Xisuma's Parrotsitting [HermitSteal AU]

After the Void

Parrot, holding a tray of freshly baked sugar cookies cut in the shape of parrots and rainbows, looked at the adult that opened the door, who was supposedly the mother of the birthday kid. The music was so loud that it made the boy flinch but Xisuma was standing behind him and Spoke was right by his side holding another tray, so he couldn't really leave. His own pride disallowed that thought, anyway, because he and Spoke had decided to take Xanthus' advice and follow through with it.

"Oh, hello, Xisuma!" said the woman who answered the door, first regarding the voidwalker and then the two kids standing before her. She appeared a little awkward, probably because she hadn't invited them.

"Hello!" Xisuma responded, fatigue seeping into his voice. "The kids wanted to wish a happy birthday and we'll be on our way."

Peeking behind the host, Parrot noticed that the other guests, children and adults alike, weren't playing games nor smiling or laughing. Only the music played, loud as it was. The looks shot at them were ones of fear and unease. Parrot's mouth twitched into a frown, wings tucking into his back self-consciously. A pat on the shoulder reminded him what he was supposed to do.

"Here." he said, raising the tray. Spoke followed with his own. Eyes go from one to the other and then they're frowned upon.

"Thank you but... No offence but did you do something?" the question wasn't directed at them but rather at Xisuma. The poor guy could barely stand on his feet as it was; whatever he had done to rid them of the very murder-happy intruder had sapped all of the energy out of his body. Parrot shuffled his feet and lowered the offered tray, uncomfortable with the question, even though he wasn't the one being interrogated.

"Me? We were baking..."

That was obviously not what the woman was referring to. She looked at him with distrust, seeming to try and make sense of the situation. To their knowledge, Xisuma was the only voidwalker in the whole block, perhaps even the whole city with how rare they are. However, Parrot had observed that Xisuma was a nice man, forgiving and honest and so damn patient, always polite to the neighbours when they'd come across them on the way to school, even though the neighbours clearly avoided them.

"Did something happen?"

Parrot and Spoke looked at each other. Xisuma was playing stupid, like he hadn't just dropped them all into an unknown abyss that made their heads spin. They almost questioned if it had really happened too; they had never heard Xisuma tell a lie and that alone confused them. From an outside point of view, they looked like they were weirded out by the question, not that they were aware of the lie.

"My apartment was dropped into the void," the woman said, astounded that Xisuma looked as clueless as her. "Are you sure you didn't do anything? You are a good man but I know kids can be too lively at times..."

It was Xisuma's turn to be astounded. Parrot and Spoke exchanged a couple of looks, taken aback by the accusation. To think that Xisuma would, what, throw them in whatever space-hole he opened as punishment for holding a gun to his head a couple of times? That's an inconceivable concept; the man is too kind for that. Spoke was the one to come to the rescue, all puffed cheeks and an irked brow as he raised his tray up and thrust it forward, making the woman take a step back.

"We were baking," he said firmly with such determination that it appeared to force the lady another step back, "And we thought that bringing some cookies for you would be nice because it's rude not to wish happy birthday."

It was truly inspiring; so inspiring, in fact, that Parrot mimicked his friend's actions.

"Accusing Suma of something he didn't do is also very mean, especially when we've brought cookies."