(Theme #5 - "Rumors")
"Oy, Jing," Kir said one day, as they sauntered down a street in the city of Curacao. "How come you always know so much about all the treasure we steal?"
"Would you rather be unprepared, Kir?" Jing chuckled.
"You know what I mean!" The albatross huffed. "You know stuff that I've never even heard of. Does this come in a book somewhere?"
"Nope," the Bandit King smiled. "You just need to listen more, partner." He waved a hand at the busy plaza around them. "Come on, I'll show you."
He wove his way through the crowd to the fountain, and jumped up onto the narrow stone ledge surrounding it. People gave him curious glances, but most went about their business as though it was nothing unusual. His arm lifted in a way that Kir recognized as a silent invitation, and the bird alighted on the offered perch.
"What do you hear?" Jing asked.
"People," Kir answered flatly. "Lots of people, yappin' away."
The boy's laugh was kind. "You're not listening close enough. Every word is part of a story, Kir, and stories exist to be told… they want to be shared."
"You're a strange human, you know that."
"Maybe," Jing twirled in a circle, keeping his balance on the stone rail with ease. "Listen, and tell me what you hear."
With a sigh, the bird decided to humour his companion, although he wasn't sure what this had to do with any treasure. He closed his eyes and tried to distinguish anything useful from the chatter surrounding them.
"... yesterday the baker's goods were burnt..."
"... heard a noise in the parlour..."
"... can't find my pet, looked everywhere..."
"They're just talkin', Jing," Kir said, exasperated. "Normal stuff. Not a thing about anything important!"
The Bandit King grabbed the albatross out of the air, ignoring the squawk, and clasped the bird against his chest. Kir struggled a bit, simply out of indignation, but fell quiet and sighed, listening to Jing's heartbeat.
"You see, Kir, they're telling you so much... they're nervous and edgy... they want to know what's going on. Something's got them very distracted."
"... claw marks in my flower bed..."
"... like something was watching me yesterday..."
"... my laundry shredded in the yard..."
"A creature?" Kir said hesitantly, and then his eyes lit up. "Oy! The riddle you mentioned earlier! The beast with ruby eyes and diamond teeth!"
"There you go," Jing said, eyes still closed; he jumped from the stone fountain without opening them, moving through the crowd by instinct alone. It wasn't until they'd reached an alley that he released his feathere's companion.
"For a human, you sure are a birdbrain," Kir said, shaking his head. "But I'm glad you are. Are we going?"
"Let's go!"
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Notes:
Curaçao is a general term for orange-flavored liqueur made from the dried peel of bitter oranges found on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Curaçao can be colored orange (known as Orange Curaçao or only Curaçao), blue (Blue Curaçao), green (Green Curaçao) or left clear (White Curaçao). All variants have the same flavor, with small variations in bitterness. Blue and green Curaçao are often used to provide color to mixed drinks.