Deerington IC Inbox

[lonelynotforsaken]

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[laminae]

[The memories that are coming back to him make Fern relax a little, and he looks down at the music box.]

Hah, yeah. It was only for a little while, though. Dogs grow up a lot faster than humans, so Jake grew out of it real quick. Jermaine was always a lot quieter. And then mom and dad died when I was still too young to get into any real trouble. I could barely even use a toy sword right, I mostly just bonked stuff with it.

[lonelynotforsaken]

[Wait, sorry. Martin stares at Fern for a long moment.]

Your- you lost both sets of your parents when you were still just a toddler? But... did your brothers raise- Oh, god! They're still alive, right?

[laminae]

[All that staring makes Fern shift uncomfortably.]

Wh... of course they are. Jake and I moved out to the Tree Fort after mom and dad died. Jermaine did his own thing.

[lonelynotforsaken]

[Fern this is intensely troubling.]

Jake took good care of you, right?

[laminae]

[This is getting weird. This is getting really weird and uncomfortable.]

Of course he did. He did a great job.

[Fern is going to shove the music box back into his bag.]

I think I'm gonna go.

[lonelynotforsaken]

[Good job making it awkward and cocking things up, Martin.]

O-oh. Right. Sorry, um. Yeah. It-it seems like he did a really good job raising you. You're... a good kid, Fern. Thanks for coming.

[Is he, though? Martin knows vanishingly few children from home.]

[laminae]

Uh, yeah. [Jake did a great job with Finn, but he can't agree that he's a good kid, so he looks awkward as he heads for the door.] Thanks.

[lonelynotforsaken]

Sure.

[He offers a little wave and an attempt at a friendly smile. He really shouldn't have said anything at all. Excellent work, Mr. Blackwood. Now the nice grass kid thinks you're a weirdo and a creep. Wonderful.

Maybe he'll drown his sorrows in tea.]