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Previous: discovery

It was dark, and cold, and quiet.

The only sound, for a while after he'd locked himself in, was his own choked sobs, muffled in a desperate attempt to hold them back.

Some part of his mind knew that he wasn't responding to this rationally. But he ignored it, because why did he have to be rational when his supposed family had never thought to tell him the truth? Why did he have to learn this because he'd happened to stumble upon it?

After a while, a soft tap came at the door. "Fern? Can we come in?"

Juniper. At the thought of the brown wyngling, his heart gave a pang. The two of them shared their ear type through chance. It was something they'd always talked about like it was something that bonded them as siblings, but now it felt like a sharp reminder that he wasn't what he'd thought he was.

He didn't respond to her call, just tilted his head back against the door and closed his eyes.

"Mama made your favorite dessert tonight." Choco's slow, quiet voice came through the door as clearly as if she'd been in the room beside him. "Come 'n eat dinner with us, Fern."

He didn't feel hungry. He squeezed his eyes shut a little tighter, trying to pretend like he wasn't going to start crying harder if they didn't go away.

There was a short silence. Two low voices conversed outside the door, exchanging words he didn't care to try to hear. Then, Juniper said, "Fern, c'mon. We're still siblin's. The triplets, yeah? Please. If you ain't gonna come out, let us come in?"

"Go away," Fern croaked, voice raspy from the tears.

They seemed to take his response as encouragement, though.

"We wanna see you, Fern!" Choco insisted. "Just 'cause you're adopted doesn't mean-"

"GO AWAY!"

Fern's little hand raised and struck the door beside him so hard that he could feel it shake a little. He cursed quietly as he held his hand, feeling it throb in pain, and hoped he didn't break anything.

The only reason that he didn't leave was that he had nowhere to go. Especially with the new Nook rules imposed upon the town by those stupid Last-Notchers. Even if he went there, someone was sure to recognize him and return him to his supposed 'family.'

Juniper and Choco tried, over and over, to talk to Fern, but he was completely unresponsive after that. Eventually he left his seat at the door to curl up in his blankets, pulling them over his head. No more, he thought, please no more. The last thing he thought before drifting into sleep was, Please, let me wake up and this all be a bad dream.

Juniper
Choco Latte
max wyn

Description
Previous: discovery

It was dark, and cold, and quiet.

The only sound, for a while after he'd locked himself in, was his own choked sobs, muffled in a desperate attempt to hold them back.

Some part of his mind knew that he wasn't responding to this rationally. But he ignored it, because why did he have to be rational when his supposed family had never thought to tell him the truth? Why did he have to learn this because he'd happened to stumble upon it?

After a while, a soft tap came at the door. "Fern? Can we come in?"

Juniper. At the thought of the brown wyngling, his heart gave a pang. The two of them shared their ear type through chance. It was something they'd always talked about like it was something that bonded them as siblings, but now it felt like a sharp reminder that he wasn't what he'd thought he was.

He didn't respond to her call, just tilted his head back against the door and closed his eyes.

"Mama made your favorite dessert tonight." Choco's slow, quiet voice came through the door as clearly as if she'd been in the room beside him. "Come 'n eat dinner with us, Fern."

He didn't feel hungry. He squeezed his eyes shut a little tighter, trying to pretend like he wasn't going to start crying harder if they didn't go away.

There was a short silence. Two low voices conversed outside the door, exchanging words he didn't care to try to hear. Then, Juniper said, "Fern, c'mon. We're still siblin's. The triplets, yeah? Please. If you ain't gonna come out, let us come in?"

"Go away," Fern croaked, voice raspy from the tears.

They seemed to take his response as encouragement, though.

"We wanna see you, Fern!" Choco insisted. "Just 'cause you're adopted doesn't mean-"

"GO AWAY!"

Fern's little hand raised and struck the door beside him so hard that he could feel it shake a little. He cursed quietly as he held his hand, feeling it throb in pain, and hoped he didn't break anything.

The only reason that he didn't leave was that he had nowhere to go. Especially with the new Nook rules imposed upon the town by those stupid Last-Notchers. Even if he went there, someone was sure to recognize him and return him to his supposed 'family.'

Juniper and Choco tried, over and over, to talk to Fern, but he was completely unresponsive after that. Eventually he left his seat at the door to curl up in his blankets, pulling them over his head. No more, he thought, please no more. The last thing he thought before drifting into sleep was, Please, let me wake up and this all be a bad dream.

Juniper
Choco Latte
max wyn