Chapter Text
The first thing Parrot noticed when he opened his eyes was how stiff his entire body felt.
His arms were folded beneath his head in a makeshift pillow against the cool wood of the desk. Stacks of paper, each leaning into uneven little mountains, were scattered across its surface.
A groan escaped him as he tried to lift his head up, a slight ache in his head following the motion as he accidentally knocked down a few pencils on his desk, causing them to clatter loudly in the silent room. A cascade of sticky notes soon followed, sliding down to join the disorganized mess that is his floor.
He leaned back on his chair, stretching out to ease the tension on his back. A quiet sigh escaped him as he extended his arms, the movement causing his wings to slowly unfold behind him.
After a few seconds, he lowered his hands and adjusted himself in the seat, his wings folding neatly behind him once more.
As he felt the weight of his wings resting behind him, he couldn’t help but notice how much attention they actually needed.
He really needed to start asking him for help with this..
The "him" he had just mentioned was his roommate, Planet. Of course, he was far from an expert when it came to helping him take care of his wings. His attempts were sometimes hesitant, his movements a little too careful as he tried to make sure he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
But that was what made the gesture even more meaningful.
Parrot brought a hand up to hold onto his head, trying to ease the sharp pain.
"...How long have I been sitting here?"
He eyes wandered across the cluttered surface that is his desk before settling on the small clock tucked into the corner of his desk. He squinted at the glowing numbers and winced.
5:04 A.M.
Fragments of the previous night floated back into place. He vaguely remembered making dinner for himself and Planet earlier that evening. Afterwards, he'd returned to his desk to work on a project of his own, fully intending to finish a little more before calling it a night. Somewhere along the way, "a little more" had turned into falling asleep over his notes.
He and Planet had known each other for as long as he could remember, having both grown up in the same village.
When they got older, they decided to move into the city for better opportunities. But even after leaving, the village still remained as a place that felt the most like home.
Such things as "Heroes" and "Villains" were also common topics around the city. Though, Parrot never really had any interest in them, nor did he often keep up with the news.
If someone had asked him what his thoughts were on those people, he would simply reply that he did not care.
He'd rather take matters into his own hands rather than wait for someone to rescue him as if he were a damsel in distress.
Parrot rubbed a hand over his face, suppressing another yawn as he leaned back in his chair.
The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the lights overhead. He wasn't quite awake yet, his thoughts still moving sluggishly, but at least he remembered how he'd ended up there. Now all that remained was finding the motivation to stand up.
One of his headwings twitched slightly as a soft knock temporarily removed all the haziness in his head. Before he could answer, the door was slowly pushed open.
"Parrot, you awake?"
Planet stepped inside, carrying two steaming mugs and immediately stopped short. Between the two of them, he had always been the one to wake up earlier than the other—the one responsible for making sure Parrot never got the chance to sleep in. No matter how many times the macaw had begged for just a little more rest or tried to convince him to let him skip work, Planet always came prepared with a reason that was nearly impossible for him to argue against due to him not being able to fully malfunction in the morning.
That was just a weak excuse to hide the fact that he didn't like arguing with his bestfriend and he knows it.
Eyelids still heavy, Parrot stared at his ceiling for a few seconds then drowsily tilted his head towards Planet.
"Nah."
"Pffft— Okay, bro."
The alien hybrid handed one of the cups he had been holding to the macaw. "Figured you'd need this."
"Thanks," Parrot groggily extended his hand, closing it around the mug before taking a small sip, letting the warmth of the morning caffeine settle before giving a tired glance back at his roommate.
Planet's attention difted past him and towards the desk...
And sighed.
"How late were you up this time?"
"In my defense, I still slept anyway."
"That's not an answer."
"..I remember it being one."
Planet raised an eyebrow.
Without saying a word, Parrot quietly turned his head away, suddenly finding the plain white wall of his room far more interesting than meeting his roommate's eyes.
"And?"
"...Maybe two..
....There may have also been a three—"
"So.. sunrise."
There was a brief pause as he considered denying it, but the tired look on his face had already given him away. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly nodded.
He heard Planet let out another sigh.
Parrot glanced towards the clock, the feather of his headwings shifted with the movement. "Did you make breakfast?"
Planet blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden change of subject. "Obviously, I already know about your habit of skipping them any chance you get. And you didn't eat dinner last night."
The macaw had a horrible habit of being able to convince himself that he was always able to handle stuff on his own no matter how challenging it may be. And while he was capable of dealing with them most of the time, he was absolutely terrible at taking care of himself.
"..Oh yeah, I did do that."
With a quiet sigh, Parrot pushed himself out of the chair. The movement was sluggish and his body still protesting after the lack of sleep, but the reminder of what he had missed out yesterday was almost enough to convince him to move.
Hopefully he makes it to work on time.
.
.
.
Working at a café wasn't as exciting as people imagined it to be.
There was no such thing as a fated encounter with the person of your dreams, nor was there going to be a villain crashing into the store! (Surely not, right?)
The former statement might've just been a him problem, but it wasn't like he had the time to dwell on things like that.
Besides from the stress of working at a café, he also had to focus on preventing his academic grades from going down.
It wasn't like it was that big of an deal, there was nobody waiting to yell at him for being a failure anymore, neither did he have to worry about coming home only to end up disappointing his parents simply because he couldn't meet nearly impossible expectations that were forced onto his shoulders.
His parents never had enough time to demand perfection from him anyway.
There was no one else to disappoint.
So he made sure he was always disappointed in himself.
