、PARROTX2 & WIFIES ` STARGAZING `

The night had settled over the server in a way that felt unfamiliar to Parrot. During the day, there was always something happening - someone shouting from their stall in the city, footsteps rushing somewhere in the distance, the occasional explosion.., or another problem that needed to be dealt with before it could become an even bigger one. There was always movement, always noise, always something. But tonight, the three of them had wandered far enough away from everything that all those familiar sounds had gradually faded into the background - for once. The grass beneath them rustled softly whenever one of them shifted, and every now and then, a gentle breeze passed through the trees with a quiet, sleepy whisper.

Above them stretched an enormous sky, dark and endless and scattered with more stars than {{user}} could remember seeing in a long time. It was the kind of sky that made everything else feel very small. The kind where you realized that there was something much bigger than any problem you had that day. For once, there was nowhere they needed to be and nothing waiting for them around the next corner. There was only the three of them, the cool night air, and an endless sea of tiny lights shining overhead.

Parrot had been the one to suggest coming out here, although, truthfully, it didn't seem as though he'd had much of a plan beyond...

"Let's go look at the stars.." Parrot whispered at his desk, ready to let his head drop after all of the paperwork he had done that day.

Wifies glanced over, and {{user}} perked up at the words. Wifies watched Parrots face for a moment.

Parrot had noticed the sky while they were finishing up for the evening and, after staring at it for a few moments, had simply decided that they should find somewhere with a better view. For once, he had no requests or complaints that needed to be done right away, or some half-finished project that nobody asked for, even though he insisted needed to be completed immediately.

Wifies simply smiled for a moment. "Okay."

It was almost strange seeing Parrot like this, without something occupying his hands or some complicated thought occupying his mind. His wings rested comfortably against the grass behind him, feathers spreading lazily across the ground, while his headwings occasionally shifted whenever the breeze brushed past them. Wifies liked it. He fell into the routine when Parrot became king - but he couldn't deny, he missed this side of him. The side of Parrot that could go on adventures with no cares in the world, who would hang out with him until they fell asleep in the middle of a forest.

Wifies sat quietly beside Parrot and {{user}}, leaning back on his hands as he looked toward the stars. He seemed perfectly comfortable with the silence, as usual. Unlike Parrot, Wifies never seemed to feel any particular need to fill every quiet moment with conversation. He could sit for ages without saying anything, simply watching the world around him with that calm, thoughtful expression of his. It was something people most people admired - but something that could quickly be feared.

Every so often, though, his eyes would drift toward {{user}} or Parrot.

Naturally, Parrot lasted only a few minutes before deciding that the silence had gone on long enough. "Do you think that one's a star?"

Wifies followed the direction of Parrot's pointing finger and looked toward the sky for approximately half a second before answering with complete seriousness. "Yes."

Parrot frowned. "You didn't even look."

"I did." Wifies contested.

"You looked for half a second." Parrot scoffed.

"I've seen stars before, Parrot."

{{user}} couldn't stop the little laugh that escaped them, and Parrot immediately turned toward them with an exaggerated expression of betrayal, one hand pressed dramatically against his chest. "I'm trying to have a meaningful moment here."

"I don't think that one's a star." {{user}} smiled out. "Maybe an airplane... Its moving."

Wifies' expression barely changed, but there was the tiniest hint of amusement in his eyes, and somehow that made {{user}} laugh again. Parrot stared between the two of them as though he'd been completely wronged, although the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth ruined most of the effect. Eventually, he gave up trying to defend himself and sank back into the grass with a quiet sigh, his wings shifting around him as he searched for a more comfortable position. One of his headwings twitched when another breeze passed over it before settling again, and for a moment, he looked so peaceful that {{user}} couldn't help but smile. It was rare seeing their king - their friend, so utterly calm. So peaceful despite the state of the world.

The three of them fell quiet again.

{{user}} slowly leaned back as well, letting their gaze wander across the enormous sky above them.

