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Description
Bonding for Love: XVIV - Part of My World
for Talus 9231 and Pippi 9218

Pippi shows Talus his favorite bug-collecting spot. Talus isn't impressed at first, but finds herself determined to capture her prey in the end.

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Mentioning Paikeal 3121

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Talus yawned as she followed Paikeal and Pippi into the woods. It was early. Way, way too early. It was so early it was bedtime. But no, she'd been forced to come on this bug hunting adventure by the unruly dove who watched over the small rook that seemed so innocent in the world.

Pippi was unphased by the time of day, himself. He loved bugs. Bugs liked coming out in the day, so he would stay up during the day to find the bugs. He looked excitedly between Paikeal and Talus and patted the bag he was carrying. It was full of the jars they would put the bugs in.

Pippi had a favorite spot to go. There were lots of bushes for the bugs to hide in. And logs and rocks for them to crawl under. And flowers for the butterflies. He wondered if he had enough jars for all the bugs they would find. There were three of them this time. They could catch a lot more bugs than just two kuku could. But he'd brought all the empty jars he had. Talus had broken so many of them the night before, and he'd lost so many bugs.

Pippi didn't know what to think of Talus. She could be mean, but she was also helping him find bugs today, so she couldn't be all bad, right? He'd known other mean kuku before. Usually it meant they were upset about something else. He wondered what Talus was mad about. He decided to ask.

Pippi jogged over to Talus' side.

"Hey, Talus," he said cheerily.

Talus narrowed her eyes and looked slowly towards the pale amber rook. She didn't like him. Sure, she was here because she'd technically done something wrong, but she'd never gotten in trouble like this before. And she blamed Pippi for it. If he hadn't attacked her, she would have talked her way out of the situation last night with Paikeal.

"What made you mad?" Pippi asked.

"What?" Talus frowned in confusion.

"What made you mad yesterday so you broke my jars?"

"Nothing," Talus said shortly.

"People don't hurt for nothing," Pippi said philosophically. "They hurt when they are mad."

Talus eyed the rook. For being so simple, he seemed to have a deeper understanding of motivation than he should have. Except he was wrong.

"Nothing made me mad," she said shortly.

"Then why you break my jars?"

Talus sighed. "I wanted to."

"Why?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Talus snapped.

"You seem mean, but maybe you just angry," Pippi said.

"Why aren't you mad?" Talus asked.

Pippi shrugged. "You help me get more bugs."

"But..." Talus stuttered. "But I made you lose them in the first place. You should be mad at me for it."

"Why?" Pippi asked.

"Because... because I did something that hurt you."

Pippi shrugged again. "But you get more bugs now, so it is good."

Talus shook her head at the rook's logic. Anyone else would have held a grudge against someone who destroyed all their precious belongings. But Pippi didn't seem capable of that. It was... intriguing.

They reached a clearing in the woods and Pippi stopped.

"Here!" He exclaimed, setting down his bag of jars and dumping them on the ground. He picked up two and handed one to each of the doves.

Paikel shook her head. "I'll watch," she said.

Pippi frowned in confusion. "You no want to catch bugs?"

Paikel looked at Talus. "I'll watch," she repeated.

Pippi shrugged. Paikel usually liked catching bugs with Pippi, but maybe she wanted to let Talus have more fun. He turned to the red dove who had been the cause of this adventure.

Talus looked from Pippi to Paikel, sighed loudly, and took the jar from Pippi.

"Find bugs now!" He exclaimed and headed towards a nearby bush. "Spider!"

Talus watched as Pippi leaned over the brush to scoop a spider on its web into the jar. He picked some leaves and dropped them in as well, the closed the lid.

"Spider!" He repeated, holding his jar high.

"Good find," Paikel praised him.

Talus looked around the clearing and snarled silently. This was not what she wanted to be doing at this time of the day.

Paikel looked at her meaningfully and Talus growled. She walked over to a rock and lifted it up. Underneath, ants and pill bugs scattered at the sudden exposure. Talus scooped the jar across the dirt, capturing the bugs inside. She turned and held the jar for the others to see.

"Rollies!" Pippi cheered, peering into the container. "Good!"

"Leggies!"

"Caterpillar!"

"Stick bug!"

