, which you can thank your hybrid nature for.”

I grimace at that word, but the doctor doesn’t seem to notice and carries on.

“Thanks to your rare human-simian hybridization, you’ll be right as rain after a night in bed.”

“Wait, rare? Aren't they all mixed as is?”

The pink raptor chimes in and the ancient brachio is instantly face to face with him.

“Oh, but see! That is where we are all wrong! Somehow, members of the homo-erectus species don't often hybridize!”

He turns to Trent with a gleeful smile.

“What you usually see is a child based purely on one of the parent's species, so a hybrid like young mister Mous here is extremely rare!”

“Rarer than homo-saurians?”

The blue gator girl joins in with a slight tilt of her head.

“Why yes, yes they are! Did you know that we saurians are all part human?”

He slithers his head back a bit and I notice something hanging from the ceiling.

He wraps his neck around the padded pole with a platform on it to rest his head and faces us again.

“Way back in the forgotten times, we all looked closer to what the ancient bones of our ancestors would suggest.” He looks around the room, all of us paying attention.

“But then a saurian and a human decided to see where the birds and bees would take them and BAM! The first hybrid came to be!”

I could fucking hear the table slam and startled voice of someone else outside the room.

“This would quickly spread and soon enough, hybrids were everywhere. All of them faster, stronger and smarter than those who came before and so this became the new norm, WE became the base.” He pauses to let that sink in. 

“But as we reached the first great human-saurian war a millenia ago, things changed and the truly unique saurians that fully embodied both sides became hunted for being too dangerous… And with that, came the true fissure between our kinds, one that has only begun being truly fixed within the past century.”

There's a dim mood over the room now and the dusty dino tries to get his smile back up and running.

“But enough of the dreary side of it all, fact is that unlike with their fellow homo-erectus members, human and saurian genetics go together like peanut butter and chocolate, mac and cheese or heck! Milk and cookies!”

“Alright doc, we get it! Making me hungry with all that foo-!” GUUUUUUURRRRGHL! 

There's a beat of silence, then we all burst out laughing.

As we all catch our breath again, there's a quick knock on the door.

“Doc? The hospital just got back to us, so could you come take a look at this?”

“Finally! I'll be right out, Marty!”

With surprising Speed, his head unravels from its resting place and snakes its way out the slot above the door, leaving us all sharing glances. 

“Well, I meant what I said, all that food talk got me rumbling up a storm.”

He grabs the Pinkie by the arm and gets up.

“C’mon Curty! I’m sure we can borrow Doc’s kitchen to reheat the hoagies!”

And with that, they both leave with Trent dragging Pink- Curty? After him.

Wait a second, this means… ALL MEN TO BATTLE STATIONS!!! WE’RE ALONE IN A ROOM WITH A BEAUTIFUL GIRL! HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN!? WHAT DO I EVEN DO IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS!? FUCK!!! ‘I DON’T EVEN KNOW HER NAME!’

“It’s Nick.”

“Whuh?”

She gives a cute snortle.

“My name ya doof, it’s Nick or rather, it is Nicole but I go by Nick.”

She holds out a fist and after studying it for just a moment too long, I realize what she’s trying to do and bump it with my own.

“Anon, just Anon.”

A radiant smile blooms on her muzzle and I can’t help the goofy smile I feel forming on my lips.

“Well then ‘Just Anon’ It is nice to meet you properly!”

Chapter Text

Holy shit, this boy is a bit of a nervous wreck, huh?

We've been chatting for about ten minutes now and he's been slowly warming up to me, though it was still mostly me asking him questions and him awkwardly trying to answer me while dancing around what must have been a bad sitch.

But at least he’s smiling easier now.

It’s actually kind of cute…

No! Down girl, down! He's at least four years younger than you, so chill!

But the mumbling he does, it's like I have a secret window into his true thoughts.

‘A beautiful silver-eyed angel’ huh?

Maybe I could see if he actually meant anything by it, once we get a record deal through somehow, and I can finally have some fucking breathing room again.

You should hire a sound engineer they say, as if those just hang on the fucking trees when you want to keep it local.

“That song.”

“Hm?”

Him finally asking a question brings me back to reality.

“You were humming a song when I came to, and it was really nice, so… I was wondering what it was called.”

His eyes flick away from mine and his body looks wound up, like he is ready for fight or flight just from asking a normal question.

Just what has his daily life been like to reach this point?

“It doesn't have a name.”

I say it as gently as I can and his eyes nervously look back up to my own.

“It's a song that I've been feeling out, but it doesn't really fit into our usual style.”

He chews it over for a second.

“Wait, so you make music?”

“We do, yeah.” His eyes widened a bit from awe.

“Trent, Curtis and I are in a band together.

Nothing big outside of Volcaldera, but we've managed to gather a decent following here.”

“Whoah…”

Oh my Godzilla!

The way his green eyes shimmer like diamonds, full of awe! Not to mention the little wiggle of his tail peeking out from under his blouse, how can anyone be so fucking adorable?

I stifle a snicker at his adorable awestruck look, like a hick seeing the big city for the first time.

“We're pretty cool, yeah!

Our band's name is Swamp Babies, if you ever wanna give us a shot.

We welcome new fans!”

I shoot him a wink and watch with glee as his face goes red.

Oh man, he is so much fun to mess with!

And I just got an idea, a wonderfully awful idea!

I rise from the chair to sidle up next to him on the bed and watch as his blush deepens.

