# Altered Paths - Nasera Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Join the Club
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You know the story by now. Probably know it well. The story of Anon Y Mous and Lucy Aaran.
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The story of how a lost boy and a broken girl found each other through the coming-of-age quagmire.
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It’s a story as old as time; a lost boy and a broken girl get to know each other, grow to admire qualities in one another, and help each other rise above all the hell that life puts one through.
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You know of their struggle to find themselves and their effort to make sense of the world around them, one that’s often cruel and uncaring. You’ve seen how they find each other in their darkest hour and how they helped pull each other out of that darkness and into a brighter future.
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You have seen them achieve the height of happiness in each other’s embrace, but you’ve also seen them reach the lowest possible points in their lives, often resulting in untold suffering to them and all those around them...
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But the tale of Anon and Lucy isn’t the only story to tell. Out there, there are thousands of possibilities, thousands of altered paths, each more different than the last.
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All it takes is one different variable to alter the course of history and the flow of fate...
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Why don’t we check in on one such possibility?
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The year is 201M2020 BC.
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Anon Y Mous, a human teenager of eighteen years of age, recently transferred to a brand new school named Volcano High.
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He once attended a school farther north named Rock Bottom High, located in the human town of the same name. Rock Bottom itself is a mountain town of not much fame aside from its winter Skiing resorts.
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From an outsider’s viewpoint, it isn’t a place of much renown. More so outside of the winter season. If anything, Rock Bottom’s the kind of place you go to be unremarkable and to lead a quiet, if unhappy, life.
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This is the place Anon hails from. This is the world this young man has always known; a dull, unremarkable life. Is it little wonder that he tried filling the void with the power of anime waifus?
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Don’t answer that.
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Unfortunately for Anon, his little passion came to light thanks to a fellow student who didn’t think too fondly of him, outing the information in possibly the most embarrassing way imaginable: Chain emails.
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As a result of that embarrassment and subsequent harassment, the young man transferred out of Rock Bottom High, which meant he had to bid his boring old town and boring old life farewell.
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As fate would have it, the only other school within a hundred miles willing to accept his transfer so late into the school year was Volcano High, located in the bustling city known as Volcaldera Bluffs.
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While a setback in many ways, most consider moving schools and towns a chance to start again. Indeed, it is something most people would jump on and embrace wholeheartedly.
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Only, there are two problems:
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Problem one. Volcaldera Bluffs is a predominantly dino city. As such, dinosaurs don't view humans in the best light. This meant that the school Anon would transfer into would also be a predominantly dino school. Humans like Anon might find it challenging to blend in.
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Problem two. Anon isn’t exactly like most people. People who would make the most out of the cards dealt to them and adapt to new friends and new challenges. Instead, Anon only wishes to scoot by unseen and unknown, finishing his last six months of school and vanishing altogether into a life of mediocrity.
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But as fate would also have it, his plans went out the window when he set eyes on her.
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Let's check up on Anon. See what the petite caveman's been up to since his transfer to Volcano High...
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It’s been a whole week since I transferred out of Rock Bottom High.
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I never actually expected to get so used to the cavalcade of cereal mascots that surround me on the daily. Yet here I am, not even minding that I’m surrounded by what some of my old classmates would confuse for a furry convention.
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Volcano High isn’t at all like back home. Over in Rock Bottom, I think I only ever recall seeing one or two dinos at school. It’s the complete inverse of Volcano High now that I think about it. I wonder if that’s because the temperature back home’s better suited for humans or if dinos just don’t like to live up in the mountains.
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Well, whatever the case, I’m not in Rock Bottom anymore. I shouldn’t think of that old town as my home anymore. Though now that I think about it, did Rock Bottom ever feel like home? I had a house and parents, even if they did everything they could do to avoid having to deal with me. I bet they’re overjoyed over not having to house me anymore.
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I put those thoughts out of my mind as I head down the hallways, all the while wondering what kind of strange things the day would bring me.
