Cowa-booyakasha! | TMNT Oneshots

Choices, Choices (TMNT 2012)

"Mikey, have you ever struggled to... make a choice?  Like, what if you're choosing between two options, and there's benefits and downsides to both?"

The turtle glanced up from the huge bowl.  What he was making April could only guess at, though at least from the smell it seemed to be entirely edible.  Most likely.

"Aaaaahh.  Yep.  Totally been there."  He turned his full attention back to the bowl, only to set it aside and turn towards her instead.  "Like, take pizza for example.  Pizza's always a good example."

She barely stifled a laugh, and Mikey grinned.  

"Alright, what about the pizza?"

"Okay.  So maybe there's this type of pizza you think sounds delicious.  It's mouthwateringly perfect, and absolutely covered in—"

"Please don't list a bunch of strange things that don't belong on pizza, I'd like to at least still enjoy the concept of pizza."

He rolled his eyes dramatically.  "Fiiine.  But only because I care about you, April.  Despite your lack of adventurous tastebuds.  So pizza toppings..."

"Go on."

"Well, what do you like on a pizza?"

April sighed, closing her eyes.  "Well... pepperoni is good with most things.  And I also like bell peppers, chives, olives... extra cheese..."

"Mhmmmm."  Mikey nodded solemnly.  "Good enough, I can work with that.  Now, how about crust: d'you like it thin, thick, crispy, sorta doughy?"

"Um.  In between, I guess.  I'm not a fan of pizza being crunchy, though, so a little on the softer, thicker side."

"Ah.  Now let's get back to those toppings you mentioned.  So there's this pizza: has all the things you just listed. Great, right? The problem is, you see on the menu that it can only be ordered on a specific type of crust, like thin crust."  He turned back to attend the forgotten mixing bowl.  "Too crunchy n' crackly, maybe not enough there to balance out the glorious flavors.  Now you have another choice: maybe there's a pizza with the softest, chewiest crust imaginable.  But while it's got some pepperoni and olives, maybe it also has mushrooms and anchovies."

From over the huge bowl, he fixed her in an unusually solemn stare.  

"You may not like the thought of it, or the way it looks—"

"Smells, more like," she muttered.

"—and you may have gotten a taste of it before.  Maybe you feel the benefits outweigh unfamiliarity.  You're unsure.  But the same is true of that other pizza: even if it only has one or two flaws, that can ruin the whole pizza for you.  Am I right?"

"U-uh, yeah.  Sure!"

He nodded his head confidently.  "I figured as much.  So you're hungry, you want pizza, but you can't choose between those two pizzas.  And you can't ask to change part of the recipe—" 

He flourished the spoon dramatically, throwing goop across the counter.

"—without changing the essence of what that pizza is.  That's what makes it a difficult choice, since neither option is really what you'd want.  Neither would be your perfect pizza that's just right for you."

April soaked in the speech in silence, watching Mikey alternate between mixing now a few different bowls and making remarks to Ice-cream Kitty.  

"Wait."

The turtle hummed in response, standing at attention though turned away.

"What's to say I even need to choose one of those two specific pizzas?  Maybe I'll order something different, or try something new.  Or maybe I could just look somewhere else entirely for my pizza."

"Ding ding ding!" he cheered, narrowly missing both April and Ice-cream Kitty with the spoon.  "And there you have it!  I told you to stop worrying so much, y'know.  Don't overthink things and limit yourself so much, April.  And when in doubt..."

He tossed the recipe book to her, and she glanced at the page that had been pinned open.

"Look to pizza.  Also me for my awesome advice."

She smiled warmly at him.  "Thanks, Mikey.  You always have a way of helping out and cheering me up at the same time."

He leaned into her arms for a quick hug.  As soon as she exited the kitchen, he turned to Ice-cream Kitty, barely holding back the grin spread across his entire face.

"Now, what do you say we cheer her up even further by making her some of that perfect pizza she was talking about?"