“Here, why don't I just play you one of our songs?”

Sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bed, I get a really good feel for the heat radiating off of him.

The kind of heat that I could easily get used to.

I boot up YouSnoot on my phone and jump to the band page.

A quick scroll and I find one of our tamer tracks, "Release the Swamp Puppies!”

The song starts with Curtis counting us in before he kicks it off on the drums, hammering out an impressive beat.

I join in on my guitar letting it sing loud and proud while Trent lays down a nasty phat beat on his bass.

I mouth along with the lyrics as I start to really get into the so-

“ -an't be right, who eve- ”

My attention is brought back as I barely notice Anon mumbling up a storm.

He is bopping along, but his hand is slightly covering his mouth which has a small frown going and his jade eyes are in deep focus.

So I lean my head just a little closer and manage to pick up on his mumbling.

“ -ven I could do that better… But, no.

She would probably not wanna hear that… Or would she? But if not, then I'll lose the potentially first friends I've made here. ”

The song comes to an end while he is mumbling and my curiosity is at an all-time peak. 

“So? What did you think? And be honest.”

He's startled back out of his mind palace and turns to look at me, eyes betraying his nerves. 

“It was good, really.”

Bull.

“I said ‘be honest’ and I mean it, be brutally fucking honest!”

His mouth snaps shut and he takes a deep breath through his nose before exhaling. 

“The song was good, really good.

The melody was kickass and really got me wanting to beat my genetic curse to grow long hair and start moshing.

The lyrics were fun and brought a smile to my face and all in all I really liked it.”

“But?”

“...But, how do I explain this? The bass sounded like it was trying to devour the guitar, the vocals were overblown and the drums too low.

Only the guitar sounded like it was mixed properly.”

His eyes focus back on my own.

“Whoever did the mixing on this track needs to be fucking fired.”

Well, I did ask for honesty. 

“Hah! Did you hear that, Curty? Sounds like Nicky is fired.”

We both look to the door as the guys return with our reheated sandwiches. 

“Oh yeah? Well then, you won't have any issues if we play your mix next, riiiiight?”

My grin vanishes in an instant when I turn my head back to Anon and see him on the verge of a breakdown as I pick up on his frantic mumbling.

“-ew it, should have just kept my retarded mouth shut! But nooo just had to say that last line and now she's gonna hate m-”

“Hey!” He stops and looks at me. “I asked for honesty and you gave me just that.”

I give him a gentle smile and he gives me an uneasy one in return, it's a start.

“But man, you must have some ears to pick up on all that, so nice job dork.”

He reaches a hand behind his head and scratches it.

“I have always had good ears, which sucks when you easily pick up all whispered insults behind your back…”

Relaxing and letting his arm fall back to his side, he sighs deeply.

“Music is one of the few things I always enjoyed.

I don't know how to play any instruments, but when I got my hands on a DAW I at least tried to make something.”

…

“But unfortunately, when I tried showing it to others I was told to never make music again and deleted everything… Although, now that I think about it, I might still have the program on a thum-OOMPH!”

My excitement kicks in and I am on top of him in an instant.

Hands on the headboard, legs straddling him, tail wagging and my snout in his face, close enough to feel the breath he's desperately trying to hold in.

“You! You know how to operate that stupid program!?”

His lush green orbs swim as they're trying to look away, but I'm too close.

His fair skin glowing flush red all the way up his ears.

I feel my own cheeks going red as well as I finally realize what my haste just got me into.

Time slows to a crawl as we both hold our stare-off, neither of us sure of what to do next.

“Do the two of you want us to leave?”

With the spell that kept us finally broken I quickly rolled off of the bed and returned to my chair, cheeks radiating enough heat to start a fire.

Causing Trent to clutch his stomach from laughing too hard.

“B-but guys! Don't you see? He might be able to hel-!”

“Nick!”

Curtis’ raised voice cuts me off and a glare stops me from starting again, and even Trent sits ramrod straight.

After a tense moment he relaxes a bit and I feel myself able to breathe again.

“Let the boy be for a moment, can’t you see that you're pushing him too much a bit too quickly?”

Looking over to Anon I see that he is lost in his own mind and muttering up a storm, but it is a bit too quiet to make out any words, but I do spot the furious blush still on his cheeks. 

“...Sorry.”

Curtis shakes his head and walks over to the still blushing Anon with a plate of warm hoagies in one hand and puts the other on his shoulder, causing him to finally snap back to reality.

Curtis holds up the plate to him and gives him an easy smile.

“We know you're omni, so we gave you a little bit of everything.”

He eyes the rolls stuffed to the brim with meats and veggies as if he would get hit should he reach for it.

A short stare-down later, he finally grasps it and takes in the sight and smell of Fuzzie's delicious hoagies. 

“I, uhm… Thank you, errm, Curtis right?”

My band mate's smile widens a bit more.

“That's right and now that I think about it, we haven't properly introduced ourselves.”

Holding out a fist for Anon to bump, he continues with a grin.

“Curtis Smith, our band's DnD; that is, drummer and driver.”

Fists get bumped and exploded as Curtis sweeps an arm over to Trent who, in the meantime, had managed to calm down his laughter.

“Wassup? The name's Trent Rodriguez; bassist, backing vocals and the heart of the group!”

That earns him a feathered tail tip to his face just as he's about to bite into his food.

Curtis smirks as Trent tries to cough up the feathers lodged in his mouth while Anon lets out a low snicker.

