Submission (#19) Approved

538 words= +5 shards

I don't know if that's +1 extra shard on top of the 4 from the prompt reward so I'll let you guys tell me?
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Too loud.

It was the first thought through Weisheng's mind as he'd retreated away from the celebration, preferring instead to simply bask in the peace and quiet a small distance away, where the night drown out the sounds of the wool not that far away. He could still hear them, granted, but it was muted, and he could finally feel himself think words beyond a desperate need to escape the tumultuousness of the feast. The moment he finally lowered himself to sit upon the log, Sheng let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

It wasn't that he was particularly antisocial, but he'd come to realize the crowds were not exactly his favorite thing in the world; that and he'd notice how some wool would sometimes stare at him, whispering. Sometimes, his hearing was strong enough that he caught what they were saying. It was never particularly good words, though he couldn't quite blame them for it.

He was, after all, well aware the lyss that dripped and dropped from his eyes and nose weren't exactly attractive. Xiaovi had once said it gave him the air of someone that had been in a rough fight and had escaped on top. Which he figured would be attractive to certain types? But certainly not something you'd want to see in the middle of a celebration.

The leaves to his right rustled, and out stepped the large, green mazri wool he'd been thinking about only moments prior. Rather than speak out loud, he waited for the other to announce himself, which he did the moment the mazri saw him.

"Ah! There you are!" shaking his leg free of the bush that had grabbed his fur, Xiaovi moved closer to the smaller wool, "I turned around and you were gone, but I see that you've decided to sit and survey the surroundings! Make sure the children are protected while they celebrate," the large wool crossed his arms over his broad chest and nodded, "Yes! Smart. I see. I too shall join you, friend. We shall sit and we shall make sure that no harm comes to the ones celebrating!"

Having proclaimed this, he sat his bulk down on the ground, close to the tree trunk Sheng had perched on, much more delicately. He rather envied Xiao's jovial nature. Nothing really upset the mazri much at all; Sheng could count on one hand the amount of times he'd seen his large friend genuinely upset, and though he'd seen him angry, at least it always came from a place of passion, "Yes," he said softly, "That's exactly what I was doing," and though, no, that wasn't exactly what he'd been doing, it felt like the thing to say in such a situation. It at least earned him a clap on the back from his companion and an encouraging smile.

"That's the spirit!" something about the way the mazri said it, made Sheng realize that as boisterous as he was, it was quite possible Xiao had caught onto how he felt, and had made light of the situation on purpose.

Not for the first time, Sheng leaned back against the tree trunk and thought he was rather fortunate in his choice of friends.