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I haven’t even taken more than twenty steps when I run across the Aaran sisters chatting away with Trish and Reeda. Almost on cue, one of the Aaran siblings, a beautiful and well-toned ptero of light brown scales, a dark auburn toned hair, wing feathers, and an orange crest, turns to face me. As always, aside from her natural beauty, the other thing I always notice is her asymmetrical profile, her left wing atrophied into a stumpy little thing.
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Since meeting Nasera on my first day of school, I’ve been curious to know the story behind that clipped wing of hers. Something tells me that it might be a very sore subject to bring up in casual conversation. Literally and figuratively.
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I don’t know how it is with dinos, but I find that Nasera’s injury gives her an air of uniqueness and strength, which only serves to amplify the rest of her natural beauty in a way that I can’t describe. Maybe I find scars appealing? Perhaps I have a kink for survivors? It could be the idea of someone carrying on with life despite such a disability that makes something in the back of my mind click.
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Or it could be all the anime I’ve watched over the years...
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“Hey, Anon!” Nasera chirps as she leaves her group of friends and makes her way towards me, a smile on her lips and a sway to her hips that almost makes me spill my spaghetti.
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I stop in my tracks and do my best not to look like I’m too dumbfounded by the Jurassic beauty before me. Especially since I can see Nasera’s more rebellious sister, Fang, fuming a bit in my periphery. The monochromatic ptero isn’t bad-looking by any means, but compared to her sister, she comes off as a bit plain. Yet, something about her lack of color also draws me to her. In a way, it reminds me of myself since I’m also considered ‘plain’ by human standards, with my lack of hair and almost non-existent features. I wonder if that makes me appear unique to dinos? It could be an interesting thing to ask one next time I get a chance to.
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“How’s my favorite skinnie doing this fine Monday morning? Get in some good hunting before coming to school?” Nasera asks, all the while making a spearing motion with her arms.
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I let out a sigh and ignore Nasera’s oh-so-casual bout of racism. I almost expect it considering she doesn’t get to interact with many other humans daily. Well, aside from Principal Spears. The jury is still out about him, though. He looks human enough, but something tells me he hails from more… primitive stock. Probably closer to a neanderthal than a homo sapien. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had some dino genes in him as well.
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Actually, can dinos and humans even have kids with each other? According to cheesy romance stories, yes. Real life tends to be more boring than that, though. Guess that’s another thing to research later. For science, of course.
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I hear a snicker coming from behind Nasera and glance towards Fang, Reeda, and Trish. I notice the tiny purple triceratops doing her absolute best not to burst out laughing in that little glance. Stupid little trigga probably told Nasera to greet me as she did.
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I also ignore the daggers Fang is shooting at me with her amber-toned eyes. It's not my fault that Nasera is still my welcoming committee to Volcano High. If Fang wants to blame someone, she should blame Naomi. She’s the one that put Nasera up to it for reasons I can’t even fathom…
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I let out a forced chuckle and put on my best fake smile. “Uh… Nasera? Humans don’t hunt for their food anymore. We go to supermarkets just like everybody else.”
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Nasera blinks a few times and turns a glare towards Trish, who turns away from the ptero and whistles.
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Called it. Trish, you little bitch…
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Nasera lets out a sigh and puts a hand on my shoulder, all the while giving me an easy smile. “F-forget I said that,” she stammers out. “How was your weekend?”
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I give Nasera an indifferent shrug. “Pretty chill. Finally got the last of my things unpacked and got to enjoy some quality me time.”
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“Oh? And what exactly does ‘you’ time constitute, if you don’t mind me asking?”
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Well shit. Didn’t think my words through enough. Fucking walked right into that one.
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Scrambling for an answer, I let out an innocent giggle and rub the back of my head. “Oh, you know. A little vidya here, some catching up on tv shows there…”
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Don’t say shitposting on basket weaving forums…
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Don’t say shitposting on Mongolian throat singing newsletters…
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“...And a healthy dose of browsing the internet… to shitpost...”