I laugh at my best friend's weird flirting ritual and hold a fist out to Anon.

“You already know my first name, but I figure I may as well give you the full spiel.”

Fists are bumped as he sets the plate aside and turns his full attention to me, despite the low rumbling from his gut.

“Name's Nicole Balor, but call me Nick.

I'm the lead singer and guitarist of our band as well as the sex appeal.” I strike a pose in my chair, nearly launching my plate into the stratosphere. 

That earns a snort from Trent, a head shake from Curtis, and a bashful smile from Anon.

Mission accomplished!

Smile still in place, Anon glances around at us all.

“My name is Anon, Anon Yule Mous.

And I moved here to take my senior year of highschool after some… Things went down in my old place.”

There's definitely baggage there, but I doubt he wants to dive into it right now.

The other two seem to be of the same opinion as Trent speaks up.

“And with introductions out of the way, let us dig in before our work of reheating these bad boys go to waste.”

Nods all around as I grab and unwrap a delicious smelling meatball and marinara sandwich. 

My tastebuds scream out in joy as the flavourful sauce coats them.

The still hot meatballs pop between my jaws adding even more nuances to this symphonic masterpiece that I am currently lost in.

Only to be broken from my reverie by the sound of a moan, looking over I see Anon with a massive blush.

“That good, eh?”

Trent's comments just set him sputtering as the blush intensifies. 

Just how cute can he be?

“N-NO! I m-mean, yes! They are very good, extremely good! It's just… I can't remember when I last- No, it's nothing… I don't want to… I'm fine, sorry.”

He starts pulling back into his shell again.

“Hey!” Trent's voice rings out. “You can tell us, we're all friends here after all, and buddies help each other out.”

Anon looks confused, as if he can't believe what he just heard.

There's both hesitance and hope in his eyes.

“Are we? Really? We barely know one another.”

I grin and add my own two cents.

“Psshaw, that's all? After we spent all day caring for you? We even shared our body heat, you and I.” His blush returns with a vengeance, it is truly fascinating just how easily he changes color. “If you're worried about something as small as having to know us, then we'll just have to stick together until you yourself call us your friends!”

With my piece said, I toss the last of my hoagie into the air and snap it out mid descent with my mouth.

Happily chewing, I looked at Anon again as his head finally finished digesting my words.

It started as a low rumbling from his throat. But before long, he was laughing freely and joyfully.It was a beautiful sound.

With a big smile he bites into his own Cubano style hoagie and hums in pleasure as he chews and swallows.

“...It's been so long.”

I tilt my head.

“Since I last had a proper meal with others.

Family meals were a thing in the past, but I can't even recall the last time we had one and don't even get me started on school lunch. 

While I had friends in school, they usually ate with their club members, so I almost always ate by myself there as well.”

He lets out a long sigh. 

“It's just, I have really fucking missed good food and banter, you know?”

That's… A sad thing to hear, but unfortunately not something we're unfamiliar with, after all.

“That is how we all met.”

“Hm?”

“The three of us, we were all without a home to return to for one reason or another.

So we sought out a place that could help us and that is how we all came to Lj's place.”

He looks at me curiously, but this isn't a topic I'm quite ready to discuss with him yet.

“Let us just say that she really helped us out and save the rest of that tale for another time, shall we?”

A grunt of approval sounds from Trent.

“Yeah, it's not exactly a cozy mealtime story.”

To which Curtis hums in affirmative while chewing on his club sandwich. 

“That is actually fair.” Anon nods and stuffs the last of his Cubano style sandwich into his mouth while eyeing the rest of the selection on his plate.

A calm quiet falls over the room as we all appreciate the meal.

Gotta remember to swing by Fuzzie's place and say thanks.

As smalltalk picks up after our very late lunch/dinner, I check my phone for any messages from Lj.

She should be about ready to arrive here any minute now.

After all, there was only one band scheduled to be playing tonight, so once that is squared away she can leave the closing of the store to the girls.

I'm sure they'll understand once she explains why she needs to leave.

Just as I'm about to put it away again a text ticks in to let me know that she is on her way.

Shoving it into my pocket, I look to the guys who are having a riveting chat about Xrox games.

Well, Trent and Anon are talking games.

Curtis just nods along, clearly been lost for a while now.

“Guys!”

Three pairs of eyes turn to me.

“Just got an update from Lj that she'll be here soon.”

With an a'ight from Trent and a nod from Curtis I look at the humie in the room and snort at the sight of him raising his hand as if he was in school.

“Yes, mr. Mous?” I say trying to sound like Mrs. Roberts, earning a smirk from him.

“I've been wondering… Who is this Lj?”

I blink.

“I thought you'd know of her, seeing as, to my understanding at least, she's an old friend of your mom.”

Now it is his turn to blink.

“My mom ? Friends? You sure you aren't thinking of the bottom of whatever bottle she’s most likely currently lost in?”

There's hurt and vitriol behind those words and I can see that I'm not the only one who caught it.

“What do you-” 

“LAD!” Doc’s head speedily slips through the slot above the door, making us all jump in our seats.

He looks clearly rattled and frustrated.

“I tried to get him to call tomorrow, but he was just so furious, he wou-!”

The sound of familiar guitar riffing rings out in the room as something in my pocket starts buzzing, making me jump slightly.

Getting up from the chair, I pull out the ancient smartphone playing the opening to Dizzy Mizz Lizzy's Waterline and toss it to the frozen human. Not bad taste for a dork.

