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Description
CW: Descriptions of sensory overload
The Den cafeteria was buzzing when Fuji, Lucky and Ayla entered. A line had formed by the stove, and Den Mama Susan poured soup into bowls. Many kits and some adults sat at the benches and tables, their chatter echoing under the high ceiling. Fuji could barely hear what Mama Susan said through the overlapping voices. He lowered his ears and stalked after Ayla and Lucky, who raised their voices. They got in line. The lights were so bright, and the sound of cutlery was high and sharp. Ayla turned and asked him something, her mouth moving, her voice sounding, yet her words drowning in the chaos. He flicked his ears.

“What?”

“I said--- to soup?”

He blinked, his brain scrambling.

“What?”

“Do you want--- mato soup?”

“Tomato soup?”

“Yes!”

He nodded. Ayla went back to chatting with Lucky. Fuji stared out of the window, past the balcony and out into the Grove. His eyes unfocused on lamps on string that hung all throughout the grove. A group of folk talked right beside him, their conversation loud and clear, drowning out whatever Ayla and Lucky were talking about. Their words took space in his brain, something about another folk being catty and spreading rumors. No matter how hard he tried, he barely got a few thoughts in before falling into an unfocused gaze. When Lucky tapped him on the shoulder he jumped a bit. Lucky furrowed their brows.

“---kay?”

“What?” Fuji strained his ears. His brain started to fry.

“Are you okay?”

No.

“I…”

Lucky shot Ayla a look.

“Do you--- bread for your soup?”

Fuji stared at them, unfocused. He opened and closed his mouth, humming. The folk next to him made it impossible to think, one’s long tirade about his friend loud and clear in Fuji’s brain.

Did he want bread?

“Honestly I think he should just shove it, honestly.”

Did he? It could be…

“Next time I see him I’m gonna give him what for! What a jerk, saying stuff like that!”

Shut up.

Would he like bread?

“Fuji?”

He barely got a noise out.

“Are you okay?”

No, but talking was too much effort. He didn’t have space in his brain for his own thoughts. And the cutlery was so loud, high pitched clicks that disrupted his thoughts. Somebody laughed, and Fuji wanted to jump out of his own pelt. And the lights were so bright. The smell of hot soup and spices lodged itself in his noise.

“Do you wanna go back?”

He blinked, his brain shutting down.

Go back?

His brain couldn’t continue with that thought. He tried to see himself going back to their Starlight Pond and eating in peace. But his body did not move. His eyes stung. His brain strained to make a choice. It was easier to be here, but some part of him knew it wasn't good for him to stay. Why was everything so loud? Why did everyone feel the need to talk like this? So loudly? Why couldn’t they shut up?

Ayla reached out a paw and gently stroked Fuji’s arm.

“Hey.”

Fuji blinked.

“Hey.” She said, her brows furrowing in concern “Do you want to go back? We can bring you some food?”

He opened his mouth.

His brain stopped working.

He couldn’t get a word out. All that happened was noise, shapeless and unmeaning. Lucky and Ayla looked at each other. He wanted to sit down and cry. His brain was filled with noise, noise, words of people who were not his siblings, broken sentences of the folk around him. Pressure boiled under his skin. If he stayed here any longer, he’d explode. He dug his claws into the wooden floor. His brain couldn’t compute going further with the choice. He wanted to scream.

Lucky reached out and took him by the arm.

Fuji jumped back, toppling into the folk behind him, as he yanked his arm away from Lucky. The touch of the other folk, their yells of “Watch it” and “Hey!” practically burned in his head, in his skin. And then the click of cutlery was too loud, too sharp, and Mama Susan asked something he didn’t have the faintest idea of, and Lucky and Ayla looked confused and concerned, and he had to answer them, but talking was too much, a coherent thought barely formed before falling limb and getting replaced by noise. Incessant noise. His brain was on fire, and it wanted to melt. His eyes stung. One of the folk behind him touched his shoulder. He almost screamed.

He turned and bolted.

“Fuji!”

He ran. The noise trickled out his brain. The thud of his feet over the floor sent pressure after pressure up through his legs. He focused on that. The bend of his legs, the pulling back and reaching out of his webbed feet. His phylakardia thrummed. He took in breath after breath, the pressure leaving him until someone asked where he was going. He sped up. Finally the smell of water caught his nose and he burst into the Starlight Pools. At the back the pool to his room lay. He thundered over the rock, going down on four legs, ignoring the stare of the other kits. He dived into the pool, sending one last thud up his limbs.

Everything fell quiet.

The water blanketed him, a soft feeling on his pelt. Water flowed in and out of his gills, cold at first until he got used to it. His nose closed, and he breathed through his gills. He swam to the bottom, letting out air in his lungs until he fell to the floor. It was cool and solid. He curled up. Around him seaweed swayed from mild currents. The currents flowed over his arms and head, a gentle touch. Light scattered through the ocean surface and fell in dapples. He closed his eyes, took in a big intake of water, and exhaled. The tension ebbed out of his limbs. His brain was sludge inside his head.

But it was all so quiet.

So quiet.

He had left his siblings without much of a word.