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Oh fucking goddammit...
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“Shitpost?” Nasera asks, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “What’s a shitpost?”
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“ANYWAY!” I say, quickly taking the reins of the conversation before the bombastic ptero heads down a road I’m not qualified to even attempt to explain to her. “Didn’t do much else after that. I just chilled and waited for Monday to roll around. I swear!”
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Nasera looks at me with a narrowed look before she smiles again. “Sounds super boring!” she remarks, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. “What you need to do is find yourself an activity to keep you nice and busy during your off-time. You know what they say about idle minds, right?”
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“No, I don’t,” I answer, not quite sure where Nasera is even taking the conversation.
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“Uh… something about idle minds leading to idle hands… which then leads to lost time?” Nasera herself shrugs as she hands me the piece of paper. “My point is, I want you to join my club!”
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I unfold the paper Nasera trusted to me and read it over.
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It’s a flyer for Volcano High’s sports club. It’s a fancy and intricate flyer, complete with bold lettering and pictures of various fitness activities. I can’t help but notice that more than half of the photos are of Nasera doing the exercises while wearing a pair of short shorts and a skin-tight tank-top that leaves nothing to the imagination.
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I’m very thankful that my pants are on the baggy side. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure the tent I’d be pitching right now would be very noticeable to the four girls in my vicinity…
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Nasera looks at me expectantly, the smile on her lips wide, warm, and very much welcoming. I give the paper another cursory glance before looking at the ptero in the eye with a surprised and confused expression.
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“Uh… Why do you want me to join your sports club?”
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“Glad you asked!” Nasera says as she wraps an arm around my shoulder and begins walking me down the hallway, away from the rest of her friends and most of the other students passing by. “For all the last thirty years that Volcano High has been open, our school has prided itself in being among the top athletic institutions in all Dinofornia. We have dozens of trophies proving it and countless awards that we can’t even find the room to display!” She stops us right in front of one such awards display. True to her word, it’s full of all kinds of athletic awards. So many that a few have to sit behind some of the larger trophies on display.
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“Notice something missing among all the photos, though?” Nasera asks as she lets go of me so I can take a closer look.
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I crouch down and begin scanning the photographs. As I do, I fail to spot anything out of the ordinary with them.
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“Uh… I don’t see anything off.”
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“Look closer,” Nasera commands as she also crouches next to me. She points to a few of the pictures and moves a finger around, almost as if trying to force my attention on a specific fact that continues to elude me.
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I stand up and let out a sigh. “Sorry, I only see pictures of dinos doing sporty things.”
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“EXACTLY!” Nasera almost shouts as she also stands up and again wraps her arm around my shoulder, bringing me so close to her being that we almost touch cheeks. “For the last thirty years, there hasn’t been a single skinn—human—in our sports department!” She turns to face me and gets even closer to me. So close that the tip of her snoot almost makes contact with my nose. “We don’t get many of you guys here in Volcano High. The last one of your kind was Principal Spears ten years ago, and he never joined the sports club despite his physical prowess. Which brings me to you!” Nasera’s smile grows wider, her very eyes shining as the excitement overflows from her. “T-this is the perfect opportunity to make history. You can be the first human to join Volcano High’s sports club. Think of the fame, the recognition, the college acceptance letters!”
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Despite the little caveman in the back of my mind jumping for joy at the fact that a femoid—and a scorching hot one at that—was making contact with me, my rational side takes over and forces my body to slip out of Nasera’s grip. As I do, my mind races as various things become clear to me: Why Naomi set Nasera up as my welcome party, why Nasera’s been so friendly and clingy, heck, maybe even why I got into Volcano High so quickly in the first place.
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My more pessimistic side wants to turn tail and leave. I’m a full-on retard when it comes to sports. What’s more, the reason Nasera is scouting me for the club is that I’m human. Does she even care about my physical prowess? Would she change her mind when she sees my scrawny ass fail even to do more than ten push-ups?