He fumbles it a bit but quickly gets a hold of it and just as he's about to answer, it rings out.

His face instantly fills with fear as the phone starts ringing again, quickly he slides to answer and with a shaking hand moves it to his ear.

“H-Hello da-” 

“YOU FUCKING FREAKSHOW! HOW DARE YOU NOT ANSWER ON THE FIRST CALL!?”

The room freezes.

Doc's face cringes.

Trent half-rises from the couch, eyes hardened until he notices Curtis’ shivering form next to him, going through an anxiety attack triggered by that bastard's shouting and immediately wraps his partner in a tight hug, stroking the back of his head.

Anon also looks like he's about to break as the shitstain in the phone keeps ranting and raving.

Ah, you're one of us, no wonder you've been fitting right in.

I reach over and put a hand on his thigh to let him know that we're here for him and his tail quickly wraps itself tightly around my wrist.

“-BAD ENOUGH THAT THE BITCH RAN AWAY WHILE I DROPPED YOUR RETARDED ASS OFF AT THE BUS, BUT NOW YOU NOT ONLY LOST TO A FUCKING SCALEBACK, BUT YOU'RE BEING SAVED BY THEM AS WELL!?”

I can feel my blood starting to boil, but I bite my tongue.

“Wait wha-? Mom left!?”

“IF YOU JUST HAD THE BALLS TO DIE FIGHTING LIKE A REAL MAN, THEN MAYBE I'D FINALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF!”

“Wait just one fucking moment!”

Anon's shout cuts through his father's hateful screeching. 

“What the fuck do you mean ‘mom left?’”

There's a beat of utter silence before a dark chuckle emanates from the ratty speaker on his phone.

The man on the other end is suddenly eerily calm, though he still speaks loud enough for all to hear.

“I got back to an empty home, just a note on the door that she's filing a divorce.”

Anon sucks air in through his teeth, we all hang onto every word now.

“She finally got rid of the one thing keeping us bound, our greatest mistake, you .”

Something in Anon breaks, the light in his eyes quickly dimming as his tail grows lax around my wrist as life seems to drain from him.

I feel it burning inside me now, that undeniable want to keep him safe.

“Maybe she has the right idea… Yeah, a freak like you doesn't deserve my generosity! You should just go roll over in an alleyway like the trash you are!”

“W-what…?” His voice cracks as the bastard keeps laughing.

“I'm saying you're disowned as of this moment!”

I have Anon wrapped in an embrace before my brain even registers it.

He’s silently weeping as I gently rub his back, not that the shithead in the phone gives a fuck.

“I am canceling the lease on that Skin Row apartment.

Can't do much about what I already paid so count that as my final gift to you.

But when it ends, you're on your own. 

That is all you'll get from me, maybe that’ll finally put some hair on your chest, you fucking disgrace.”

That’s it!

I gently take the phone from his hand and put it to my ear.

“So lemme get this straight, you skinnie piece of shit! You’re saying you no longer want anything to do with Anon!? Your own flesh and blood!”

“Who the fuck are you!? You one of those fucking meteor dodgers!? And what I do to the worst mistake of my life is my business and mine alone!”

Anon shivers.

“So fucking what if I am!? Besides, a fucking fleshbag like you don’t deserve someone as good as him anyway.”

I gaze into his green eyes, the spark slowly returning to them as I give him a gentle smile.

“If you claim that you don’t want him as your son anymore, then you don't give a fuck what happens to him, correct?”

“...Do with the freak as you want! Boil him, roast him, eat him raw! At this point I really don’t give a fuck anymore!”

I cast a quick glance towards Trent and the now calmed Curtis.

Both of them are quick to pick up on my thought, rising from the couch and moving over to the bed.

The pink mother hen of our group slides up on Anon's other side, wrapping his tail protectively around us while Trent stands protectively next to the bed, reaching over and gently placing a hand on Anon's dome, giving him his best easygoing smile.

Those two will be amazing parents one day.

“Alright then!”

Bolstered by my friends-- no, my family's presence, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“In that case, I would just like to say this.” I shoot Anon a wink. “Kindly take your shitty Skin Row apartment, your false generosity, your stupid demands and shove it all up your retarded skinnie ass, you speciesist piece of shit!”

I hand the phone to Curtis who's tail wraps just a little tighter around us.

“Anon is one of us now, so go chuck a spear you pathetic bastard.”

With a satisfied smile he hands it off to Trent, who gladly takes it with a jovial smile. 

“Can’t believe how much of a fucktard you must be to hate your own son for being born, I hope you crawl back to your cave and waste away, you rotten savage.”

Even Doc’s head slithered down next to Trent.

“Now you listen to me, you recessive chromosome! You are the last thing young mister Mous would ever need in his life, so as his self-appointed new doctor I ask that you kindly do us all a favor and go extinct.”

Holy shit, remind me to never piss Doc off.

Trent hands the phone back to me, the fucker on the other end trying to sputter out some sort of comeback.

“From now on, Anon has nothing to worry about.

We have plenty of space at the studio, so you can just go take a long hike off of a short pier for all I care.”

We all look to Anon who has been slowly building up confidence with every line we spoke.

Reaching his hand up, I place his phone in it and he puts it up to his ear, determination etched into his features and a voice as cold as ice.

“As you just heard, I will not be requiring anything else from you.

Goodbye Paron, you miserable, washed up has-been.

I pray that you remember what it was like to have a heart one day and truly regret all of this.”

