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Yellow's P.O.V
"Stop your damn crying! I'll give you something to cry about, little bastard," my dad was yelling. He was saying real words now, not just grunting in disapproval.
He looked different. He wasn't yellow, or made of fuzzy. No, it wasn't called fuzzy. It was called… felt!
"Please stop, it hurts," I cried. He had grabbed my arm, and was squeezing so hard that his nails were cutting me.
"Maybe it wouldn't if you stopped being so stupid! You're the worst mistake I ever made, Doi!"
"Get up!" A new voice replaced my dad's.
"W-what?"
The crow-like thing was at the end of my bed. "I said get up! It's morning," he demanded.
"Oh. Okay."
He huffed. I stood, following him out of our shared bedroom.
The red one was already at the kitchen table. "I made breakfast," he mumbled, gesturing to the toast in the center of the table.
"So that's what the screaming was," the duck one said. The bread was as afraid of the toaster as we were of our lessons.
"Hey, guys," I said. I wanted to tell them about my dream. Well, it was more of a nightmare. Most dreams with my dad were. It made me wonder if we were still friends.
"Hm? What is it mate?" The red one said, turning to look at me.
"I- I have a name," I said, the word sounding unfamiliar. What did it mean again?
"A name? I thought you were just called the yellow one. Or maybe the pig-like thing," the green one accused.
Right, a name is what someone was called. "No, I've got a real one. Like the clock."
"The clock is just called the clock," the red one said, his flat voice tinged with confusion.
"Nu-uh. His name is Tony," I said. When did I learned that? I couldn't remember. I was thinking too much, my head hurt.
"Oh. Well, what's your name?" The red one asked.
"Oh. It's Doi," I said. That's what my dad had called me in that nightmare. The rest of the dream was already starting to fade from my memory.
"Doi? That's a stupid name. It barely even sounds like a name. More like a sound effect," the duck squawked.
"Hey, be nice. I think it's a fine name. Do you want us to call you that?" The red one asked.
"Oh. I guess so," I shrugged. I hadn’t actually thought about that part.
"Okay then Doi," he said. I smiled. I did like that.
~~~~
Harry's P.O.V
We were in the sitting room watching television, but my mind kept wandering. The yellow one had a name. A real name.
"Do you think… Do you think we have them too?" I asked the duck.
"Have what?"
"Names. Real ones."
"Well obviously! I'm the best one, I must have a name. And if both of us have them, so would you. Three of us, three names, it would only make sense."
"You're right, I reckon. What do you think they are then?"
"Mine is-" he cut off, eyebrows furrowed. "I can't… remember." He frowned, his feathers puffed in annoyance.
"Hey, you! Doi! How did you know your name?" He demanded.
The yellow one peeled his eyes away from the screen. "Uhhh… it was a dream. I think."
I sighed. "Another nightmare? You've been having a lot of those," I said.
Doi just shrugged. "At least there's no oil."
Oil? I decided to just shrug it off; I was used to him not making sense.
"That's no help at all!" Duck ignored us. "I don't dream, and if I did, how would I find my name?"
I shrugged. "Maybe you can just pick a new one."
"Absolutely not! My name is surely perfect, and I will not replace what is perfect!"
I rolled my eyes.
"Maybe the names will, will find you," Doi suggested.
I smiled, deciding to humor him. "Sure, mate."
~~~~
"Hey, red one! Help me with my crossword," the crow-thing waved me over.
"I need a 5-letter word for a small red bird."
"Bluebird!" Doi suggested, clapping happily.
"That's an entirely different color stupid," the duck snapped. I elbowed him.
"Be nice."
"Shut up. Anyway, what's the real answer?"
"How should I know?"
"I don't know. You read books sometimes. Haven't you read about a small red bird?"
"What, no… actually, maybe." I closed my eyes, thinking back to a book. It was about zoos. There was a bird on the cover, but it was pink, not red.
"Well?"
"Quiet, I'm thinking." My eyes snapped open. "Robin," I said.
The duck's feathers puffed. "THAT'S IT!" He shrieked.
"It's the answer?" Doi asked.
"No, it's my name! Robin!" He said, grinning.
"Robin? But that doesn't make sense. That's just another type of bird. You're already a bird," I pointed out.
"Wrong! It's perfect!" He said. He looked proud of himself, and I couldn't help but smile.
"I take it that's what you want to be called then?"
"Obviously."
"Okay then, Robin." If I didn't know better, I would have sworn I could see the slightest hint of blush beneath his feathers.
My stomach felt odd. Was I getting sick?
"Time for the next question!" Robin said, crossing off the clue to number four on his crossword. "A four letter word for a feeling of fondness."
"Is it hate?" Doi asked.
"No, I think that's the opposite," I said. The right word was on the tip of my tongue. I squinted.
"It starts with an l."
"Oh! Love! Like that little baby pigeon sang about," Doi smiled.
Pigeon? When had we seen a pigeon?
"It fits! You're right for once, Doi," Robin announced.
Doi's face lit up, and he started flapping his hands. Now the strange, warm feeling was in my chest. Was I allergic to these two?
~~~~
Today's teacher was a comically large hairbrush. Well, it would be comical if it weren't terrifying. It hadn't tried to kill any of us yet, but it was only a matter of time.
"And look at you! You're a hairy… Thing, surely you need to know about hair brushes!"
That caught my attention. There was a sense of familiarity. "What did you call me? What was that word?"
"A thing?"
"No, the other one."
"Hairy?"
"That's it! That's my name!" I said, looking at Robin excitedly.
"Harry? Huh. Well, it's not perfect like my name. But I do suppose it's quite alright," the bird said.
My stomach felt like it was doing flips at the slight compliment.
"Harry! I like that name! Can I call you it?" Doi asked, bouncing.
"Of course mate. It's my name after all," I said, grinning.
"I'll just wait over here until you're done," the hairbrush said. I ignored it.
"I guessed right! The names found you," Doi pointed out. I ruffled his hair.
"You're pretty smart sometimes," I said. Doi started flapping his hands and bouncing up and down.
Harry, Robin, and Doi. I liked that a lot more than Red, Duck, and Yellow. It helped separate us from just our appearance. Like we were real people.
Robin was grinning, his feathers slightly puffed in joy.
"I love us na- our names, and I love you!" Doi cheered.
Love! That's what it meant, that's what the warm feeling in my chest was! Not an allergy!
"I love you too! I love this family," I said, grinning at the joy on their faces.