The Scientist

Presence

Xavier pov:

I ended up deadpan staring at Xisuma, quietly pleading for help with the birds and the cats. He played it cool, pretending like he didn’t even notice my desperate situation. After a few minutes of struggling with Jimmy pecking at my head and Grian happily squawking about his victory, I finally sighed and declared, “That’s enough!”

I carefully set Hels down on his paws. The moment his feet touched the floor, he shifted back into his human form, blinking sleepily and rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes. “What did I miss?” he murmured, barely registering the chaos around him.

As I turned my attention back to the pesky birds, I reached up to gently coax them off my head and shoulder, but instead of compliance, I received a sharp peck from Grian. “Ow! Come on, buddy!” I yelped, swatting gently at him, but he simply fluffed his feathers and tilted his head, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Maybe they’re just trying to tell you they like you?” Wels suggested, a mischievous grin on his face as he approached.

“Or they want my brains,” I muttered, trying to take Grian’s beak more seriously than it deserved.

As I tried to reason with the birds, Hels stepped in to help. “Alright, let’s see what we can do about these two troublemakers,” he said, a playful smirk spreading across his face.

Wels joined in the fray, reaching up to gently grasp Jimmy and coax him off my head. “You’re such a drama bird, Grian. How do you expect to eat if you keep nesting up there?”

Grian flapped indignantly but finally relented as Wels’s gentle persuasion worked. Meanwhile, Hels had managed to distract Jimmy with a few treats he had stashed in his pockets, allowing me to finally free myself from the feathered duo.

“Finally!” I exclaimed, shaking my head with a laugh as I set Grian down. “I thought I’d have to make a permanent sign on my head saying ‘Bird Hotel.’”

“Hey! I can’t help it if I have an excellent sense of real estate!” Grian chirped, fluffing his feathers in mock pride.

“Right, real estate,” I snorted. “That’s definitely what I’d call your brain.”

With the birds finally off me, I looked around at the commotion in the kitchen. Other hermits were busy making breakfast, some were still waking up, and laughter filled the air. It felt like a scene straight out of a sitcom—chaotic, unpredictable, and yet somehow incredibly comforting.

“I think we’re finally ready to eat,” Xisuma announced, stepping forward with a platter of pancakes he had been secretly preparing. “And don’t worry, there are plenty of leftovers for everyone. No one will be left hungry today!”

“Unless you count my dignity,” I mumbled, still feeling the remnants of Grian's feathery reign over my head.

With the birds successfully tamed and breakfast underway, the chaos continued, but now it felt more like a family gathering than a scene of sheer chaos.

Zedaph's POV:

It was heartwarming to see Xavier actually relaxing and playing with the more adventurous animal-type residents. Watching him with two birds perched on his shoulders, a serene smile breaking through his usually guarded demeanor, made me genuinely believe there was hope for him to settle into this chaotic but cozy life after breakfast.

Once everyone had eaten, I made sure to gather everyone in the living room. The room buzzed with excitement as the birds, cats, and other curious creatures began to explore the festive tree, their little paws and claws climbing over branches as they playfully nudged gifts toward each other. As the presents piled up around them, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of nerves and anticipation about how Xavier would react to his gifts.