He ends the call, shuts down his phone and immediately collapses in on himself as all bravado escapes him.

We all hold him close and whisper encouraging words to him while Doc slithers back out to do whatever it is that he does.

‘ ...Fucking can't believe I just did that, holy fucking shit.’

He mumbles after a while and reaches up to tap my arm that is still protectively wrapped around him.

“I'm… Well, I'm not fine per say, but I'm okay'ish enough… So, could I get a bit of space, please?”

Trent rubs his dome one last time and returns to the couch with Curtis who gives him one last parting hug and a few encouraging words. 

I stay on the bed, but shuffle enough to the side that we aren't sharing body heat anymore.

“I…” He stops, mouth opening and closing as he’s trying to put emotions to words. “Thank you, just, thank you, all of you. Jeez, this is what? Two times in a day that you all save my ass?”

He scratches his neck.

“And sorry, for having to witness that shitshow.”

I reach over and rub his shoulder.

“Hey, no worries a'ight?” I shoot him a grin, though it falters a bit. “I just hope I didn't overstep any boundaries, but he really got my blood boiling.”

Trent lets out a half amused snort.

“That's putting it lightly… I just hope we could be there for you the way we all wish we had someone there for us when we went through a sitch like this, ya know?”

To which Curtis hums and nods in agreement. 

Anon seems to think for a moment and I can see him mumbling, but it is not loud enough to be heard this time.

“Yeah… I don't think I could have said or done anything if it wasn't for you guys.” His smile is tender and thankful.

“My da- Paron gets really fucking scary when mad and I just know that I'd freeze up again.”

He shudders under my palm and takes a deep breath, holding it in and letting it out.

“But enough about him .

Did… Did you guys really mean it?”

We all give him a look to continue.

“Y'know, letting me stay at the studio?”

“What's this about staying in my studio?”

All heads turned to the door as the carnotaurus we'd been waiting for stepped through.

“Lj!” I can't help the giddiness of seeing my mentor. “Finally kicked that band out for the night?”

She snorts and shakes her head, her grayish-blue hair swaying with each shake.

“Hah! Nah, they did good. Not SB good, but give ‘em a couple of years and I could definitely see them going places.”

Her eyes move to Anon and mine follow.

He seems to be lost in his head almost as if grasping for a farflung memory forever out of reach.

Walking over, she kneels down in front of him, startling him out of wherever he was inside that dome of his, but she just gives him a patient smile.

“O-oh uhm… H-hello ma'am?”

I snort, earning me a glare from the now blushing human.

“Well excuuuuse me for trying to be polite, princess.”

He looks back to a very bemused Lj.

“First time meeting you… I think?” He squints. “It's like… Like I've seen you before, but I can't remember the details.”

Lj sighs but smiles nonetheless.

"It's alright ‘Nonny, I highly doubt you are meant to remember someone you last saw when you were a baby”

She reaches a hand out for a shake.

“My name is Laura Jackson, your mother Hanna's best friend in school and your god-auntie!”

The room freezes.

She has a name!? Wait, no, stop being retarded Nicole! Of course she does, but holy fuck, I was sure she'd take that to the grave.

I look to both Trent and Curtis who are pondering the same.

Anon on the other hand is frozen mid-reaching for the handshake.

I hear his mumbling rapidly nearing eighty-eight miles per hour, but just as we're about to see some serious shit, he shouts.

“THE YEARBOOK!”

We all recoil a bit from the sudden shout.

“Sorry.” He reaches behind his head and scratches it. “It's just, I remember now.”

He looks Lj in the eyes.

“Back in the day, mom would often bring out the yearbook and show me pictures of her friends.

And you were there.”

Lj's smile is filled with nostalgia. 

“Yeah, we used to be thick as thieves back then.

But after they moved back to Rock Bottom, we slowly lost contact.”

She sighs heavily.

“Last time I saw her was when they both asked their best friends to be your god-uncles and aunts, should anything ever happen to her and Paron.”

She smiles again.

“The others are gonna be super happy when they hear you're in town… Which reminds me, why are you here? Why the fuck is Hanna and Paron not here with you? They get caught up somewhere?”

Anon shrinks, going completely silent.

I gently rub his back and his tail snakes its way out of his shirt to wrap around my wrist.

Lj noticing something is up looks to me.

“He… Anon is, one of us.”

It only takes her a heartbeat to understand what I mean as I see something inside her break.

“No… Fuck! So that’s what you were talking about? Regarding the studio?”

Lj looks so shaken as she slowly rises and sits on the bed next to Anon who looks up at her nervously.

She sighs and puts on as much of a smile as she can handle while giving a startled Anon a quick side hug.

“Now, I can't let you live in the studio.” Anon gulps and we all hold our breath. “It just isn't fit for anything more than an overnight or two.”

What…? No! No no no! I promised!

“But!” I’m stopped from spiraling further. “That doesn’t mean I’m about to just abandon my god-nephew to the streets!”

She digs into her pocket and whips out a keyring, fiddling a bit she unlodges a key.

“Now, Anon.” He sits just a bit straighter. “I know you most likely wouldn’t wanna live with your auntie.”

“I mean, no offense, but I would much rather be on my own for now.”

“Yeah, yeah! You just don’t want your hot and cool aunt to walk in on your JO sesh!”

He flushes and sputters much to everyones amusement, though he soon smirks to himself as well.

“Hah, yeah… Something like that.”

She smirks and tosses him the key.

