When Raph discover's there's a family of blue jays living in the Red oak tree outside the farmhouse he's determined to build them a bird feeder so he can watch them but after realising he's a mutant turtle and can't just enter a grocery store on his own he employs his human friend Eden to help him get what he need's.
It occurred to Raph one day while out gathering sticks for the fire that there was a family of blue jays currently living in the giant red oak tree to the right of the farmhouse. It brought him a sliver of joy. He had always been fond of birds, even as a child. He admired their wings and the vast array of colours they could be. As a teen he would swipe bird watching magazines from news stands while on patrol and gaze in awe at the pictures of bald eagles and barn owls, wishing he could grow wings, fly and like them be truly free.
His mind was made up right then and there. He was going to construct a bird feeder for the birds.
The very next day Raphael strode into the barn like a man on a mission and began pulling out the materials needed much to Donnie's frustration at the disregard for organisation and tidiness and Casey's confused amusement. They tried to ask the turtle what he was up to but he was far too laser focused on the task at hand and just grumbled out a response, so they left him to it. Leaving the barn the two exchanged theories and discussed amongst themselves trying to figure out what the hotheaded terrapin could be up to for he looked incredibly determined. Much like Mikey trying [and failing] to beat Leo's high score on the pinball machine.
Raph worked for hours upon hours continuously for like his brothers, Leo and Donnie he too was a bit of a perfectionist but he'd never admit that. Least of all to his blue mask wearing eldest brother. It'd inflate his ego. Gotta keep him humble. He found himself smiling at the thought of his eldest brother but quickly shook it off and continued working.
Finally, as the sun began to set and the cricket's began to sing he'd completed it. But there was one problem, he didn't have anything to put in it. Raph took a seat on the stool Donnie left out there and mulled over the conundrum for a while before reaching the conclusion that he would have to ask one of his three human friends for help. The very thought of asking for assistance made him cringe internally and his non-existent hairs stand on end.
Stewing over it some more and finding no other solutions he reluctantly plucked himself up from the stool and went in search of his human companions.
As he walked he ran through the options in his head. Casey was a no-go. Although the hockey fanatic was Raph's best friend and closest confidant after Spike left he couldn't help shake the feeling that Casey would make fun of him for this hobby.
April was next and while the girl certainly wouldn't make fun of him she could go a tad overboard assuring the turtle that there wasn't anything to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Raph knew that. Of course he did but he didn't want anyone to know. This was for him and wanted to keep it private.
So he called upon the last person on his list. Eden. The two at this stage weren't particularly close, though they did share some common interests like wrestling and art.
Raph found Eden in her usual spot. The porch swing, wrapped in a blanket, head buried in a book and a mug of steaming tea on the side table. The creaky planks of the decrepit porch gave his presence away in an instant as the girl tore her eyes away from the pages of the book to look at him. A smile spread across her face and she patted the area beside her on the swing prompting Raph to sit.
Neither said anything for a moment until Raph sighed and explained his situation in a low tone, never meeting the girl's eyes. It didn't bother her, for she also had problems looking people in the eye sometimes.
She sat with him and listened patiently. He had built a bird feeder and needed bird seed. Eden nodded and assured the turtle that on the next trip to the local grocery store she would see to it personally that the best bird seed money could buy [that they could realistically afford] was in the cart. In response he gave her a stiff nod, a thanks and threatened her [made her promise] not to tell ANYONE who the bird seed was really for. The girl turned in her seat and looked at him seriously, brows furrowed. Raph was taken aback by the girl's sudden mood change and his shoulders tensed slightly but then her bright smile returned and she held out her pinky to him. He let himself relax, roll his eyes and chuckle at the goofiness before intertwining his larger green 'pinky' with hers.
Raph wouldn't receive his packet of bird seed until many days later prompted by Mikey's restless insistence that they must go to the grocery store IMMEDIATELY for he had eaten the last pizza pocket for lunch and deemed he wouldn't survive another day if he didn't have them. A little dramatic for Raph's taste but it was convincing enough for Eden to begin a shopping list right then and prompt everyone to add anything they could possibly need including supplies for Leo, who at this time was still recovering in the bathtub upstairs.
After the shopping list was completed the trio left the farm house and were forward bound toward the closest grocery store. They returned a couple of hours later, were successful and a bit tired.
While April, Casey and Donnie lugged the heavy shopping bags into the kitchen to put the food away Eden snuck off with the bird seed tucked safely in her jacket, out the front door and onto the porch. She placed the packet of bird seed on the swing leaning it comfortably against a cushion. She gave it a pat and returned inside to help the trio in the kitchen for Casey and Donnie had begun arguing whether cookies went in the fridge or should be kept in the cupboard and poor April was at her wits end. During the chaos Raph was able to slip out unnoticed and found the bird seed. He lifted it, smiled a little and filled the bird feeder.
By the time Leo was mobile plenty of birds were eating from the feeder which made Raph ecstatic. When he and Mikey weren't helping Leo with his rehabilitation and physio he would help his brother onto the swing and they'd sit there for awhile in silence just staring at the birds. Unbeknownst to Raph these were some of Leo's most treasured memories from their time at the farm house. Writing in his journal that he'd never felt so close to Raphael in their seventeen years of life before those moments.