Every mistake became evidence that he wasn't trying hard enough. Every success only proved he should have done better, faster, cleaner. If he got a ninety-eight, he couldn't stop thinking about the two points he'd lost. If he finished first, he'd wonder why it hadn't felt more impressive. There was always another standard to meet, another flaw to erase, another version of himself that seemed infinitely more deserving than the one he saw in the mirror.
Stopping meant admitting that he had always been a failure from the very beginning.
But he would rather die than not being able to prove to them that they were wrong.
With a quiet sigh, Parrot rolled one aching shoulder and absentmindedly adjusted the apron tied around his waist. His wings shifted with the movement, feathers rustling softly before settling against his back once more.
Morning shifts always felt like they lasted forever.
"...I'm never taking another opening shift," He muttered under his breath.
From beside him, his coworker—Reina, looked up from the mug she had been drying, her expression remaining just as calm as it always was as she watched him for a brief moment.
"Are you tired of working here?" Reina asked, her voice carrying the same steady tone she used for almost everything, making it difficult to tell whether it was simply a passing question or genuine concern.
Parrot glanced at her before shaking his head. "No, Just tired in general.."
She let out a quiet hum, seeming to understand the reason for that answer and quietly went back to polishing the mug in her hands.
He reached for another cup, already preparing the next order waiting on the counter.
It wasn't that Parrot disliked working at the café. The customers were usually polite, his coworkers were easy enough to get along with, and there was something satisfying about seeing a drink come together exactly the way it was supposed to.
Most days, it was peaceful enough. He could focus on his work without needing to think too much, letting his muscle memory carry him through the hours.
Though he preferred the quiet, he knew it was never guaranteed. There would always be people who came in looking for something to complain about, customers who purposely stirred up trouble just because they found amusement in making someone else's day harder.
Suddenly, The bell above the entrance chimed. His headwings twitched instinctively at the familiar sound, and a moment later, a wave of laughter and conversation immediately filled the quiet café. A group of friends entered together, still caught up in whatever story they had been sharing before they arrived. Their backpacks and uniforms made it obvious they were students, probably stopping by after classes.
"Finally!" One of them groaned while dropping his bag slightly as he looked around. "I thought we were never going to find somewhere to sit."
"You were the one who took forever to leave the class, Spoke."
"Well... It was because I was waiting for everyone else!"
"Sure, blame us all you want."
This... "Spoke" individual was the first one to catch his attention. He had void-like skin with eyes so bright if not for the sunlight streaming through the café windows, they might have seemed to glow on their own. Does that affect how he views the world? Parrot wondered.
Next to him were two other students, one male and the other female. The boy had long crimson horns including a red bandana while the girl had long rabbit ears drooping gently along the sides of her head.
He snapped out of his thoughts before he could observe them any further as their banter became louder. They were walking towards his direction as he continued looking up at them from behind the counter, watching them approach.
He instinctively straightened his posture. The tired expression he'd been wearing moments ago disappeared behind the practiced smile he'd perfected over countless shifts.
"Welcome to The Evergreen Café," He greeted as they got closer. "What can I get for you today?"
The group paused beneath the menu. While the two boys immediately looking up to debate their options, the girl lingered for a moment, greeting him with a small smile and a quick wave. Parrot returned the gesture with a polite nod before turning his attention back to the register.
"I already know what I want," The voidling announced confidently, placing both hands on his hips as he looked back at his friends.
The other male narrowed his eyes at him. "You've been saying that since we left campus."
"And I still know."
"Then why are you still reading the menu?"
"..I'm just making sure......"
"You're impossible," The demon sighed as he looked at him with an unimpressed stare as the girl gave them a light chuckle, shaking her head in amusement. It may not seem like it, but Parrot had a feeling the demon wasn't completely annoyed based on the hint of a smile he had on his face.
The macaw waited patiently behind the register, giving them enough time to decide.
Eventually, the rabbit hybrid stepped forward, offering him an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the wait.."
"It's alright," He replied with a polite smile, "What can I get for you?"
Normally, he would've lost his patience long ago. Indecisive people weren't rare, but that didn't mean they were common occurances either. They would either be changing their orders last second or get distracted by other people.
Yet, for some reason, Parrot didn't find himself feeling bothered at all.
Maybe it was because the rush hour had already passed.
Maybe it was because the café was quieter than usual.
Or maybe it was simply because this group was different.
He wasn't entirely sure.
As she gave him her order, the others gathered behind her, still quietly discussing what they wanted. A few seconds later, they stepped forward one by one, placing their orders with occasional changes and quick questions.
The other boy caught the voidling staring at the pantry display.
"..You're thinking about stealing them, aren't you?"
"Nnnnoooooo? Why would you think that?? I don't know what you're talking about!"
Their voices were low, barely above a whisper, but Parrot could still hear them clearly from behind the counter. Being avian came with its advantages, and his sensitive hearing often picked up conversations that most people would miss.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he continued preparing their drinks.
After receiving their drinks, the group moved toward a table near the window.
He returned his attention to the drinks lined up in front of him. Though, even as he continued working, his eyes drifted back toward the group.
There was something strangely comforting about watching them. And for a moment, he found himself wondering what it would be like to have something like that.
It wasn't like he was entirely alone, he still had Planet, afterall.
But.. The thought of having his own small group of friends does sound appealing.
"Hey," A light tap against his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts.
He blinked and turned to see Reina standing beside him, giving him an amused look.
"You doing okay?"
Parrot turned towards the group again, taking in the sight of them discussing some things together and teasing one another.
"..Yeah, just a bit distracted, that's all."
He returned his focus to the counter, the sounds of the café slowly filling his attention again. The group by the window continued laughing, unaware of the thoughts they had briefly brought to his mind.
He finished the drinks and placed them on the counter, pushing the thought aside.
Maybe someday.
For now, he had work to do.