Bugs.
While we were still in Ireland Hayden gave me a terrarium so that I could catch some of the things I kept finding in his garden. Catch them and keep them a short while until I could show him and try to impress him with my geeky bugness. I think it's really because I complained so loudly that the pygmy shrew got away before I could show it to him. In any case, it was only minutes before I had it outside with my head stuck in leafy bushes searching. It wasn't until I gave up to pick strawberries that I found her, or rather found the biggest, most reddest strawberry ever and absolutely had to get my teeth in it to let the juice dribble down my chin. When I reached to grab the twig the stem was connected to, it moved. I had nearly squashed her! She's an unarmed stick bug, the smooth sort which is a little odd because the research I've done since finding her says she shouldn't be in that area. All the more reason I'm glad I set up the terrarium for her. Who knows what strange predators might have come after her. I was only going to keep her a few days, but that never works, as I always end up falling in love. Hayden's neighbour is minding her while we're gone.
Last night he gave me another, only this one already had a bug in it - soft and pale with hints of royal blue all over and it was the most beautiful thing ever. It. He. See, not all of my bugs are girls. I held and petted and played with him all night, and when I woke up again this morning, cocooned in warmth and love, I reached out gentle fingers to touch all over again. Light and gentle and sleepy, and I felt this incredible desire to keep this new little bug safe so though to myself "Well, that's okay, then" and let myself drift back down to sleep.
When I woke again later, I crawled from the bed, flicked off the switch, and went off to see about making breakfast. Only, I was distracted by Blink who was, well, blinking at me with his red eyes, hidden away within the safety of his hollow log. I reached in to give his tail a tickle before getting my shoes so I could go down to find him something good for breakfast too. I stopped by Witchitar's terrarium on my way out and saw her scuttling around inside. I should be >:O at Elijah for not letting her go yet (I want my cookies back!), but I was kind of glad to have the chance to do it myself. I gathered her up on her favourite leaf, took her out into the garden outside the stack of flats, said a few words I'm too embarrassed to repeat here, and then let her go. I found some lively grasshoppers for Blink and then went back to making our own breakfast.
Last night he gave me another, only this one already had a bug in it - soft and pale with hints of royal blue all over and it was the most beautiful thing ever. It. He. See, not all of my bugs are girls. I held and petted and played with him all night, and when I woke up again this morning, cocooned in warmth and love, I reached out gentle fingers to touch all over again. Light and gentle and sleepy, and I felt this incredible desire to keep this new little bug safe so though to myself "Well, that's okay, then" and let myself drift back down to sleep.
When I woke again later, I crawled from the bed, flicked off the switch, and went off to see about making breakfast. Only, I was distracted by Blink who was, well, blinking at me with his red eyes, hidden away within the safety of his hollow log. I reached in to give his tail a tickle before getting my shoes so I could go down to find him something good for breakfast too. I stopped by Witchitar's terrarium on my way out and saw her scuttling around inside. I should be >:O at Elijah for not letting her go yet (I want my cookies back!), but I was kind of glad to have the chance to do it myself. I gathered her up on her favourite leaf, took her out into the garden outside the stack of flats, said a few words I'm too embarrassed to repeat here, and then let her go. I found some lively grasshoppers for Blink and then went back to making our own breakfast.