HOME | DD

Description
The new addition to the family was "perfect."

"Such a little angel!"

"Never cries, never fusses."

"He always eats well and plays so eagerly."

"I'm sure he'll listen to what we say when he grows older. Heed our warnings."

"His runeboo companion comes from a very reliable line. I doubt this one will fail us in guarding our child."

"The changeling will hear you; hush!"

Changeling. They thought Winry didn't know their fear and hatred of her. Just because she didn't fit in with her family's ideals, they thought she had been switched out for some sort of spite that took on her appearance. And this new wyngling was a chance to start over.

When he was old enough, Quinlan chose his public name, to hide his real one. 'Dulce.' But he still didn't go outside much, content to stay in and read books and learn housework from his family.

Such a sweet little thing.

Winry knew they loved him more because he was the perfect child that they wished she was. She was the oldest, but they barely saw her as their own wyngling anymore. Just because she liked to go outside and play with wynglings from the nook and in town, because she pulled a few pranks now and then, because she could be a little rough-and-tumble when it came to playtime. She wasn't anything to them anymore except a creature that they couldn't expel from their home because they would risk her anger.

And, truthfully, she was angry. Angry that she didn't get to have a normal family. Angry that, despite not growing up in a hatchery, she was subjected to such loneliness and isolation. Angry that she was starved for love, despite being surrounded by the people that were supposed to give it to her. Angry that she couldn't bring herself to hate Quinlan, because it wasn't his fault that they loved him more. Angry that she understood their need to protect him, because he was so sweet and innocent and naïve.

More than that, though, she was just... sad.

Sad and alone. At least, though, Quinlan was kind and loved her, in spite of their parents' best efforts to keep him away from her and to make him afraid. Though he was the source of a good portion of her misery as of late, he was also the greatest source of her joy, however minimally that brightened her days. No matter what their parents said, he never seemed to believe them. When she asked why, once, he told her, "Because I know it's not true." There was a look in his eyes that said it should have been simple and obvious, like she herself should have known the answer. He believed in her wholeheartedly, and she had no idea what she had ever done to deserve his trust like that.

Still. She was sad and jealous. She hated herself for being jealous of her sweet brother, and that made her more sad. She liked to think she was okay, but she found herself escaping the house more and more often to try to find respite for the day away from her family's judgement.

And so went most of her days; feeling miserable, alone, and envious.

max wyn

Description
The new addition to the family was "perfect."

"Such a little angel!"

"Never cries, never fusses."

"He always eats well and plays so eagerly."

"I'm sure he'll listen to what we say when he grows older. Heed our warnings."

"His runeboo companion comes from a very reliable line. I doubt this one will fail us in guarding our child."

"The changeling will hear you; hush!"

Changeling. They thought Winry didn't know their fear and hatred of her. Just because she didn't fit in with her family's ideals, they thought she had been switched out for some sort of spite that took on her appearance. And this new wyngling was a chance to start over.

When he was old enough, Quinlan chose his public name, to hide his real one. 'Dulce.' But he still didn't go outside much, content to stay in and read books and learn housework from his family.

Such a sweet little thing.

Winry knew they loved him more because he was the perfect child that they wished she was. She was the oldest, but they barely saw her as their own wyngling anymore. Just because she liked to go outside and play with wynglings from the nook and in town, because she pulled a few pranks now and then, because she could be a little rough-and-tumble when it came to playtime. She wasn't anything to them anymore except a creature that they couldn't expel from their home because they would risk her anger.

And, truthfully, she was angry. Angry that she didn't get to have a normal family. Angry that, despite not growing up in a hatchery, she was subjected to such loneliness and isolation. Angry that she was starved for love, despite being surrounded by the people that were supposed to give it to her. Angry that she couldn't bring herself to hate Quinlan, because it wasn't his fault that they loved him more. Angry that she understood their need to protect him, because he was so sweet and innocent and naïve.

More than that, though, she was just... sad.

Sad and alone. At least, though, Quinlan was kind and loved her, in spite of their parents' best efforts to keep him away from her and to make him afraid. Though he was the source of a good portion of her misery as of late, he was also the greatest source of her joy, however minimally that brightened her days. No matter what their parents said, he never seemed to believe them. When she asked why, once, he told her, "Because I know it's not true." There was a look in his eyes that said it should have been simple and obvious, like she herself should have known the answer. He believed in her wholeheartedly, and she had no idea what she had ever done to deserve his trust like that.

Still. She was sad and jealous. She hated herself for being jealous of her sweet brother, and that made her more sad. She liked to think she was okay, but she found herself escaping the house more and more often to try to find respite for the day away from her family's judgement.

And so went most of her days; feeling miserable, alone, and envious.

max wyn