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“L-look, Nasera, I really appreciate you considering me good enough for the sports club—”
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Before I can continue with my words, Nasera’s expression deflates, and she takes a step back. “Oh... you’re declining… O-okay…” she says as her expression takes on a defeated, almost hurt tone. “I… I understand your decision, Anon…” She lets out a sigh, bites her lower lip, and closes her eyes. “I guess I was a bit too naive to think that you’d be interested in the club, especially since you’ve only been in attendance a week…” the ptero opens her eyes again and looks deep into me with her radiant amber orbs. “If you really don’t want to be a part of… my club… I fully respect your decision…” She reaches out to grab the flyer off my hands. As she does, I can see the absolute devastation in her eyes. She almost looks ready to jump into her bed and cry herself to sleep…
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Oh goddammit. I’m going to hate myself for this later.
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I yank away the flyer before Nasera can take it from me, causing her to look at me with a surprised expression.
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“You didn’t let me finish my words,” I say, all the while clearing my throat and smiling in the best faux way that I can. “What I was about to say was…” I clear my throat before continuing. “I appreciate you considering me good enough for the sports club. I’d be happy to become a part of it and help you make Volcano High history.”
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Nasera’s expression does a one-eighty. Whereas she looked miserable and defeated before, she now looks ready to jump over the moon. She lets out an adorable squeal as she flutters both her good wing and her smaller damaged one with what I assume is excitement. I’m not sure since I’m not versed in the finer physical tells that dinos did with one another. Still, judging by the simper on her lips, I’m more than sure that she’s experiencing a moment of absolute rapture.
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“Oh, this is great news, Anon!” Nasera says as she grabs both my hands into her solid yet gentle grasp. “You won’t regret your decision. Why, by the time we graduate, you’ll be more than ready to face any athletic challenge the world can toss in your direction. You might not even need to rely on crude tools to get certain tasks done with the muscles you’ll have!”
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Despite Nasera’s comment once again being on the mildly racist side, I don’t say anything to the ptero now holding my hands and smiling like she won some kind of lotery. Part of it is because I don’t want to ruin the moment for her, as it's clear that me joining her club means a lot, but the other part is fear over what I had gotten myself into.
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Nasera stops sperging out and clears her throat, letting go of my hands and giving me a cool and collected look that didn’t quite match with the excitement she displayed moments earlier.
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“Okay. Since you’re officially joining my club, that means that there’ll be some paperwork to fill out. Oh, and I’m definitely going to need your measurements for your club uniform. I’ll take your shoe size while I’m at it too. Good shoes go a long way towards making someone a good athlete!” Nasera reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. “Here, let’s exchange numbers so I can keep you posted on how the paperwork goes. You can text me your measurements too while we’re at it.”
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I freeze up completely.
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RED ALERT!
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A CUTE GIRL WANTS YOUR NUMBER!
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I can feel the spaghetti pouring out of my pockets as I reach for my phone. In the same move, I tap out the password and hand the device over to Nasera, who looks at me with a raised eyebrow smile at first before giggling.
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The cute ptero wastes no time taking my phone into her hands, tapping away at it so fast that I’m left stunned. Then, to my surprise, she takes a selfie of herself before tossing the phone back to me. I have enough cognitive power to catch it, at which point I take a look at the number now saved into the device’s memory, complete with a picture of Nasera giving me a peppy toothy smile and a peace sign.
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Be still, my fucking heart…
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“So…” Nasera starts, snapping me out of my stupor. “Are you going to send me your measurements, or...?”
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“Uh…” I drone out before my brain finally manages to unfuck itself. “Oh yeah, measurements!” I repeat in a daze as I type out my clothes size, as well as my shoe size. Seconds later, Nasera’s phone lets out a beep, and she looks at my message with a bit more interest than I would have expected.
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Nasera lets out a whistle as she reads over my text. “Damn, I didn’t expect you to be so burly.” She gives my body a once-over, the grin on her lips never once faltering. “Should’ve expected that in hindsight, though, what with you being a caveman and whatnot.”