Pippi's enthusiasm was unlimited. Every time they found a new bug, he acted as though they had found lost treasure. As much as Talus hated looking for bugs, she found herself looking forward to hearing Pippi's excited cheer when they found a new one. He was just so... carefree. What other people thought of as pests, he cherished. Something as simple as rolling over a stone to find a hidden nest of insects was the world to him.

"Butterfly!" Pippi said, pointing to the golden-winged animal.

A monarch butterfly was casually drifting from bush to bush. Pippi had just rolled over a log to find a colony of beetles living underneath and was now torn as to what he wanted to do - get the beetles, or capture the butterfly. He already had some beetles still. He didn't have a butterfly yet. His caterpillar had been lost before it turned into one.

Talus looked from Pippi to the butterfly.

"I'll get it," she said, surprising herself. "You get the beetles."

Pippi nodded and placed the jar on the ground in front of the bugs. Gently, he cupped his hand around one of the insects and nudged it towards the mouth of the bottle.

Talus looked at the jar in her hand, then at the butterfly. Taking the lid off the jar, she slowly stalked up to the insect, trying not to startle it. She swiped her jar at it, but the butterfly must have sensed something because it took off before the jar covered it. Talus ran after the flying bug. It landed on a nearby bush, but flew off again as Talus reached it. It landed again, and left again as Talus approached.

Talus found herself more and more determined to capture the elusive creature. The butterfly left the bushes and headed across the clearing, and Talus raced after it. It flew into the air above her head, and Talus jumped, swiping the jar at the butterfly from overhead.

Amazingly, when she landed, the butterfly was flapping around inside the upside-down jar. Quickly, she put the cap on it and turned to Pippi.

"Butterfly!" She announced proudly.

"Butterfly!" Pippi echoed. "We put it in bigger box at home."

Pippi looked at the pile of jars on the ground, now filled with insects of all varieties. It wasn't nearly as many as she had destroyed the night before, but it was a start.

Unexpectedly, Talus felt a hint of pride at the jars she had filled. The insects hadn't been hard to find or capture - for the most part - but something about the way Pippi looked at the collection called to her. Something about the little rook made her feel a little less angry inside.

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Words: 1225

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Description
Bonding for Love: XVIV - Part of My World
for Talus 9231 and Pippi 9218

Pippi shows Talus his favorite bug-collecting spot. Talus isn't impressed at first, but finds herself determined to capture her prey in the end.

---

Mentioning Paikeal 3121

---

Talus yawned as she followed Paikeal and Pippi into the woods. It was early. Way, way too early. It was so early it was bedtime. But no, she'd been forced to come on this bug hunting adventure by the unruly dove who watched over the small rook that seemed so innocent in the world.

Pippi was unphased by the time of day, himself. He loved bugs. Bugs liked coming out in the day, so he would stay up during the day to find the bugs. He looked excitedly between Paikeal and Talus and patted the bag he was carrying. It was full of the jars they would put the bugs in.

Pippi had a favorite spot to go. There were lots of bushes for the bugs to hide in. And logs and rocks for them to crawl under. And flowers for the butterflies. He wondered if he had enough jars for all the bugs they would find. There were three of them this time. They could catch a lot more bugs than just two kuku could. But he'd brought all the empty jars he had. Talus had broken so many of them the night before, and he'd lost so many bugs.

Pippi didn't know what to think of Talus. She could be mean, but she was also helping him find bugs today, so she couldn't be all bad, right? He'd known other mean kuku before. Usually it meant they were upset about something else. He wondered what Talus was mad about. He decided to ask.

Pippi jogged over to Talus' side.

"Hey, Talus," he said cheerily.

Talus narrowed her eyes and looked slowly towards the pale amber rook. She didn't like him. Sure, she was here because she'd technically done something wrong, but she'd never gotten in trouble like this before. And she blamed Pippi for it. If he hadn't attacked her, she would have talked her way out of the situation last night with Paikeal.

"What made you mad?" Pippi asked.

"What?" Talus frowned in confusion.

"What made you mad yesterday so you broke my jars?"

"Nothing," Talus said shortly.

"People don't hurt for nothing," Pippi said philosophically. "They hurt when they are mad."

Talus eyed the rook. For being so simple, he seemed to have a deeper understanding of motivation than he should have. Except he was wrong.

