"Collector!" Came a small voice. Pip wandered Canis, a blot of purple against bone and dirt. After a few moments of silence, another voice called out. 'Collector?' it said. Somehow even smaller than Pip's. Little Blue was tucked in Pip's arms. Ut was unfortunate the Collector would not be able to hear Little Blue's voice, given that Little Blue Really Was Trying to help Pip.

Pip had managed to drag herself, Little Blue, and the doll all the way to Canis, from Pegasus. She pushed it on occasion, and she often found she had strange thoughts after that. Mostly centered around arson. She hadn't deciphered what that meant. But she was probably tired! Or needed to burn something! Or napped as she burned something! Yeah!

Despite all those setbacks, she didn't seem bothered by the journey. She often forgot where she was travelling to, and wandered off, only to remember the doll, or be reminded by Little Blue(mostly this) and be back on her way. Little Blue seemed...disturbed by Pip's lack of memory. His was impeccable, which greatly helped with directions. Pip spoke again, her tiny voice trying to amplify itself.

"Collector, its me, Pip! We're back!" The doll floated above Pip. It was oil stained, with dots of ochre mud for eyes. If she and Little Blue werent noticeable, which they probably weren't, the doll at least would be.

---

+1 corruption from pushing oil stained doll!
Also, link to doll making thread if you wanna read gort forcing myself through a solo: /showthread.php?tid=9361

"Pippin-? Is that you? My, my," came the crooning voice, from somewhere rather farther on.

The Collector's approach was forewarned by clicking hoofsteps, but when he came into sight--along a dusty trail just below--his crimson gaze lifted upward and he... faltered. One hoof almost stumbled as he caught sight of the little floating doll.

Blink.

His gaze quickly shifted, picking out the actual mantis a moment later.

"Ahh--there you are. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit-?" he asked, though his red-eyed gaze strayed back to the oilslicked ragdoll, curious.

@Pip

"Tall friend!" Pip cried, overjoyed to see the Collector. Her head flicked around as she tried to locate him. It was surreal for her to see the Collector below her, tall as he was. "H-hello, Tall friend! You look small from down there!" She said. "Me and Little Blue have gifts! You're real nice--you give gifts to all your friends, and you helped Little Blue talk! And, well, we wanted to give something back! I made a uh, you! And Little Blue," she pushed the stone forward, its googly eyes swirling. Had Little Blue a, uh, neck, Little Blue would've nodded. "Little Blue thinks you'd just like to lie on the floor for a while! We can do that, too!"

Pip wiggled from her spot, like a cat preparing to pounce, trying to find the best way down. With a few cautious hops and crawls, she was beneath him. Pip's distraction cost her, though. So focused on getting down safely, she broke eye-contact with the doll, and it fell with plume of dust.

"Oh. Whoops!" Pip said.

'Oh no,' was the response of Little Blue.

"I'm sure it's fine!" She poked it with her claw. It didn't immediately explode, or catch fire. Little Blue relaxed at that, at least. A slight shimmer rippling through the turquoise. Pip backed up from the doll, then looked up at the Collector, eager to continue talking about their gifts. "I used straw! And some weird goo to color it! It makes me think about death and fire!"

She said, cheery as ever. "I think the doll's resemblance is pretty good. Oh--we don't want anything in return, Tall Friend! We just want to give back to the best and tallest friend!" She watched the Collector with a tilted head, eager to see his reaction to her extremely well crafted doll.

@Game Master Dark

Crimson eyes blinked, and the Collector peered down at the fallen little effigy. He came forward with a graceful step, knelt in a sweep and extended one clawed hand to pick it up. He held it only just off the ground, studying it, then looked to Pip.

"As I do not give gifts, nor can I take them so freely, little one; and a... fine gift it is, too." There was a long pause. If there had been a camera, the Collector would have stared at it unblinkingly. "Tell me, how are you and 'Little Blue' getting along, these days? That exchange, as you know, was fully paid for."

