Tawna: Creature Keeper
When it came to her life with Crash, Tawna had made peace with certain aspects of it. Like the fact that the three of them were the products of a mad science experiment, to the strange grumpy boar that seemed to wander around the perimeter of the Bandicoot's house. Strange to be sure, but Tawna was quite happy with the little life she'd carved out with her boyfriend, his genius little sister, and their magical mask guardian/father-figure.
Still… she kind of wished Crash wasn't such a magnet to danger, if only to give her worrying heart a break. She knew Crash and Coco were both quite capable. They could definitely take on whatever got thrown at them. (usually by a mad scientist.) Didn't stop the worry though.
Tawna felt the couch shift to her right. From her curled up position, she watched as the polar bear cub clambered up beside her.
"You know you're not allowed on the couch," she mumbled.
Said bear just barked at her and proceeded to lay down, setting his head on her leg.
Tawna sighed and set aside her mug.
"You are aware you're a polar bear, right?" she asked as she ran a hand through his fur. "You're not a dog, Polar."
Polar just let out a huff and closed his eyes.
"At some point, you're no longer gonna fit in the house."
No response.
"A polar bear that acts like a dog. Where did Crash even find you?"
She smiled fondly.
"Crash spoils you too much," she said.
Polar let out another bark that reminded Tawna of a laugh. They both knew that of the Bandicoots, Tawna spoiled the lump of fluff more than any of them. Scraps from the table, letting him on the couch and the bed, cooing at him when she thought no one was looking, she loved the dog-like bear.
"Oh, hush," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I didn't even want you. Most guys get their girlfriends a kitten or a puppy, mine brings me a bear cub."
If she was being honest it did not take much for Crash to convince her to let him keep the cub. One look into her boyfriend's pleading eyes was all it took to cave. Of course, keeping a polar bear was not without difficulty. Dietary issues could be adjusted and accounted for. Climate issues, however, were a bit harder to work around. The tropical islands were not quite so kind to polar bears. Luckly, Coco was able to rig up a cold room for him. (mostly a walk-in-freezer with a dog door.)
The little family adjusted to having a pet. Crash and Tawna worked together to train him. There was a small hiccup early on when Coco got jealous that Polar was closer to them than her. Tawna had had a hard time holding in giggles, as the siblings argued over whose room the cub would sleep in. For all of Coco's intelligence, she was still a 12 year old girl jealous of her brother's pet. Thankfully, Tawna was mostly able to smooth that over by saying that if Coco helped take care of Polar and proved she could have a pet, they would consider getting her a kitten or something.
A weird sound interrupted her train of thought. Polar rushed to the door, barking up a storm. The two rushed out to the front yard. A large orb with a strange metallic sheen floated just outside the gate.
"What?" Tawna hummed.
The orb wobbled in the air before a familiar figure jumped out of it: Coco riding a bengal tiger cub.
"Coco!"
"Hi Tawna!" she greeted as the tiger slid to a stop. "We're back."
"I can see that. Where's Crash? You guys okay?"
Coco waved her off.
"We're fine. Crash is just getting the rest of our stuff," she said sliding off the tiger. "Cortex got a hold of a time machine this time."
"That sounds… not good."
"It wasn't. And it turns out Cortex was actually working for an evil mask! And, get this he's Aku-Aku's evil twin!"
"Aku-Aku has a brother!"
Coco nodded excitedly. She opened her mouth to say more but at that point the portal warbled again. Aku-Aku soon emerged followed by a ramp.
"Careful, careful," he said staring into the portal. "Slowly, don't gun it. I said don't!"
Despite the mask's guidance, Crash Bandicoot quickly emerged riding a motorcycle pulling a cart. Tawna, Coco, and the two animals dove for cover.
"Tadah!" he said throwing up his arms.
"Crash!" Coco yelled. "If you scratched my new jet ski with that little stunt…"
As the two siblings started to argue, Tawna took in the sight of her boyfriend.
'He… looks surprisingly good in that jacket,' she thought. A vision of her and Crash riding down the open roads made her regret the lack of said roads on the Wumpa Islands.
"Children please," Aku-Aku called over the bickering, not that it stopped it. He just gave the mask equivalent of a head shake and turned to Tawna.
"Good evening, Tawna," he greeted.
She smiled.
"Hey, Aku-Aku. I see you guys had an adventure."
He sighed. "Yes. I apologize for us leaving so abruptly. It was of utmost urgency that we stop Cortex and my brother."
"Yeah, Coco mentioned something about that."
He nodded.
"Yes, long ago I sea-"
She held up a hand.
"Tell me about that later." She waved out towards the cart Crash had brought along. "First things first, what's with all this stuff?"
"Ah, yes. The spoils of our victory I suppose. All of it was used to help us collect the time crystals."
"Crash needed a motorcycle?"
"He had to enter a race."
"Okay what's the rest of it?"
"Well, Coco got a jet ski."
"She did mention that."
"Crash got some scuba gear."
She raised a brow.
"He can swim now?"
"Er, well, of a sort. Really only if he's in scuba gear."
"Odd."
"Yes. He also obtained a mini submersible. Both obtained bi-planes, and Coco got a spaceship she used to defeat N. Gin."
"Bet that was cathartic for her. And the tiger?"
Said tiger seemed to be playing with Polar.
"Oh, that's Pura. Coco picked him up around the construction of the great wall of China."
She supposed that a year ago that sentence would have thrown her for a loop but now she just rolled with it.
"Those two are not very creative with names, are they?" she asked with a giggle.
