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Tianlang-jun liked to think he was a good uncle. He’d picked up a tiny, adorably hideous creature that his idiot of a sister had left behind and he’d nurtured him to full strength, making sure that his body could handle being pulled into a more humanoid form before he stuck him in it. Sure, it probably stunted his development for being able to do it by himself, but he’d figure it out eventually! He was a bright boy.
He also kept eating birds in human villages, though that was only a problem when he stuffed some brightly colored thing in his mouth before Tianlang-jun could stop him. They made eye contact for a long beat before there was a wail off to his left and yep. That had to be the bird owner. Scooping up his armful of trouble, Tianlang-jun did the most sensible thing for this situation when they were around humans. He turned and sprinted away from the commotion as elegantly as possible, Zhuzhi-lang sputtering out feathers all the while.
He loved his idiot nephew. He was bright, he was sweet and loyal, but he was also a little troublemaker. He was just glad he didn’t get winded because this was hardly the first time something like this had happened! At least it wasn’t a kitten this time. Mammals got so much more agony when they got eaten by hungry little demons than birds did. Probably because they were easier to cuddle, if he had to take a guess at it.
Finally, they seemed to have lost their pursuit and he turned the child sideways before thumping his back. “Might as well out with the rest of the feathers. No restraint at all in you, is there? I suppose it’s good that you have a killer instinct, but we need to work on your observation skills. Sometimes things are pets, remember?”
The child gave him a morose nod and spat out another long bit of plumage that hadn’t even fit all the way in his mouth properly. Honestly, this child. “Sorry.”
“I know, I know. You didn’t mean to. I’m not mad, but it’s going to make getting that book I was looking at a bit more difficult. I hadn’t seen that one before!” He helped him shake off the last of the feathers and then hefted him up against his shoulder. The little thing was always cold. He was still too small to be walking around on his own anyway, he supposed, so this was his own fault. “Next time ask me before you eat an animal in a town, alright?”
“Will try.” Tianlang-jun gave the boy a dubious look, but patted him on the head. It was an agreement, though he suspected it was the sort that would be forgotten the moment he saw some animal that looked tasty. At least they’d established that cats and dogs were only to be eaten if they tried to eat him first. Still not ideal, but in his book if something bit him, they got what they got.
“Well, that’s fine then. Did it at least taste good?” Those always wide eyes peered up at him before the child’s head bobbed in agreement, and he couldn’t help a laugh. “I suppose it was worth it then, but try anyway, alright? I could have bought you something cooked, you know!”
Zhuzhi-lang, the scamp, actually had the temerity to wrinkle his nose at him. How rude! He was offering to buy him things they couldn’t get back home and he was making a fuss? This child was too much like his mother sometimes!
“And why not? What’s wrong with the cooked food here?” He bounced the boy a bit higher so they were on eye level and it was easier to hear him as he set off back into the crowds.
“Spicy.” Well. That was fair, he supposed. Little snakes weren’t really equipped for spicy and happened to be particularly sensitive to it. He gave him a squeeze.
“Then next time tell me, mmm? You’ll have to learn to use your words eventually.” And again with the nose wrinkling! This boy!
Ah, he did love this child so.