He didn't yet put the tiny doll down, as if pondering what to do with it.

@Pip

"You think its fine!?" Pip said. "Really!"

"Me and little Blue! Oh, great!" She said, at the same time as the stone in her grasp mumbled 'okay.' "We get along real nice! Little Blue is real nice! Just like you! Kinda quiet though. Not like you! Are stones supposed to be this quiet? Or is it just Little Blue?" Had Little Blue shoulders, he would've shrugged. Instead, there was a light shimmer.

"Oh--We know it was paid for! We just thought you liked gifts!" She paused, the gears in her brain turning. 'You can't talk it?' the stone said. He thought.

"That's sad you cant give gifts without giving a task." Pip said, drooping. The Collector had to give a task every time he wanted to give gifts. Little Blue whispered an idea to Pip, and she wiggled in excitement. "Ooh! Little Blue has an idea--We do a task for you, and in exchange you take our doll, and we lay on the ground for a couple hours like Little Blue wanted!"

The stone perked up, having his plot relayed. 'That sounds like a fair exchange.' It said.

@Game Master Dark

The Collector stared, for a beat.

"...Ahh; it would need to be the other way around, little one," he crooned; "I would need to give you something in exchange for this. A task, perhaps. If you have anything in mind," he added.

Bound by his own rules, it seemed.

@Pip

"Huh," She said. "A task...," Pip turned to Little Blue, clutched in her arms. "What'd'you think?" She asked Little Blue. The stone had been mulling over it, as Pip had. It was quiet for a moment longer, thinking out its different options, before saying quite simply: 'I dont know'. Pip had to agree.

"Mmm okay Tall Friend! Little Blue doesn't know either," Pip said. "What do you want to do for us? This feels kind of weird," she admitted. Little Blue had finally come up with an answer, and spoke up again. 'The Collector could come with us! To Pegasus. He must be lonely.' You could practically see the glimmer in Pip's eyes.

"Ooh! Good idea Little Blue--go you want to leave Canis with us, Tall Friend? We could go exploring! I could show you what honey tastes like! It comes from these fat bugs! The bugs taste good too, we could eat them together!"

She paused, then apologetically added, "Sorry Little Blue! I could dip you into honey, too! Can you taste like that?" The rock lacked a sense of taste, but it shimmered in thought. Thoroughly doubting the concept it'd feel honey in the first place.

@Game Master Dark

"...Of course. I will meet you there, then. But it cannot be a long visit. I must, of course, remain available here for those who need me... Is that acceptable?"

It was difficult to tell if he were speaking through gritted teeth.

@Pip

"That sounds great, Tall Friend!" Pip said, overjoyed. Oblivious to any and all distress he might've been in. "What a great idea, Little Blue! Theres so much I gotta do to prepare--we're going to have so much fun! Oooh, and bring food, Tall Friend! We're going to have so much fun! I'm going to bring honey, and bugs, and flowers, and a lot of tasty fruit!"

She wriggled in place. "Okay! I'll see you there, Tall friend! I'm gonna tell as many people as i can, and then I have to find flowers to bring, and "

'Water'

"Oh! Some pretty crystals too! Does the Collector like crystals?"

'I'll be there,' Little Blue said confidently. Then, less confidently 'Does the Collector like me, too?' Which Pip responded to with a vigorous nod. They went on like this, eventually devolving into excited muttering. It was difficult for Little Blue to get an entire phrase in in edge-wise, though he did try, injecting his own ideas. Eventually they looked back up at the Collector.

"Okay! We'll be there!" She said, assuredly. And then she turned, scuttling back up the ledge she came from, the pair still chattering and bubbly, and Pip herself swaying with a small, excited song.

@Game Master Dark

;attempted exit of pip and little blue!

Claws waved ever-so-cheerfully.

The grimace was hidden beneath a hood.

"Ta ta," was all he said, and then he vanished, with a soft sigh, into nothingness.