"Nothing made me mad," she said shortly.

"Then why you break my jars?"

Talus sighed. "I wanted to."

"Why?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Talus snapped.

"You seem mean, but maybe you just angry," Pippi said.

"Why aren't you mad?" Talus asked.

Pippi shrugged. "You help me get more bugs."

"But..." Talus stuttered. "But I made you lose them in the first place. You should be mad at me for it."

"Why?" Pippi asked.

"Because... because I did something that hurt you."

Pippi shrugged again. "But you get more bugs now, so it is good."

Talus shook her head at the rook's logic. Anyone else would have held a grudge against someone who destroyed all their precious belongings. But Pippi didn't seem capable of that. It was... intriguing.

They reached a clearing in the woods and Pippi stopped.

"Here!" He exclaimed, setting down his bag of jars and dumping them on the ground. He picked up two and handed one to each of the doves.

Paikel shook her head. "I'll watch," she said.

Pippi frowned in confusion. "You no want to catch bugs?"

Paikel looked at Talus. "I'll watch," she repeated.

Pippi shrugged. Paikel usually liked catching bugs with Pippi, but maybe she wanted to let Talus have more fun. He turned to the red dove who had been the cause of this adventure.

Talus looked from Pippi to Paikel, sighed loudly, and took the jar from Pippi.

"Find bugs now!" He exclaimed and headed towards a nearby bush. "Spider!"

Talus watched as Pippi leaned over the brush to scoop a spider on its web into the jar. He picked some leaves and dropped them in as well, the closed the lid.

"Spider!" He repeated, holding his jar high.

"Good find," Paikel praised him.

Talus looked around the clearing and snarled silently. This was not what she wanted to be doing at this time of the day.

Paikel looked at her meaningfully and Talus growled. She walked over to a rock and lifted it up. Underneath, ants and pill bugs scattered at the sudden exposure. Talus scooped the jar across the dirt, capturing the bugs inside. She turned and held the jar for the others to see.

"Rollies!" Pippi cheered, peering into the container. "Good!"

"Leggies!"

"Caterpillar!"

"Stick bug!"

Pippi's enthusiasm was unlimited. Every time they found a new bug, he acted as though they had found lost treasure. As much as Talus hated looking for bugs, she found herself looking forward to hearing Pippi's excited cheer when they found a new one. He was just so... carefree. What other people thought of as pests, he cherished. Something as simple as rolling over a stone to find a hidden nest of insects was the world to him.

"Butterfly!" Pippi said, pointing to the golden-winged animal.

A monarch butterfly was casually drifting from bush to bush. Pippi had just rolled over a log to find a colony of beetles living underneath and was now torn as to what he wanted to do - get the beetles, or capture the butterfly. He already had some beetles still. He didn't have a butterfly yet. His caterpillar had been lost before it turned into one.

Talus looked from Pippi to the butterfly.

"I'll get it," she said, surprising herself. "You get the beetles."

Pippi nodded and placed the jar on the ground in front of the bugs. Gently, he cupped his hand around one of the insects and nudged it towards the mouth of the bottle.

Talus looked at the jar in her hand, then at the butterfly. Taking the lid off the jar, she slowly stalked up to the insect, trying not to startle it. She swiped her jar at it, but the butterfly must have sensed something because it took off before the jar covered it. Talus ran after the flying bug. It landed on a nearby bush, but flew off again as Talus reached it. It landed again, and left again as Talus approached.

Talus found herself more and more determined to capture the elusive creature. The butterfly left the bushes and headed across the clearing, and Talus raced after it. It flew into the air above her head, and Talus jumped, swiping the jar at the butterfly from overhead.

Amazingly, when she landed, the butterfly was flapping around inside the upside-down jar. Quickly, she put the cap on it and turned to Pippi.

"Butterfly!" She announced proudly.

"Butterfly!" Pippi echoed. "We put it in bigger box at home."

Pippi looked at the pile of jars on the ground, now filled with insects of all varieties. It wasn't nearly as many as she had destroyed the night before, but it was a start.

Unexpectedly, Talus felt a hint of pride at the jars she had filled. The insects hadn't been hard to find or capture - for the most part - but something about the way Pippi looked at the collection called to her. Something about the little rook made her feel a little less angry inside.

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Words: 1225

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