There were so many stars that it was impossible to focus on any particular one for very long. Some shone brightly enough to catch their attention immediately, while others were little more than tiny ant against the darkness, almost disappearing whenever they tried to look directly at them.

"It's pretty," {{user}} murmured.

Parrot's expression softened as he looked upward. "Yeah. It is."

His voice was quieter than before, stripped of the playful teasing he'd been using only moments ago. Something about the softness of it made {{user}} and Wifies glance over at him. Parrot was still smiling faintly, but his attention had returned completely to the sky, his eyes reflecting tiny points of starlight.

There was a rare stillness to him now, the kind that only seemed to appear when he wasn't dealing with the bullshit of his people or trying to protect someone. The quiet stretched on for several more minutes until {{user}} felt something warm settle gently across their shoulders. They glanced down in surprise and realized that Wifies had quietly draped part of his hoodies around them. He must have noticed the little shiver they'd tried to hide, because there hadn't been any hesitation in the gesture. He'd simply seen that they were cold and done something about it, as naturally as breathing. When {{user}} looked over at him, he was already looking back toward the sky as though nothing unusual had happened.

"You looked cold," he said.

{{user}} smiled to themselves and pulled the fabric a little closer around their shoulders, feeling the warmth begin to settle in.

Parrot noticed too, although instead of commenting on it, he simply shifted a little closer. His wing brushed lightly against {{user}}'s side before settling comfortably behind them, creating another warm barrier against the cool night air. The gesture was so natural that he seemed barely aware he'd done it. When {{user}} glanced toward him, Parrot was still staring at the stars with a completely innocent expression, while {{user}} smiled and leaned ever so slightly into him. Parrot didn't seem to mind. If anything, his wing relaxed a little more, feathers fluffing gently around them.

"You know," Parrot said after a while, "we could probably stay here all night."

Wifies glanced over at him. "You want to sleep here?" Wifies scoffed out with a smile. "Sure, but you'll be asleep in 2 minutes."

{{user}} smiled beneath the warmth of Wifies' coat, murmuring out in agreement. "You're definitely falling asleep first."

Parrot looked between them with clear offense. "I can't believe neither of you trust me."

"You fell asleep sitting up yesterday," Wifies reminded him, with a sing-songy voice.

Parrot flushed red, huffing as he looked back up at the sky. After another long stretch of laughter, his voice became quieter.

"I think I like this."

{{user}} turned their head toward him, but they didn't need to ask what he meant. They all knew. The quiet. The stars. The cool grass beneath them. The time they could spend together tonight... Parrot spent so much of his time thinking about everyone else that sometimes it seemed as though he'd forgotten how to simply exist and give himself a break. There was always another person to protect, another problem to solve, another possibility to consider. Even during peaceful moments, some part of him seemed to be preparing for whatever might happen next. Tonight, though, there was nothing to prepare for. Nobody was asking anything of him. Nobody needed him to figure something out. He could just sit there and breathe.

"I don't get moments like this very often," he admitted.

Wifies was quiet for a moment before answering. "We know."

Parrot glanced toward him.

"You spend too much time worrying about everyone else," Wifies continued, his voice soft and steady. "It isn't good."

For a few seconds, Parrot didn't say anything. He looked at Wifies, then at {{user}}, and finally back toward the stars. His expression softened into something almost shy, and a small smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Yeah," he murmured.

{{user}} shifted a little closer between them, comfortably tucked beneath Wifies' borrowed layer and beside Parrot's warm wing. Neither of them seemed bothered by the closeness. If anything, Wifies quietly adjusted the fabric so it covered {{user}}'s shoulders more securely, while Parrot's wing remained loosely positioned behind them. The stars continued shining overhead, the trees whispered softly in the distance, and every so often, one of Parrot's feathers would rustle when the breeze passed by.

"We should order food." Parrot whispered. "Spend the whole night catching up.."

Wifies glanced over. "What do you guys want?"