“And that is why I’ll do you one better! The space above my studio is my old apartment, but I honestly don’t use it.”

Ah, I always wondered about that.

“Most of my personal junk is in the third floor office space above the Lava Java, where I pretty much live at this point.

So feel free to make it your own space.” 

Anon looks as though he can’t believe his ears.

“You seriously mean that? No jokes or rug pulls?”

Lj blinks and then scoffs.

“Pfah! Of course I mean it! As soon as you’re ready to get outta here tomorrow, have Doc. Brown call me and I’ll show you to the place! Got any luggage with you that I can drop off tonight?”

He shakes his head.

“No, I didn't bother packing anything to bring with me.

What I packed from my room should have been delivered to the apartment by now… The apartment that Paron just cancelled! Fuck! My stuff!”

Panic overtakes him as Lj looks to me.

“Nick, I know you three would probably like to get home and rest for the drive to Manu Ahi tomorrow, but please.”

I hold up a claw, Trent and Curtis already rising from the couch.

“‘Course we'll help! Anon is one of us now ‘Sides, it isn't like we need to be there super early, we just wanted to avoid as many of the festival goers during our drive as possible.”

I slap him lightly on the back, nearly sending him sprawling on the floor, earning me a glare, though it didn't have any heat. 

“Sorry, sorry! Got an address for the Skin Row dump?”

“Oh! Uh, sure… One sec.”

He fumbles with his front and back pockets for a bit and finally retrieves a crumpled post-it note which he hands me.

“Lessee here… Well, at least your dad had the sense to put you in the safer part of Skin Row. A'ight, we'll get your stuff and drop it off at the studio.”

Lj nods and Anon smiles at me again, one from the heart.

“Thank you again, all three of you.”

“No worries ‘Non, though this'll be it for us.” He raises a brow. “As you heard, we've been booked for a festival on an island connected to VB via bridge, so we'll be off to play there for the next week.”

“Oh… Then, I'll see you again when you get back, right?”

Augh, my heart! Don't give me such a sad smile!

“Of course you will! Ain't getting rid of us that easily.”

His smile turns happy again and I feel myself smile as well.

“Okay! Then I guess I'll be seeing you later and uhm, break a leg?”

“Hah, thanks and see ya ‘Non!”

I turn and leave while waving behind me, stepping through the door I'm met by Trent's smug smile.

“ Not. A. Word. ”

He just nods and starts walking, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat. 

This is gonna be a long and annoying trip.

I sigh and exit the clinic, Curtis already having pulled up by the door.

Handing him the address, I get in the back and we drive off into the evening.

***

Anon

***

Raptor Christ on his cross of rock, what a fucking shitshow of a day.

Only upside has been meeting those three.

Trent is such a ball of positivity that it almost hurts being around him, but he manages to turn it around with his sense of humor.

His self-proclaimed moniker of ‘Heart of the group’ might not be entirely off.

Curtis is the quiet one of the three, but he has such a gentle calm about him, contrasting well to Trent's larger personality.

The intense level of care he exuded when I was breaking apart was something else.

Guess I would call him fiercely protective but with a heart full of kindness.

And then there's Nick.

If ever life had a protagonist then she'd be it.

Strong minded, fierce, a nice husky voice , powerful, beautiful too , heroic, I could get lost in those silver eyes … Wait a sec brain, back it the fuck up!

“Fuck me sideways…” 

What? Oh shit, right! I was relaying my day to this lady.

“Why didn't you call me, Hanna? Did you really not think I'd have helped you out?”

Having begun pacing the small clinic room halfway through my retelling of events, LJ finally slumps down next to me again, a look of utter defeat on her face.

The friend she thought she had, keeping her completely out of the loop, not even once confiding in her.

‘She's gotta be hurting too… And yet she's been nothing but kind so far.’

Is that just a saurian thing?

Both of us letting out a deep sigh at the exact same time makes me chuckle a bit while she wraps an arm over my shoulder.

“But hey, look on the bright side.” She pulls me into a side hug. “If she's divorcing that stupid oaf, then that can only mean one thing.”

“What's that?”

“She'll be coming back home to the Bluffs.”

She gently rubs the top of my head.

“With you- I was gonna say “safely here”, but here nonetheless, she must have taken it as a chance to finally break it off, knowing you'll be here waiting.”

Huh… That kinda makes sense.

With how volatile Paron is now, she'd want me as far away from him as possible before dropping that bombshell on him.

‘I just wish she'd told me ahead of ti-’

“Mumbling.”

…Fuck, he'd have known!

“Did she give you a contact here in VB?”

‘Oh fuck!’

“What's wrong?”

I feel like my joints are all locked while I try to turn my head towards her.

“I uhm, I kinda gave it to Nick.”

“What?”

“It was on the backside of the post-it with the address.” I quickly say and wince in preparation for what usually follows one of my blunders.

But it never comes.

No shouting or screaming or throwing things at me.

A quick glance at the dino in the room shows her fiddling with her phone.

“And there we go. Nick will send the number over any second now, so no need to fre-!” *BZZ-BZZT* “Speak of the devil… Hm? This number looks familiar.”

Looking at her screen I see her type out a quick “Thx” to Nick before clicking the number to call it.

The screen switches and I see that it is calling a number registered as Fang’s Place.

It barely rings once before the call is answered and a clearly panicked female voice speaks up.

“Did you find him!? For the love of Raptor Jesus, Jon, tell me you found him!”

The voice on the other side sounds so terrified, ‘did I cause that?’