"Not particularly."
"Well, at least it's not Crash bringing home strange animals this time."
"Er, well…"
It was at this point Crash seemed to remember something and turned away from his argument (which wasn't so much an argument anymore and more just the two making faces at each other) he let out a whistle.
A mass of green barreled out of the portal and straight into Crash.
Tawna's jaw dropped.
'You… you have got to be kidding me.'
"That's… That is a dinosaur!"
Aku-Aku coughed. "Y-yes."
"You let Crash bring a dinosaur home?"
"Well, I did tell him it was a bad idea…"
"Where did he even get a dinosaur!?"
"Tawna!" Coco called. "Come meet Baby T."
'Baby T?' she questioned. 'Okay one: you two are really bad at names. Two: YOU BROUGHT A T REX HOME?!'
Said T rex was nuzzling into Crash's side.
"Aww," Coco cooed. "Who's the cutest king of the dinos? Is it you? I bet it's you."
Tawna took a deep breath.
"Okay, okay," she said, rubbing her temples. "First, where did you get a dinosaur?"
"Jurassic period," Coco stated matter-of-factly. " See we were running from a triceratops and then Crash got picked up by a pterodactyl and it dropped him in a t-rex nest."
Crash nodded along as he scratched Baby T under his chin.
"And Baby T's egg hatched before he could get out and now Crash is a dino dad."
Tawna shook her head.
'First a polar bear, now a dinosaur? what next?'
"Okay, Crash, hun, can you come here?"
Her boyfriend dismounted the bike and walked over, Baby T close behind. Seeing an opportunity Polar left his wrestling with Pura and walked over to Crash. Crash took a moment to pet him.
"Crash," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Now I know that you see this as your responsibility and I love your compassion. And I know that everything worked out with Polar but…" She sighed as Crash's joy deflated. "Look, I just don't' think that keeping a t-rex is a good idea."
Crash tried to argue his case, pointing at Baby T who was crouched low to the ground sniffing Polar. Said tiny cub tried to head-but the large lizard.(an act which could vary from a sign of affection or annoyance depending on the day.)
Tawna stood up to her full height and crossed her arms.
"I'm putting my foot down, Crash. You can not keep a t-rex."
Crash slumped. His eyes teared up and he led Baby T back to the portal.
'Oh no,' she thought as Crash sobbed and pushed Baby T away. 'It's like that dog movie all over again.'
Said movie was one the couple had watched 2 weeks ago and the tearful scene of the boy trying to get rid of his dog had left Tawna crying into Polar's fur and unable to let him go.
'Stand your ground, Tawna. Stand. Your. Grou-'
"Oh, fine!" she cried. She let loose a sigh and turned away. "He can… he can stay."
"Yahooo!" Crash cried. He quickly jumped on Baby T's back and rode off, a barely decipherable 'I love you' thrown over his shoulder.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Why do I feel like I just got played," she mumbled.
It was at this point that Coco lost it, burying her face in Pura's fur.
"Coco," Tawna warned.
"I'm sorry," she said through giggles. "Crash and Baby T were practicing that bit for an hour. I didn't think it would work."
'Someone is sleeping on the couch tonight.'
"Come on, Pura," she said once she stopped laughing. "You get to sleep in my room."
"Ah, Coco, sweetie."
"Yeah, Tawna?"
"That is a tiger."
Coco glanced at said tiger before shrugging.
"Yeah."
Tawna pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Coco, you can not keep a tiger as a pet."
"But- but," she sputtered. "That's not fair! Crash said I could keep him."
"Sweetie, your brother is not the best judge on these things. He thinks that t-rex's and polar bears make good pets." Tawna glanced to Polar who had settled at her side. "No offense, Polar."
"Arf."
"Please, Tawna," Coco begged. "You promised that if I helped take care of Polar I could get a pet."
'Oh my god. This is really coming back to bite me.'
"We said you could get a kitten."
Coco merely gestured dramatically to Pura.
"Coco! That is a tiger!"
"It still counts!" she cried. "He's just a big ol lovable kitten, yes he is."
She soon descended into baby talk, nuzzling the purring tiger.
"Coco-"
With her arms still around the tiger's neck, Coco turned to her and brought out the big guns: the baby eyes/ pouty lip combo.
'Nooooo,' she internally groaned. 'Why are these two so good at the guilt trip!?'
"Coco, I really think-"
If it were just the 12 year old Tawna might have stood a chance, but apparently Pura was just as adept as Coco with this technique.
"Uhhhhggggg! Fine, fine!" she groaned. "He can stay."
Coco's arms suddenly wrapped around her middle.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" she cried. "I love you, Tawna. I promise, I'll take care of everything."
"Yeah, yeah," she sighed. "Love you too, sweetie. But if he eats us in the middle of the night, you're grounded till you're eighty."
"Pura won't do that. He's a good kitty."
As if to accentuate her point, Pura rubbed against Tawna's leg.
Coco stepped away and started towards the house.
"I'll go get my room set up."
"Wait, Coco," Aku-Aku said with a chuckle. "We need to put all of this away."
"Oh, you're right!" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Crash! Get back here! We need to put this stuff in the garage!"
"We don't have a garage, sweetie."
Coco paused and tilted her head for a moment.
"Crash! Get back here! We need to build a garage!"
Tawna shook her head fondly as Coco and Pura ran towards the house.
"Never a dull moment in this family, huh?"
"I suppose not," Aku-Aku agreed with a chuckle. "But would you want it any other way, my dear?"
She smiled. "Not a chance."