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I raise an eyebrow at that comment. “Humans don’t live in caves anymore. Plenty of good houses and apartments… and stuff...” I say casually to Nasera’s quip about my species. “I don’t think anyone’s lived in caves for at least a couple thousand years...”
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Nasera’s cheeks turn a shade of red as she puts a hand to her lips. “Oh. You’re absolutely right!” She puts on an apologetic smile and bows slightly. “Sorry! I’m not really used to dealing with skinnies and their—'' She cuts herself off and again puts a hand to her lips, only this time her cheeks puff as she puts on a pout. “Dammit, I repeated the word!” she shouts before letting out a sigh and putting her phone away. “I’ll… go and talk to Naomi and get all the paperwork sorted out and ready. I’ll… I’ll see you later…”
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Before I can say another word to Nasera, she power walks down the hallway. As she does, I can’t help but notice her reddening face as she does her best to maintain some kind of composure.
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I watch her go, not quite sure what to make of the whole situation. Not that my mind’s working correctly at that moment. If anything, I was still struggling to comprehend what had taken place.
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Somehow, someway, I wound up not only joining a club I have absolutely no business being a part of, but I also wound up scoring the number of said club’s president… who also happened to be one of the prettiest girls in the entire school.
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I end up leaning against the nearest wall, not quite sure how to proceed ahead.
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“Fuck,” I say to no one in particular. “How the hell am I going to get out of this one…?”
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My thoughts don’t get any better as the day progresses. If anything, I feel even worse as I interact with all the familiar faces I’ve somehow become acquainted with despite my original desire to blend into the background and disappear. Trish still gives me the usual shit during math class while Reeda—bless her soul—remains as helpful as ever. Meanwhile, Fang continues to be that icy bitch during science class. Her bitchiness seems double the norm today, no doubt in response to Nasera’s sudden interest in me. While all the above happens, Nasera keeps tailing me wherever possible, no doubt in an attempt to further ‘seal the deal’ as far me joining her club goes.
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Nasera… that’s where the root of all my mental anguish currently lies…
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Why did I say yes to joining her club? Was it only because of her pretty face and not because I want to improve myself physically or be sporty? Granted, she’s an absolute knockout of a woman, so far out of my league that the fact that I’m even speaking to her feels like some kind of cosmic fluke. Someone as pretty, talented, and famous as her has no business even acknowledging that I exist, let alone asking me to join her club all of a sudden…
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Nasera sees the new human student and thinks to herself, ‘oh hey, I know how I can get a good laugh out of the new guy. Invite him to my club and watch him fail at everything!’
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I mean, this has to be some kind of prank, right? After all, I’m the guy you pick if you want to sabotage a team!
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Yeah, that has to be it. Naresa’s doing the whole ‘set up’ plan I’ve seen countless times in anime. She’s acting all friendly and kind so that I let my guard down, exploiting the fact that I’m all goo-goo for her looks and talent, stringing me along, making me think that I have an actual shot with her only to then pull the rug from under me so that I fall face-first into a pile of tar and feathers. Cue the laughs from everyone in school and the eternal humiliation that’ll follow me for the rest of my existence in Volcaldera Bluffs.
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Fuck. It’s like in Rock Bottom all over again…
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I can see it now, my every attempt at trying to do sports failing miserably. Trying to lift weights only to have some of them fall on my foot. Trying to participate in the hundred-meter dash only to fall face-first into the dirt right at the starting line. Attempting to perform some hanging gymnastic rings only to get somehow the things wrapped around my neck, resulting in a live strangulation… all the while every student in Volcano High points and laughs at me; laugh harder than they’ve ever laughed before. Laugh harder than they even laughed at Fang and her band during that botched concert on my first day of school…
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As school finally finishes and I start my trek home, the horrible thoughts continue to hound me. The laughter of my peers mercilessly tears at what little confidence I have, reminding me that I’m not worth a single god-damned thing no matter how hard I try.
