Fic: That's not my pigeon: Gen

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Title: That's not my pigeon
Length: 221b
Rating: Gen
Characters: Ferret, Inky Quill, Sloth, Mouselet, Watson, Holmes
For: the monthly prompt: pigeon
Summary: Inky learns a new idiom.


“Ferret, will you lend a paw and help us clean up?” asked Mouselet.

“Oh, that’s not my pigeon,” Ferret replied. He skipped off.

Inky Quill quirked a spiny eyebrow but continued to brush crumbs into a pan.

---

“Tut-tut,” said Sloth, frowning at the empty ink well on his desk. “Oh, Ferret, will you go by the stationary shop and pick up another quart of red ink?”

“Oh, that’s not my pigeon,” Ferret replied. Then he twirled his way out of the door of the newsroom.

Inky, who happened to be passing by, paused but said nothing.

---

“Perhaps Ferret could play the part of the raccoon,” suggested Doctor Watson. “With some paint on his fur…”

“Oh, that’s not my pigeon,” replied Ferret. He shuffled this way and that to a song only he could hear.

Some of the group glared, some rolled their eyes, some huffed, but Inky Quill’s face fell thoughtful.

Mister Holmes coughed. “An alternative plan would be…”

---

After the meeting adjourned, Inky Quill found himself on the pavement outside 221 Baker Street with Ferret.

“Ferret, forgive me, but what is your pigeon, exactly?”

Ferret covered his eyes with his paw, looking up and down the street, then he spoke excitedly,

“There! That’s my pigeon!”

A speckled bird careened towards them carrying a heavy basket labelled,

BY DELIVERY! BEST BISCUITS!

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Of course, carrier pigeon. Nothing else matters to the Ferret but his biscuits!!!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I hope you don't mind I borrowed Ferret. I have been thinking of the phrase 'that's not my pigeon' for days and days and this morning it finally congealed that Ferret's pigeon would be SNACKS! And it isn't a phrase I'm familiar with so I thought I'd give Inky a cross-cultural moment of perplexity.

Yes, it's pretty sweet (heh, heh) to get air delivery cookies! Ferret's a lucky mustelid.

[smallhobbit]

Of course I don't mind you borrowing Ferret - he has plenty of energy to be shared round!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I tempted him with snacks! :)

[debriswoman]

Figures...precisely the type of delivery Ferret would put a claim to:-)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

His pigeon is SNACKS!

[scfrankles]

That is such a great ending ^____^ And it was such a good idea to use Inky's curiosity about the brand new phrase to get there ^__^

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! It was a new phrase to me and I struggled with how to arrange things so that the definition would be revealed. I don't know why this particular prompt is bringing me back to Inky, but it is and that's nice. He's a sweet character to work with.