Granted they did know the world was so much… louder, to him. So much… more. There was so much stuff they didn’t pay attention to, sound and sight and smell. He’d asked them about it once. Ayla had said that when Fuji asked, she could remember hearing something or seeing it. Lucky said a similar thing. They both agreed that if Fuji didn’t mention some little noise and weird sign or interesting storefront, they would’ve never paid attention to it.

The Den Mamas had said he was… especially sensitive. Ayla and Lucky were used to it at this point, but other folk weren’t. Well, some were, but a lot of them didn’t get it much. Or they did, but they still asked why a noise was too loud or distracting, like they understood it, but didn’t get it. Not like Ayla and Lucky seemed to do.

He let out a puff of water.

He’d still left without a word. They’d understand, right? They were his siblings, they’d known him all their life.

Maybe they were some of the only folk who got it despite not experiencing it themselves.

A small sound of water being pushed away made Fuji open his eyes. Ayla slid into the pool and met his eyes. She moved slowly, kicking away water in slow motions. The closer she got, the more Fuji could feel the water’s movement through his whiskers.

She swapped to their hatching tongue and clicked at him.

“Hey Fuji, are you okay?”

Fuji pressed his head against the pool floor. His bones became heavy as lead.

“No. Sorry I ran.”

Ayla shook her head, disturbing the water.

“Don’t apologize. I should’ve known the place was too loud.”

Fuji raised his head and shook it.

“Don’t blame yourself. Please.”

Ayla gave him a small smile. She gave a kick of her tail and moved closer.

“Do you want us to get something for you?”

Fuji breathed out water. Without the talking next to him, his thoughts could form.

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

Ayla smiled.

“We’ll go get something, then.”

“Thanks.”

She gave him a wave of farewell, and with a swing of her tail and a kick of her legs she moved towards the surface. Fuji closed her eyes, and the water fell still when Ayla left. His bones were heavy, his brain was sludge, he wanted to stay here forever. Every noise was muted. All he could hear was his phylakardia and his gills taking in water.

Ayla and Lucky were really the best siblings.

----
Word count: 1442

Fuji is not having a good time.
(For info Fuji has sensory processing disorder, which affects his hearing the most. He can't block out auditory input.)
Tried a different style of lines for this one!

Tracker

9/1412 acorns

-
If you see an account called KenLichi liking/commenting, then that's my main account!
-

Have an awesome day!

- KenChiShi

Art (c) me - KenChiSh

Fuji (c) me - KenChiShi

Do NOT steal, trace, heavily reference, repost anywhere, or use my art in any shape or form without my permission. Thank you

Description
CW: Descriptions of sensory overload
The Den cafeteria was buzzing when Fuji, Lucky and Ayla entered. A line had formed by the stove, and Den Mama Susan poured soup into bowls. Many kits and some adults sat at the benches and tables, their chatter echoing under the high ceiling. Fuji could barely hear what Mama Susan said through the overlapping voices. He lowered his ears and stalked after Ayla and Lucky, who raised their voices. They got in line. The lights were so bright, and the sound of cutlery was high and sharp. Ayla turned and asked him something, her mouth moving, her voice sounding, yet her words drowning in the chaos. He flicked his ears.

“What?”

“I said--- to soup?”

He blinked, his brain scrambling.

“What?”

“Do you want--- mato soup?”

“Tomato soup?”

“Yes!”

He nodded. Ayla went back to chatting with Lucky. Fuji stared out of the window, past the balcony and out into the Grove. His eyes unfocused on lamps on string that hung all throughout the grove. A group of folk talked right beside him, their conversation loud and clear, drowning out whatever Ayla and Lucky were talking about. Their words took space in his brain, something about another folk being catty and spreading rumors. No matter how hard he tried, he barely got a few thoughts in before falling into an unfocused gaze. When Lucky tapped him on the shoulder he jumped a bit. Lucky furrowed their brows.

“---kay?”

“What?” Fuji strained his ears. His brain started to fry.

“Are you okay?”

No.

“I…”

Lucky shot Ayla a look.

“Do you--- bread for your soup?”

Fuji stared at them, unfocused. He opened and closed his mouth, humming. The folk next to him made it impossible to think, one’s long tirade about his friend loud and clear in Fuji’s brain.

Did he want bread?

“Honestly I think he should just shove it, honestly.”

Did he? It could be…

“Next time I see him I’m gonna give him what for! What a jerk, saying stuff like that!”

Shut up.

Would he like bread?

“Fuji?”

He barely got a noise out.

“Are you okay?”

No, but talking was too much effort. He didn’t have space in his brain for his own thoughts. And the cutlery was so loud, high pitched clicks that disrupted his thoughts. Somebody laughed, and Fuji wanted to jump out of his own pelt. And the lights were so bright. The smell of hot soup and spices lodged itself in his noise.

“Do you wanna go back?”

He blinked, his brain shutting down.

Go back?

His brain couldn’t continue with that thought. He tried to see himself going back to their Starlight Pond and eating in peace. But his body did not move. His eyes stung. His brain strained to make a choice. It was easier to be here, but some part of him knew it wasn't good for him to stay. Why was everything so loud? Why did everyone feel the need to talk like this? So loudly? Why couldn’t they shut up?

