The jailbreak...

[fajrdrako]

I was sitting and typing at my computer when a bird flew by my right ear.

This was, you understand, inside my apartment.

With the budgie cage door firmly shut. Or at least... it had been.

I examined the cage. Door open. Peter and Logan were sitting on their perches saying, "It wasn't us! We're innocent! We don't know anything about this. Really."

Jubilee was sitting on a cardboard box near my computer, smirking.

Now, in normal times, I would throw a towel over her, pick her up, and dump her back into the cage with a stern lecture about unscheduled forays outside the cage. But on crutches I can't even get a towel, let alone carry her, let alone approach quietly and smoothly enough to get close enough to cover her.

Or alternately, I would play it cool, let her enjoy her freedom, and expect her to go back to her cage when ready. This process sometimes takes a couple of days. With me on crutches... I was afraid something would happen to her when I was out, or even when I wasn't, and there'd be nothing I could do. Budgies do sometimes get stuck in odd places. They get curious. They explore.

Jubilee was smirking as only a budgie can smirk.

So I let her play. She flew to the witch-ball at my window and climbed up the chain. She visited my curtain-rod, and went back to the chain, where she sat and contemplated the world outside the window, and did a little display of cuteness and budgie acrobatics.

I went to masseru's place to watch Doctor Who.

When I came back, I couldn't see Jubilee, but I'm not mobile enough to look behind curtains or under furniture or in the places budgies like to hide. I panicked. I phoned masseru, who came to the rescue with Catherine, who found Jubilee perched on one of my lamps. Looking rather pleased with herself, too.

There followed a brief chase to the floor behind the television, the floor behind my Lord of the Rings picture-screen, to the curtain-rod by the ceiling, to the kitchen doors, and, finally, to the Ikea crocodile, Kermit.

There's something rather suitable about a small bird perched on a crocodile.¹

Catherine then did the towel trick, and Jubilee was deposited in the cage, with much to tell Peter and Logan. She was both indignant and jubilant.

Little devil.

I now have two bull-clip locks on the cage door.

~ ~ ~

¹ Actually Kermit looks more like this, only with red antlers that light up. He is an unusual crocodile.

Comments

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

What a great story!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it. I fear that often pet stories are amusing mostly to the owners of the pets in question, but it's a great pleasure to tell them.

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

I would have given anything to be there for the chase! :-D The rascal!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I would have given anything to be there for the chase!

I wish you had been - you could have helped, and I wouldn't have had to bother maaseru and Catherine. I'm sure they wanted to go to bed in peace, not run around chasing budgies.

A few minutes ago I turned around to look at the cage, and there was Jubilee, pushing against the cage door with both feet, to see if she could open it again.

Yeah - the rascal!

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

And she's dreaming sweet budgie dreams tonight, after the Best Day Ever. :-D

[lilithlotr.livejournal.com]

**snerk**

I have no patience for animals lording it over me when I'm incapacitated. I'd probably have smacked her little bottom. Oh, wait, that doesn't work with a bird, does it?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yeah, smacking her bottom has very little efffect. Too many feathers. Padding.

It's hard to discipline a budgie. As far as I can tell, they're impossible to intimidate: they think they are the kings of the universe.

[liliaeth]

silly little bird :-)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Silly and adventurous. Opportunisitic, too.

[elebridith]

Budgies can smirk...? On second thought, why not? *g* What a lovely story - made me grin big time!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Budgies can smirk...?

I don't know if all budgies can smirk, but mine can. And they do. They smirk almost as well as Time Lords do.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Budgies definitely can smirk. Magnus was good at it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Once you become a budgie's personal friend, you can see it. They are incredibly expressive creatures.

[gillo]

I rather think I love your apartment!

Poor Jubilee, her moment of glory cut short.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm rather fond of my apartment, myself.

I caught Jubilee eying the cage door thoughtfully today, but and attempt to get out was foiled by the clips on the door.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

We had a budgie when I was a kid who got into the most terrible messes. Boopie (whose original name was Yue, as in "hey, Yue!" which my sister wanted to teach him to say but never did) fell behind the dryer once and didn't have enough room to get airborne again, and he landed in a hot pizza once and burned his feet (both of these were unauthorized escapes, btw).

But his biggest accomplishment was learning to wolf whistle. Very, very loudly. Which he would do first thing in the morning as variously sleep-scruffy people appeared in his line of sight...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

"hey, Yue!" which my sister wanted to teach him to say but never did

I like that.

he landed in a hot pizza once and burned his feet

Oooh, ouch!

his biggest accomplishment was learning to wolf whistle

Clever bird.

Which he would do first thing in the morning as variously sleep-scruffy people appeared in his line of sight...

I can just imagine! That's delightful.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Poor guy burned off his toenails.

And, yes, he was a very clever bird, but no, it was not delightful to stagger into the family room at the crack of dawn to be greeted by an ear-splitting wolf whistle [wry g].

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

All budgies are good at being loud. Only too good! It seems to be genetic.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Okay, um, when I was at the Pets-Mart on Friday, I was spending time gazing at the finches (whom I adore) and other feathered ones, and one of the budgies was doing an amazing job of working at shrinking herself enough to get between two of the bars. I was rooting for her. Then I left the store and went home.

Y'know, I'd say your feathered guys have been uncommonly good for a rather unexpectedly long time, and... um, this was somewhat inevitable! So, just be glad it finally happened! hee

(And it did make your evening more interesting, no? snirk)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

one of the budgies was doing an amazing job of working at shrinking herself enough to get between two of the bars.

It's amazing how tiny a space they can get into, through, and out of. They are miniature miracle-workers.

I'd say your feathered guys have been uncommonly good for a rather unexpectedly long time, and... um, this was somewhat inevitable!

Hmm. Good point.

it did make your evening more interesting, no?

Definitely added a little excitement to the day.

[sparklebutch.livejournal.com]

Jubilee was smirking as only a budgie can smirk.

This is a great line, and a great story. You should write RL!stories for money.

...Or else just find a way to use that line in fic ;)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You should write RL!stories for money.

I bask in your words, but... who'd buy 'em?

...Or else just find a way to use that line in fic

And maybe I will.

[sparklebutch.livejournal.com]

who'd buy 'em?

More people will buy stories about a lady with budgies than about space aliens having gay sex.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

More people will buy stories about a lady with budgies than about space aliens having gay sex.

What a pity.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad all parties are safe and sound, but… The cheeky little madam!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

She's totally unrepentant, too. I see her eyeing that door speculatively. She's plotting.