Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any associated characters. But shhhh! Don’t tell them!
Written in memory of Mingo Mingo and Sunny, who sadly had to be found new homes due to an allergy. I miss them so much L
Warning, warning. Strong language dead ahead!
Pollygone
Chapter One: Welcome Jasper
Michaelangelo had been struggling for the past fifteen minutes, no matter which way he tried, it just wasn’t going to fit through the door. He placed the small cardboard pet carrier down on the floor and moved his hands for a better grip.
Leonardo passed by on his way to fetch a glass of water, a movement by the door caught his eye and forced him to back track. He silently observed his brother toil for several minutes.
“You’ll never get that through there.” Leo pointed out, making Michaelangelo jump out of his skin. Michaelangelo turned round to glare at Leonardo. “Turn it a bit to the left.” Leo offered demonstrating with his free hand. A little frustrated Michaelangelo violently twisted the object and banged it against the doorframe. “Not like that.” Leo continued, well in the swing of giving orders by now.
“Are you gonna stand there and pontificate or are you gonna help?” Michaelangelo hissed. Leonardo set down his glass and grabbed one end of the large object, it felt heavy and he was sure he spotted bars. What was Michaelangelo trying to drag into the lair? With some extra manipulation and a few loud complaints later the object lay in a heap on the living room floor.
“How the heck did you get that down here?” Leo asked as he stared at the tangled heap of parts.
“With great skill.” Michaelangelo answered taking a crumpled piece of paper out of his coat pocket. “Now all we have to do is put it together.”
“We? Whose we?” Leo picked his glass up and moved into the kitchen. “What is it anyway?”
“A cage.”
“Who for?” Leo called back.
“Raphael.” Michaelangelo smirked.
“You think it’s going to be big enough?” Leo questioned taking a sip from the glass in his hands. “What do you want with a cage anyway?”
“Well, you remember my friend Kayleene?” Michaelangelo started as he picked up a piece of the cage.
“Hmm.” Leo walked back into the living room and watched as Michaelangelo endeavoured to join two pieces of the puzzle together.
“Well, she’s gone on holiday for a few weeks and I offered to look.”
“Wait a minute.” Leo’s interrupted as his eyes fell on the cardboard box left by the door. “She’s not the one who keeps snakes, is she?”
“Yep and the cutest little lizards you’ve ever seen.” Michaelangelo lost his grip and one side clattered to the ground, causing the box’s inhabitant to move suddenly. Leo surprised himself with his ability to leap the couch in one attempt. “What’s with you?” Michaelangelo lent against the part he was holding and shot Leo a worried look.
“What’s in the box?” Leo held his position on the couch, hardly daring to move.
“Oh, that’s just Jasper.” A wide smile broke out on Mikey’s face.
“And Jasper is?”
“Come and see for yourself.” Michaelangelo retrieved the boxed and began to open the top; Leo prepared to flee. Slowly Michaelangelo raised his hand out of the box, there perched precariously was a medium sized Grey Parrot. Jasper jerked his head round and surveyed the surroundings, once satisfied that everything was to his liking he shook his feathers and promptly pooped on the floor. “This is Jasper.” Michaelangelo announced his grin growing.
Leo relaxed at little and hopped down from the couch. “Don’t you think it is unhygienic to keep a bird here?”
“Aww nah, Jasper won’t catch anything.” Michaelangelo replied before making kissing noises at Jasper.
“I wasn’t talking about the bird.” Leo recoiled in horror, as Michaelangelo allowed Jasper to place is beak inside his mouth.
“Shh! You’ll hurt his feelings!” Michaelangelo covered Jasper’s ears with his free hand. Leo moved slowly round the back of the couch and stood before his brother and Jasper, he bent a little to get a better view. Jasper cocked his head to one side, he flashed his eyes as he weighed up this new ‘man servant’.
“Does it talk?” Leo asked after several minutes of staring.
“Yeah sure, Jasper can say all sorts of things. Can’t you Jasper?” Michaelangelo ruffled the feathers on the back of Jasper’s neck. “Just say something to him.” Leo couldn’t help but feel a little daft; he looked at Jasper again and cleared his throat. “Hello Jasper.” Jasper stared blankly at Leonardo, then suddenly, what seem like a brief understanding flashed behind Jasper’s eyes.
He fluffed up slightly. “Screw you!” There it was, as clear as a bell, Michaelangelo dissolved into a state of hysterics.
“Well he certainly has a way with words.” Leo tried not to sound too shocked by Jasper’s outburst; at that moment Leo unwittingly invaded Jasper’s personal space. Jasper wasted no time, he clamped down hard on Leo’s hand with his beak, chaos descended on the room, yelling accompanied by a furious flapping of wings.