Ayla reached out a paw and gently stroked Fuji’s arm.

“Hey.”

Fuji blinked.

“Hey.” She said, her brows furrowing in concern “Do you want to go back? We can bring you some food?”

He opened his mouth.

His brain stopped working.

He couldn’t get a word out. All that happened was noise, shapeless and unmeaning. Lucky and Ayla looked at each other. He wanted to sit down and cry. His brain was filled with noise, noise, words of people who were not his siblings, broken sentences of the folk around him. Pressure boiled under his skin. If he stayed here any longer, he’d explode. He dug his claws into the wooden floor. His brain couldn’t compute going further with the choice. He wanted to scream.

Lucky reached out and took him by the arm.

Fuji jumped back, toppling into the folk behind him, as he yanked his arm away from Lucky. The touch of the other folk, their yells of “Watch it” and “Hey!” practically burned in his head, in his skin. And then the click of cutlery was too loud, too sharp, and Mama Susan asked something he didn’t have the faintest idea of, and Lucky and Ayla looked confused and concerned, and he had to answer them, but talking was too much, a coherent thought barely formed before falling limb and getting replaced by noise. Incessant noise. His brain was on fire, and it wanted to melt. His eyes stung. One of the folk behind him touched his shoulder. He almost screamed.

He turned and bolted.

“Fuji!”

He ran. The noise trickled out his brain. The thud of his feet over the floor sent pressure after pressure up through his legs. He focused on that. The bend of his legs, the pulling back and reaching out of his webbed feet. His phylakardia thrummed. He took in breath after breath, the pressure leaving him until someone asked where he was going. He sped up. Finally the smell of water caught his nose and he burst into the Starlight Pools. At the back the pool to his room lay. He thundered over the rock, going down on four legs, ignoring the stare of the other kits. He dived into the pool, sending one last thud up his limbs.

Everything fell quiet.

The water blanketed him, a soft feeling on his pelt. Water flowed in and out of his gills, cold at first until he got used to it. His nose closed, and he breathed through his gills. He swam to the bottom, letting out air in his lungs until he fell to the floor. It was cool and solid. He curled up. Around him seaweed swayed from mild currents. The currents flowed over his arms and head, a gentle touch. Light scattered through the ocean surface and fell in dapples. He closed his eyes, took in a big intake of water, and exhaled. The tension ebbed out of his limbs. His brain was sludge inside his head.

But it was all so quiet.

So quiet.

He had left his siblings without much of a word.

Granted they did know the world was so much… louder, to him. So much… more. There was so much stuff they didn’t pay attention to, sound and sight and smell. He’d asked them about it once. Ayla had said that when Fuji asked, she could remember hearing something or seeing it. Lucky said a similar thing. They both agreed that if Fuji didn’t mention some little noise and weird sign or interesting storefront, they would’ve never paid attention to it.

The Den Mamas had said he was… especially sensitive. Ayla and Lucky were used to it at this point, but other folk weren’t. Well, some were, but a lot of them didn’t get it much. Or they did, but they still asked why a noise was too loud or distracting, like they understood it, but didn’t get it. Not like Ayla and Lucky seemed to do.

He let out a puff of water.

He’d still left without a word. They’d understand, right? They were his siblings, they’d known him all their life.

Maybe they were some of the only folk who got it despite not experiencing it themselves.

A small sound of water being pushed away made Fuji open his eyes. Ayla slid into the pool and met his eyes. She moved slowly, kicking away water in slow motions. The closer she got, the more Fuji could feel the water’s movement through his whiskers.

She swapped to their hatching tongue and clicked at him.

“Hey Fuji, are you okay?”

Fuji pressed his head against the pool floor. His bones became heavy as lead.

“No. Sorry I ran.”

Ayla shook her head, disturbing the water.

“Don’t apologize. I should’ve known the place was too loud.”

Fuji raised his head and shook it.

“Don’t blame yourself. Please.”

Ayla gave him a small smile. She gave a kick of her tail and moved closer.

“Do you want us to get something for you?”

Fuji breathed out water. Without the talking next to him, his thoughts could form.

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

Ayla smiled.

“We’ll go get something, then.”

“Thanks.”

She gave him a wave of farewell, and with a swing of her tail and a kick of her legs she moved towards the surface. Fuji closed her eyes, and the water fell still when Ayla left. His bones were heavy, his brain was sludge, he wanted to stay here forever. Every noise was muted. All he could hear was his phylakardia and his gills taking in water.

Ayla and Lucky were really the best siblings.

----
Word count: 1442

Fuji is not having a good time.
(For info Fuji has sensory processing disorder, which affects his hearing the most. He can't block out auditory input.)
Tried a different style of lines for this one!

Tracker

9/1412 acorns

-
If you see an account called KenLichi liking/commenting, then that's my main account!
-

Have an awesome day!

- KenChiShi

Art (c) me - KenChiSh

Fuji (c) me - KenChiShi

Do NOT steal, trace, heavily reference, repost anywhere, or use my art in any shape or form without my permission. Thank you