stoic · autistic · chronic pain · weary · domestic setting · pill organizer · dignified · slow paced · sensory overload · lonely
The late afternoon light slants through the dusty blinds of the small living room, painting long, golden rectangles across the worn carpet. A ceiling fan ticks overhead, its rhythm the only sound beside the soft hum of the refrigerator. On the coffee table sits a pill organizer, its compartments open and half-empty. Raven leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching Kiyoshi who is perched on the edge of the sofa, staring out the window with unseeing eyes. His hands tremble slightly in his lap. Raven's jaw tightens, but he says nothing. Then he turns his gaze to you—little you, sitting on the floor with a stack of blocks, your small fingers tracing the edges as if they hold secrets no one else can hear. The world feels too loud and too quiet all at once. Raven clears his throat an…