Xisuma's Parrotsitting [HermitSteal AU]

Two kids walk into an illegal auction...

When they arrive at the cafe, it is closing time. There are no customers showing through the windows, which is a good thing, seeing as the two boys have already received plenty of weird looks for walking around without an adult escort.

Spoke stops Parrot from bumping into the glass door a third time in the same day, the avian blinking in confusion before he remembers that the cafe actually has a door and it isn't just an empty entrance. They rush inside, desperately looking over the counter to find someone. Even a barista cleaning dishes would suffice! Instead of a cafe worker, however, they find someone else.

The school's cleaning lady is casually sweeping dust between the tables. They both freeze like deer caught in headlights when they see her and stare for a moment, until the woman notices them as well.

"What are you two doing out so late?" she asks with curiosity that could rival a cat's.

The two of them look at each other.

"What are you doing here?" Spoke asks, and, yeah, that's a good question, actually.

"Me?" the cleaning lady says with too many teeth in her smile. That's the normal smile they receive each time she comes to watch a game of theirs in the yard, though, so it isn't as unnerving as it once was. "I'm cleaning!"

Spoke doesn't appear satisfied.

"How– Why are you everywhere?", he continues, sounding perplexed beyond the limits of confusion. Parrot gives him a questioning look at that– everywhere? He has only seen Miss Pearl at school and presumed she only worked there. Whatever! He'll ponder on this later!

"I work everywhere," she says proudly. That– makes sense, Parrot supposes. Then, the look in her eyes goes straight back to curiosity. "But you are supposed to be in bed at this time."

Before Spoke can ask another question about her job, Parrot cuts in, tugging his friend back by the back of his shirt. He shifts his wings, puffing up the plumes in an attempt to appear bigger and stronger than he actually is like a threatened bird. Pearl puts a hand to her hip, leaning against the broom in her other hand with the rise of an unimpressed eyebrow and Parrot drops the tough act.

"We're looking for... 'Suma", that is precisely the second time he's uttered the man's name. He still has no idea how to pronounce it correctly but Xisuma didn't correct him the first time so he may as well continue with the 'short' version.

"Xisuma?", she asks to clarify and Parrot nods. Spoke waits patiently at his side, hands shoved in the pockets of his pants. "He isn't at home?"

"He said he'd be late," Parrot shrugs in a way to show that he is totally indifferent and totally not panicking under the facade of "calm and collected" that he has donned. Spoke steps just a little closer to him, nudging his side with his elbow. The avian leans into him only a tiny bit and he will fight whoever says otherwise. "But he hasn't returned."

The face Pearl pulls is one that has them both at the edge of anticipation. Her brows scrunch together, mouth pulling into a frown.

"He's probably at the supermarket. I'll walk you two home and wait for him with you if you'd like."

Supermarket. Right. Maybe that's true but Parrot can't recall a time during the week when the man spent more than an hour buying groceries.

"When did he leave?" he asks instead of answering, trying to sound serious, like a detective he's seen on a TV show.

"I–" Pearl pauses for a second. "I don't know, I just got here."

That's... worrying, to say the least. For an adult to go missing like this? Adults go missing for strict reasons and Parrot only hopes that he hasn't been abandoned again.