Mcyt -autistic- oneshots

Shouting during a sensory overload (Ranboo and the cricket crew -without Tommy-)

Ranboo's POV:

It felt good to be back home. The U.K. was great but it was different, and that meant it was quite hard to get used to everything. Although, maybe I got a little too used to everything. I was only back with my parents for a few days before my friends travelled over and I lived in a house with them. During that time I didn't really go anywhere, mostly sticking to the odd dog walk around my neighbourhood-in an effort to try and get my bearings again- and talking to my parents. I had missed a lot since being away, and was desperate to catch up on everything. Of course I had talked to my family whilst I was in the U.K., but not as much as I would have liked.

I didn't spend much time unpacking between my two trips, mostly taking the same things I had taken with me to the U.K. But I was excited to see my friends again. A few days had felt like a long time, especially considering I had only just got close with some of them. So firstly I was excited to spend more time with my friends. And secondly, I wanted to show them what America was like.

When I was in the U.K., the mask mandate was a little more lack, and eventhough I preferred to wear the mask whenever I did go out in public, it wasn't in quite the same heat. And there was one defining factor. Yes, no one else could tell what my facial expression was, or try to make direct eye contact with me, but when I suddenly couldn't see whether a person was smiling or frowning, everything was about to go very wrong.

This is the stuff that people don't get about being autistic. I don't see a blank face, or hear a monotone voice. I hear every change in tone, and believe me, I can tell if someone is smiling. What my brain doesn't understand, is what all the little changes mean. I've got pretty good with the sarcastic tones recently, but there were several years of my childhood where I wasn't sure quite what sarcasm sounded like, and I therefore, didn't get it. Things are a little different now, but the idea still stands. When everyone around me is wearing a mask, I suddenly lose sight of  all the tiny changes in people's faces which I rely on to navigate the world. And that just makes my life 10 times more difficult.

Tubbo was coming one day, and Freddie, Bill, Aimsey and Serena were coming the day after that. I arrived at the air bnb we were staying in a few hours before Tubbo was due to land. And in that time, I unpacked my stuff into one of the bedrooms, and then spent a whole lot of time on my phone, doing nothing much at all. When Tubbo did arrive, it was like nothing had really changed, it had only been a few days since I was living with him, just this time, we were half way across the world, that's all.

Time skip:

The others has been at the air bnb for a few days now, and after ordering far too many take outs for our own goods, and our only shopping being anything but food, and if it was food, we were picking up odd bits here and there. But the others were interested in the idea of going to a Target, just to 'experience' it. I had never been too keen on going out in public, even as a kid. I just found it all so overwhelming and it never ended well for me. But they wanted to go, and so I agreed.

After managing to find one just round the corner from where we were staying, I mentally prepared myself. In my pocket I had my phone, my AirPods and this random, small plush thing that I've had since I was tiny. No matter what, it always managed to comfort me in some way or another. 

As we walked in, the other split off into loads of different directions, all interested in different things. Meanwhile, I tried not to panic, and just find one of the groups. A bit of wandering around, listening to music with my AirPods in, I finally found Aimsey and Serena. I just stuck with them, not really paying attention to anything, and trying to just wait all the overwhelming stuff out.

"Can you go get us a trolley Ranboo?"

"Yea." I walked back over to the front of the store, getting a shopping cart and then walking back over to where the other two, surprisingly still were.

"Thanks." Aimee smiled at me, she was the only one I could tell when they were smiling. His entire face seemed to light up, like change shape, it made me kind of happy in some slightly odd kind of way.

"You alright Ranboo?" Serena asked.

"Yea, Yea I'm fine." I lied, but I just didn't want to get in the details and wanted to wait until it was all over.

"Ranboo!" I flinched massively, shoving my finger into the one ear that didn't have an AirPod in. It was just Bill, but then Tubbo did the exact same thing, the screaming, the shouting, and I just couldn't deal with it.

I just waved backed awkwardly and carried on walking around with everyone. Hearing them talk and not adding any comments of my own. I still had music playing and all I could was focus on not having  sensory overload in the middle of a Target. At least I succeeded at that.

Before long, and without me completely breaking down, we were back in Tubbo's Dad's car and going back to the house. The others were all excited about the new things they had bought, whilst I returned to my room, and sat quietly listening to music. I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to shower, I just sat in my room, with all the shades down, and the lights off. It was peaceful and over time I found myself becoming less and less overwhelmed.

Eventually, I got a text saying it was time to eat. So I sent one back saying I wasn't hungry, and got a knock at my door from Aimee a minute or 2 later. I let in her and then sat down on my bed.

"You ok?" They started.

"Yea, I just got a little overwhelmed earlier."

"Oh ok, I get that. Anything I can do to help?"

"I mean I was just going to eat in my room. I'll wake up in a better mood probably."

"You and I both know it's not anything to do with you being in a mood. Don't use your mod for an excuse that your brain just works in a different way to the world. It's fine."

"At least I know that someone gets it."

"We should talk about it more. I've not had many neurodivergent friends before. You and Toby are pretty much it."

"And Tubbo doesn't exactly like to talk about it, but we did a little, and it was nice. I mean autism and dyslexia are a little different, same with ADHD but the whole thing of having a different brain. Not everyone understands that."

"Yea. Oh and do you want me to come get food with you, you know, kind of like backup?"

"Yes, please. I'd like that." I smiled at him. They smiled back, as I rose from my bed and we walked into the kitchen together.

A/n Hey. Thank you for reading. Hope that your first week of the new year was good, and that if it wasn't, these stupid stories gave you some kind of comfort. The world's a scary place, but you are a very brave person. Always remember that. Hope you enjoyed and have an incredible day!

Thank you.