Flash Fiction February 2025 Day Ten: An Obvious Difference (Valan)

 A/N: The working title for this was Yuuri and Valan's adventures in babysitting and that idea may be continued in the future. Now, instead of Where's Waldo...Where's Xialing?

Flash Fiction February 2025 Day 10 Prompt: Difference

Apparently for more people than I would think of, the realization that one has a difference compared to others around them is something that comes as a bit of a shock over the course of childhood or early adulthood. In part, according to Yuuri at least, because the fact they are different is either not explained by the parents, or not acknowledged at all. A significant population he tells me over tea go through life struggling with no explanation for it until either it’s realized by observing others and comparing, or the difference is bluntly brought up sometimes to the surprise, or the denial, of the person. “The amount of parents with a learning disability that don’t know it who’ve brought their children for me to look at because they’re concerned the child might have a learning disability is too many for comfort.” Yuuri tells me, leaning back in his chair, sipping his tea now that it’s cooled off adequately. “My parents were always honest with me about the fact I look rather different to the average person, I don’t see what’s so hard about that.” I say to him before taking a sip of my own cup of tea. His face turns blank and I get a few very slow blinks in response before he points out that “Valan, it’s rather obvious you’ve got something going on- your hair color exists in only a tiny percentage of the population, you have an inherited heart problem, and you’re blind. Those are all kind of hard things to miss or hide.” He has a point…still, the fact some people remain oblivious to the fact there is a difference between how they see the world and how most people see the world baffles me. There are more important things to worry about though, at least for me, I’ll leave the identification and accessibility coordination to Yuuri. After all, he’s the one who spent too much time in school learning about it, may as well use that knowledge. On the topic of school and rather obvious physical differences something rather important comes to my attention as the two of us sit in the main room of the Morag Tong headquarters with our afternoon tea. A certain albino not quite 12 year old, that we were supposed to be watching, as she often comes here for training in the afternoons, is not in the room or the adjacent training room. “Yuuri…where’s Xialing?” All color drains from his face as he quickly puts down the cup and runs off to look for the girl. I’m glad Eno isn’t around, it would be rather embarrassing to say we lost track of someone with almost as unique an appearance as me, the only difference being my vision is slightly worse, and she is much better at being sneaky than I was at her age.