“Whoa now! It is nice to hear from you too, Chief.”

Lj pats my head and tries to sound as calm as possible.

“...Lj? Is that you?”

“It is and if you're frantic about who I think it is, then you can breathe easy now, I’ve got our lost god-nephew here.”

There's a moment of silence before the lady lets out an explosive sigh.

“Oh thank Godzilla! We were supposed to have heard from him hours ago! Where is he? Is he okay?”

Shit, I was so caught up in everything that had happened that I just didn't think to call.

“He’s doing fine, well, as fine as one can do after getting beat up. But he'll be ok-”

“ HE GOT WHAT!? ”

Holy shit! She sounds like she's ready to rip'n'tear ‘til it is done!

“Easy now, Fang! Eeeeasy does it. He is perfectly fine, lump aside.” I reach behind my head and feel said lump, it surprisingly doesn't hurt as much as the size might suggest it should. “He just needs to stay the night at Doc. Brown's clinic and then I'll show him to his new place in the morning.”

“Thank goodness. Could… could you put him on the phone? I would love to at least say ‘hi’ to him”

Lj looks to me for confirmation, but do I really have to speak to any more strangers today?

Haven't I had to deal with enough shit for one fucking day?

No Anon, the fucking ‘least you can do’ after scaring her as badly as you have ‘is to say hello ’.

Lj grins and hands me her phone and I take a deep breath to try and calm myself.

“H-hello uhm, miss…?”

There's a small giggle on the other end.

“Spears, dear. And you must be Anon? We've been eagerly awaiting your call, but it sounds like you had quite the adventure thrown your way today, hm?”

“Hah, that's putting it lightly… I'm sorry for not calling you, but I've only just now sat down and had time to remember that I was supposed to.”

“That is perfectly understandable, dear. I'm just so thankful that you are safe and sound.” The relief is evident in her voice. “I am sure my husband will be overjoyed as well, which reminds me that I need to call him so he can stop his search and return home.”

Oh fuck… ‘I didn't want to cause anybody any trouble,’ I just wanted to go to my dump and vanish.

“It's no trouble at all, you didn't want for this to happen, correct?” I mumble out a soft affirmative. “Then I see no reason to beat yourself up!”

Lj gives me an encouraging grin and pats my back.

‘What is it with these dinos and being nice to me?’ I don't know how to deal with it!

They both laugh and Mrs. Spears chimes in.

“Say, how about once you're settled in at your new place, you give Jon and I a call and we'll find a day for you to come have dinner with us? Does that sound good?”

The saurian's stomach next to me immediately starts rumbling as she wipes away a bit of drool.

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

An amused sigh sounds from the phone's speaker.

“Yes, Lj. You're also invited over for a nice lasagna dinner to welcome our god-nephew to town.”

I can't help but smirk as Lj does an overexaggerated fist pump next to me.

If it is that good, then I can't possibly decline.

“That sounds pretty good, count me in.”

“Oh, how wonderful! We'll be looking forward to it, but now I really gotta get off the line and call Jon.”

“Oh! Right, sorry and thanks again, I'll be looking forward to this legendary lasagna that has Lj drooling up a flood.”

Lj playfully punches my shoulder lightly while Mrs. Spears titters.

“It was truly nice to hear from you, Anon! Now rest up and get better and then we'll talk again another day.”

“Will do and later.”

I end the call and hand Lj back her phone.

“You did good, kid.”

I quirk a brow.

“It was plain to see that you've had enough for one day, but you still made sure that Fang knew you were okay, ergo you did good.”

‘Huh… Yeah, y'know what? I did done do good.’

It's so weird actually being truly affirmed for once, like, tingly from my neck all the way to the tip of my tail… And I kinda like it.

She Just pulls me a bit tighter into the side hug.

Yeah, I could get used to small things like this.

But one thing's for sure, now that my nerves are finally winding down, I am fucking feeling the day in full.

A mighty yawn escapes me and the curse spreads, causing Lj to yawn in full as well.

“A'ight, I'd better go make sure those three get everything to the apartment. 

You sleep well now and then I'll see you in the morning.”

She rises and pats my head one last time, to which I grunt out an affirmative as she turns and walks out.

Finally alone I turn and let my head hit the pillow, no thoughts given before I drift off.

And for the first time since that day it is not the halls of RBH that await me, but rather the secret base my dad always took me to as a kid.

But instead of him and mom, it is my new frien- Huh… Yeah, I guess they are, huh.

Friends that have already been there for me more than anyone in Rock Bottom have been since Grandpa Greene died.

Maybe this will be the start of something good.

Yeah, the future that seemed so dull is already beginning to brighten and I can't help but feel that this time, things are gonna go just fine.

***

Side: Paron

A couple of hours earlier.

***

“As you just heard, I will not be requiring anything else from you.

Goodbye Paron, you miserable, washed up has-been.

I pray that you remember what it was like to have a heart one day and truly regret all of this.”

‘...Fuck me sideways with a semi-truck’

I already do, my lil’ grease monkey, I already do…

Fuck! Keep it together Paron, he’s safe now, they’re both safe now.

Don’t falter, don’t crack! Do not let anyone here know that you care, for both of their sakes…

A heavy knock sounds from the front door.

Knowing not to let them wait, I speedily make my way and open it for them.

“Good evening, Brother! We heard shouting and wanted to see if you’re okay.”

Brian, the shitstain dating our great leader's daughter, stands there looking as smug as ever while surrounded by his goons.

