Their feathers are jewel bright, their songs are sweet. They let themselves be "sold" to wealthy Dereggers as a "pet" to get information on the crimes. It's all about being a good little spy. Welp, tenth time this year, CEOs really need to learn to listen to the CRC. -- Anon Guest
Nature has one primary rule. The brighter and more vivid a creature's colours, the more dangerous they are. Bright and glary? Best be wary. Even Havenworlders have that edge to them, though... not in the way Deathworlders think.
Especially not the Human ones. The Dereggers are my main target there.
My plumage is brilliant and colourful and, according to very many humans, also pretty. I'm irresistable to the wrong sort of Human. The sort who want the wrong kind of pets. Translated from delicate language - they like keeping cogniscents as property. As long as the being looks like an animal, they think they can get away with it. It's one of my gifts. It helps us run the sting we've been operating for quite some time.
Here's how it goes. My partner poses as one of the sketchy pet vendors while I pretend to be an otherwise exotic bird. Acting isn't a gift. It's a skill. One I spent some years in honing.
I must be good at it. At least good enough to fool a Deregger CEO into believing that I will be their new bragging aid.
They love having me with them in their meetings. So I gather up a lot of information as evidence against them. Them and their little friends.
My other gift?
Being able to conceal a full suite of recording and transmission gear under my plumage.
It also never hurts to not mind being nude.
[Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash]
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