Title: Weird Customs
Status: On-Going
Characters: Fang, Trish, Reed and Anon
Rating: SFW
Classification: One-Off
Author: Anonymous


> It's an unusually chilly morning as I walk to school, hands tucked into my pockets
> There's hardly anybody loitering around the front steps today, clearly everyone rushed for the warm hallways
> As I walk up the front sidewalk, something in the grass catches my eye.
> Leaning over and scooping it up, I see it's actually a small agate
> It's nothing special really, pretty small and unremarkable. It would probably sell for about a dollar in some dinky gift-shop somewhere.
> I pocket it on a whim, barely giving it any thought as I walk inside
> As usual, Fang is waiting for me by my locker, tapping an improvised tune against the metal
> "Morning dork." She yawns, snapping her jaws.
> "Sup Fang." I reply, reaching into my pocket, "Hey check out what I just found."
> I toss the agate to Fang, who easily catches it. She turns it over in the light, wiping off the dirt with her thumb
> "Nice find dweeb, you thinking of becoming a geologist?"
> "Yeah yeah, whatever." I scoff, grabbing my bag from my locker, "I just found it outside on the lawn. You want it?"
> Fang gasps, fumbling and nearly dropping the rock. She stares at me wide eyed, a crimson blush spreading over her face
> "Fang? You alright?" I ask, confused. Is something wrong with her? Does she have a fever?
> "Y-yeah! I'm fine!" Fang nearly shouts, smiling nervously. "Are you really sure you want me to have it?"
> "Sure, why not?" I shrug, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "I can keep it if you don't want it."
> "No!" Fang snaps, clasping the stone tightly to her chest as if it's the most precious thing in the world. "I mean, uh... sure. I'll take it off you hands, it's fine."
> "Oookay then..." I reply suspiciously. I don't know what's going on with Fang today, she's definitely acting weird.
> "Anyway, I'll see you later at science class." I wave as I head off, the first bell of the day ringing overhead. Fang meekly waves back, retreating beneath her wings as they fold over her head
> From a distance, I can just barely hear a muffled "EEEEEE!!!" from beneath her feathers as I turn around the corner.
> Huh, wonder what all that was about. Maybe I can ask Reed about it later, see if she got sick over the weekend or something. Oh well, I'm sure it's nothing.

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> It's finally the end of the week, and everyone is eager to finally go home for the weekend.
> Stepping down the school's concrete steps, I fish out my phone and get check my favorite Indonesian pickle shearing forum. As usual, there's nothing interesting going on.
> My feet are on autopilot as I walk down the sidewalk, and I nearly stumble into someone standing in my way
> It's a pterosaur who's name I can't quite recall. I recognize her from some of my classes however. We've never really talked.
> She's shorter than Fang, but not quite so thin. Much more colorful though. She always seemed particularly shy, and honestly she's pretty cute.
> "Uh, h-hey Anon." she stammers, running her hand through her hair, "I was wondering, um-"
> Oh great, what is this going to be? Some stupid question about humans? Somebody trying to get answers about Fang?
> She mentally psyches herself up, slapping her cheeks and straightening her back
> Reaching into her bag, she quickly pulls something out and thrusts it to me.
> It's a stick. Admittedly, a pretty nice stick, but still a stick.
> She clearly want me to have it, so I reluctantly take it.
> Is this some stupid caveman thing? Is this racist? Was she put up to this?
> Suddenly, she starts strutting back and forth in front of me, puffing out her chest while bobbing her head forward and back
> ...What?
> Dude, what the fuck am I looking at?
> Everyone on the front lawn is staring, or excitedly whispering to each other as she continues the display.
> The mystery pterosaur stops strutting and starts scraping her feet against the ground, fluffing and flapping her wings wildly
> I have no idea what the fuck is happening
> Is this some kind of prank?
> Am I getting punked?
> Does Volcano High have an interpretive dance troupe?
> This is all so totally fucking bizarre I can't even think. I just stand there slack-jawed, stick in hand
> Suddenly Fang storms up from behind me, roughly shoving me behind her and slapping the stick out of my hand
> She looks absolutely livid. Her feathers are all standing on end, her wings fully extended as she bares her teeth at the other dino
> Fang takes a deep breath, her chest visibly filling with air
> "**SKREE-ONK!!**"
> What the fuck
> This day is just too fucking weird for me. I just want to go home.
> The shorter pterosaur looks absolutely terrified, visibly quailing under Fang's murderous glare
> Stammering out a rapid apology, she literally sprints off across the lawn and out of sight
> Fang calms down slightly, but she's still clearly agitated, her wings refusing to come down to rest completely
> Without a word she possessively wraps her arm around mine, pulling me to her side
> Holding her head up high but refusing to look at me, Fang nearly drags me down the sidewalk past the crowd of whispering students
> I'm too fucking baffled to object, my fried brain content to just be lead wherever Fang intends to go
> Finally, about a block away, I remember how words work
> "Fang, what the fuck was that?" I ask, trying and failing to escape form Fang's iron grip
> "Nothing dork, don't worry about it." Fang replies, pulling me in tighter. She still won't look at me, although I can faintly hear Fang mumbling.
> "Fucking skank, thinks she can't just walk up and-..."