Believing himself above his elders just because he’s bound to be the next great leader.

“Everything is fine, Brother. Just dealing with my runaway runt.”

The sneer on his face is a sight to behold.

“Ah yes, the freak of nature you helped bring into this world of ours… Ran off did he? To where exactly?”

This lil’ ‘fucker!’

“What was that, Brother?”

“I said, the fucker ran off to the west coast, knowing him he’ll give up on life and either rot away or end up dead in a Skin Row alley and finally be out of my life for good!”

His sneer widens into a smile.

“And your lovely wife? Have you managed to track her down?”

“Left the state, not that it matters as our Great Leader already gained control over the Mous clan.”

I scoff and put on my most disgusted face possible.

“If she can’t accept the way of Salvation, then she is of no use to us.”

One of his slightly older goons snorts and smirks at me.

“Speaking of use, I have need of your services, Woodsman.”

For fucks sake, not again…

“What poor scaleback did you get your hands on this time?”

“A young para, gray and dull like everything here, but those baby blue eyes, so full of defiance!” The fucker is actually getting hard out in public. “It was such a joy to break her in, though I may have gone just a biiiiit too far and now she’s broken… Oh well, I can just browse the Scale District for a new one.”

Scum, the entire lot of you! Fuck, guess I gotta call it in if she’s ‘too bad’ off…

“What’s too bad?”

Shit!

“...Too bad she’s broken, that means she won’t run for her life when I drop her off for the bears to eat, that is always part of the fun.”

“Hah! Whatever floats your boat, Woodsman! I’m just always amazed that you’re willing to risk fighting a bear for your little hike into the deep woods.”

I scoff and play up my tough guy facade.

“I survived getting jumped by the fucking sandraptors in the middle-east, dancing with a bear is childs play compared.”

I smirk maniacally at him.

“Maybe you should try it yourself! Bears make for a much better fight than the pathetic scalebacks you usually go for!”

His smile falters as I step closer and I see him quake in his boots… Fucking weakling, can only handle a saurian after tranqing her with a heavy dose of carfe.

“Just fucking put her in a sack and dump her in the usual place, I'll take her out tonight!”

He shivers and nods.

“Good… I need to punch something and a bear sounds pretty good right now.”

Brian sighs and shakes his head, having stood there silently through the exchange. 

“Just be careful, Woodsman, we wouldn't want to lose the only person insa- I mean, brave enough to hike through the deep wood.”

‘Piece of’ shit.

He raises an eyebrow. 

“I said, it'll be a piece of cake… Best way to get rid of any accidents. After all, no cop anywhere in the Midwest would want to go rooting through bear dens for proof of a missing dodger.”

“Hah! True enough, Brother! Now if you'll excuse us, we have a meeting to get to.

May Humanity's Hand of Salvation guide us!”

“Salvation is Key, Brothers!” We all chant as one before they turn around and leave me be.

Sighing I go and prep my hiking gear for the long trek to the hidden safe house, ‘this is gonna be a long night.’

Long night indeed… I've been trekking through the woods for almost an hour at this point and it's been about ten minutes now since the victim woke up and started crying.

I want nothing more than to calm her down, but we're not out of the proverbial woods yet, there's too high of a risk that someone in the HHoS might be following me to make sure I enter the deep woods.

Fuckers have always been cautious of me due to Anon's birth… The fucking bastards! One of these days, I swear…

Another half hour or so of making my way through increasingly worse terrain, I'm finally deep enough in to be alone again.

“Hey!”

The sack stops sobbing and starts holding its breath.

“It's gonna be okay, we're almost at the old bear den.”

Suddenly the bag started wiggling even harder.

“Nonononono! You’re him! The monster! The Woodsman! IDON'TWANNADIE!”

The sack rips and a gray parasaurolophus with hazel hair and fearful blue eyes flops onto the ground and she starts backing away as quickly as her limp and broken legs allows her.

“Pleasepleaseplease”

"Hey!"

”--easepleasepleaseplease”

"HEY!"

”--sepleasepleaseple-!”

Her blue eyes never left my form until she backed right into something large.

She finally takes note of the looming shadow above her and freezes completely.

The one behind her lets out an amused snort, causing her to start whimpering.

“Luckily for you, that isn’t a bear.”

“...What?”

“Da! In home village, bear is eaten by me! GAHAHAHAHAHAAA!”

I shake my head and walk over to the girl who seems to be in complete disbelief at the sight of a giant Russian ankylosaur behind her.

“Wha-! What is going on? I thought you were going to kill me… Right?”

“Hah! Zat is a riot, fraulein! You are safe here wis us.”

A human, at least in appearance, walks out from behind the Russian and looks over the shivering girl.

“They’re here to extract you from this hell hole. Old friends of mine who do stuff like this for the right price.”

“...For real?”

I snort and give her a confident grin.

“Very much for real. Doc. Ludwig will make sure you’ll make the trip and Misha will keep you both safe.”

The two nod while Lud looks over her legs.

“I- Thank you, oh thank you thank you thank you!”

“Don’t wear it out, girl.”

“Bailey, my name is Bailey Springs.”

“...Paron Mous, but please don’t spread that name around.”

“I promise Mr. Mous! I swear to it!”

“You two know the drill. I’d best get back before anyone gets even more suspicious of me than they already are.”

My old friends nod and we say our quick goodbyes though the girl still can’t stop thanking me as I walk away.

‘You did good, Paron, you did good.’