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Harsh… maybe too harsh even for me, even if it's true…
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The walk from the bus stop to my shitty apartment does take my mind off of the terrible thoughts for a bit, if only because I need my full attention to survive the streets of Skin Row. The moment I set foot in my apartment, though, almost an hour’s worth of repressed horrors flood right back to the forefront of my mind and begin to overwhelm me, making me feel like I’m about to go insane from something that hasn’t happened or even has a chance of happening...
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I jump on my shitty laptop and try to distract myself with my favorite pastime, but even shitposting doesn’t seem to help ease my mind. Worse, it’s affecting my efforts to troll and grief. Some of my posts even come off as helpful and insightful…
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I shut off my laptop and decide to call it a night. Maybe what I need to help clear my mind is a good night’s sleep. It has been a long day, and perhaps I’m just delirious from the fatigue...
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Of course, no sooner I close my eyes, the images that have been hounding me all day long return more vivid than ever before. Nightmare after nightmare assaults my senses, each one showcasing my many possible failures clearly and brutally. And the laughter, that fucking hellish laughter threatening to drive me over the edge…
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I try shouting at first. When that fails, I start thrashing about in desperation. When that fails, I break down and beg for the ridicule to stop. That only makes the laughs grow all the harsher. I start to shut myself off, accepting the fact that I’m a failure at everything I do and will ever do.
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Anon Y. Mous, failure and pariah of Rock Bottom, soon to be the biggest failure and pariah of Volcano High. A man without a present or a future, with only the shittiest of shit pasts to comfort him at night.
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Fuck me. This shit’s downright depressing...
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But something happens that I don’t expect. Little by little, the laughter begins to lessen, and my failures become less and less catastrophic. Then Nasera makes her appearance known, her beauty as radiant—if not more so—than I remember.
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At first, I believe she’s come to hammer in that final nail in the coffin. No doubt she’s here to bear witness to her handiwork coming into fruition. I mean, how can she not be here to bask in the afterglow of her success?
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If only that were the case. It would be so much easier to accept. It would be so much easier to believe that Nasera’s the new bad guy in my life, but of course, it’s not that simple.
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Nothing ever is…
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Rather than mocking me for my failures, Nasera begins helping me. She coos compliments when I’m at my lowest, firmly yet patiently corrects my mistakes in posture and technique, and cheerfully encourages my successes, no matter how tiny and insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things. Her voice holds no mockery, and her marvelously shining amber eyes only look on with kindness and the utmost respect. It fills me with a confidence I didn’t even know I had in me, reassuring me that no matter what I do in life, I was someone that meant a damn, and not just a nobody floating through life at the whims of a cruel, cold world…
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“I… I don’t understand you,” I whisper to Nasera.
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The beautiful one-winged ptero only gives me a warm smile as she grabs my hands.
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“Anon… please know that… I believe in you. So don’t be discouraged. Things are tough, but you’ll make sense of them. I know you will…”
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Nasera’s eyes glow warmer, and her simper only grows all the more comforting.
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“You’ve endured so much… You don’t have to fight so hard anymore, okay? I know that you’ll make something amazing of yourself. You just have to believe in yourself. And if you can’t, then believe in me. Believe in the me who believes in the you… who believes in yourself...”
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Nasera confuses me to no end. A part of me wants to think she’s only using me for her ulterior motives, yet another knows that’s bullshit. In the short time I’ve known the youngest of the Aaran siblings, she’s been nothing but kind, helpful, and cheerful. She’s guided me far longer than anyone else would have and has done everything in her power to make sure I feel welcome and secure in Volcano High. What’s more, she’s extended her hand in friendship, something absolutely no one else in my life has ever done...
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I snap awake as the alarm on my bedside shrieks its alarm. As I rise from bed, some of the memories of my dream remain. I feel a sense of dread coming from some of those memories, but I also sense a great deal of hope...
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Almost as if things are going to be okay for once in my fucked-up life...