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> It's another typical lunch break at Volcano High, sitting with the Fang Gang at our usual spot
> Trish, Reed, and Fang are all excitedly talking about their next upcoming show, debating lightning and the possibility of pyrotechnics
> I don't have much to contribute, and today I'm lost in thought. Something has been bugging me for a while now, and I can't get my mind off it
> I absentmindedly push my food around, trying to think things through and tuning out the world around me
> "Hey, Earth to Anon? You in there?" Fang asks, elbowing my side, "You okay dude? You've been mumbling nonstop."
> "Yeah, I'm good. Just got something on my mind." I answer, "It's probably nothing."
> "What's up dude? You can tell us." Reed chimes in, Trish clearly annoyed at the interruption
> "Well, it's kind of weird..." I scratch the back of my head, knowing how strange this will all sound, "I think there's a stray cat or something in my apartment building."
> Everyone is just staring, waiting for me to continue. With a sigh, I decide to just lay it all out.
> "It started a couple weeks ago." I explain, "I got up and found a big stick on my front mat. I didn't think anything of it, but every couple days another shows up."
> "You found... a stick." Trish deadpans, her eyes narrowing dangerously
> "Yeah, and not just sticks." I continue, "Sometimes it's big colored rocks, or blankets, a couple pillows, old bed stuffing, all kinds of stuff."
> "Dude, a cat couldn't do that." Reed counters, "Unless it was like, a big cougar or something."
> "I think I would have noticed that." I reply, "But what else could it be? It's too strange to be a prank or a threat."
> "I don't know man, I'm stumped." Reed admits, leaning back into his seat, "You have any ideas Trish?"
> "Nope." Trish spits out through clenched teeth, her claws scraping against the table, "What about you Fang?"
> "Huh? N-no" Fang stammers, apparently more interested in something stuck on the ceiling, "I've got no idea what's going on."
> "Well, whatever." I shrug, focusing back on my cold lunch, "I guess it's not really a problem. It'll probably stop eventually."
> The four of us eat in relative silence, content with just each other's company. Fang though seems distracted now, barely picking at her food.
> "So..." she hesitantly begins, trying to sound casual, "What did you end up doing with that stuff anyway?"
> "I just tossed most of it." I answer honestly, Fang's wings and shoulders visibly drooping. A brief flash of sadness on her face is quickly covered up by a fake smile
> "Although..." I continue after another bite of food, "I did end up keeping most of the pillows and blankets."
> "Really?" Fang asks hopefully, her mood completely turning around in an instant
> "Yeah, my old bed was a piece of shit." I explain, "Now it's probably the comfiest place on Skin Row."
> "Oh, good!" Fang smiles, her tail thumping happily against her seat. I'm not sure why she's so concerned about my sleeping arrangements, but it's nice to see her so happy
> Still no idea where all that stuff came from though, it's quite the mystery.