In the living room, Sarina sits next to Michelangelo, who lays on his stomach with his head propped up on his hands. Crognard the Barbarian plays on TV, enrapturing the turtle while confusing the cyborg.
"I'm not sure I understand this show. How can he bend spikes with his pectoral muscles? That is impossible," Sarina says.
Michelangelo laughs, kicking his feet at the air lazily. "He's Crognard! You can't just kill him, he's, like, invincible."
Her eyes flash and her lips lift a little. "Oh, I see, cartoons do not need to be realistic. How fun."
They watch for a little while longer before Michelangelo starts to fidget. He rolls onto his shell before hoisting himself into sitting position. He crosses his legs and grabs hold of his feet, starting to bob around like a buoy as he stares at Sarina.
She glances away from the TV and arches an eyebrow. "Michelangelo? Are you alright?"
"Just wanted to say thanks for hanging out with me," he says, a light musical tone to his voice. He grins. "I thought you'd be with Donnie again..." he adds, fluttering his eyelids at her.
She blinks a few times. While his words aren't threatening, she doesn't like the way they seem to poke and prod at her. She shakes her head. "No, he is busy finishing up a t-phone for me. He wanted some alone time."
"That's Donnie for you," he agrees with another laugh. Sarina nods thoughtfully and waits for him to keep watching his cartoons, but he's still looking at her. "So...uh, another thing, you haven't laughed yet," he states.
"No, I haven't," she confirms.
"But you know happiness?"
"I suppose. Sometimes, my mouth lifts when something happens and I feel very light. I've been told that that is happiness." Her eyes widen, then flash as she gasps and scoots closer to the turtle. "Michelangelo, you laugh more than anyone in this lair! You can teach me!"
His face slackens with shock. "Me? You think I could?"
"Who else is more qualified?"
He hums, then points at her. "You have a point." He leaps to his feet. "I've got an idea already. Follow me!"
He leads her to the dojo, where he immediately heads for the weapons rack. He stares at the options for a few moments before he reaches up and grabs a bō staff. He turns to face the expectant cyborg lingering by the tree.
"We're going to play a little game of charades," he says. "I always laugh at this game, so you should catch on quickly."
"Charades?" she echoes. "So...judging by the root of the word, you are going to fake something."
"Exactly! Now, guess who I am." He spins the bō rather clumsily. He smacks it down, holding it like a walking stick as he places his front teeth over his bottom lip. "Well, Mikey, if I'm going to be the smartest turtle ever, I need you to leave the lab and give me thinking space," he says in a very stereotypical nerd voice. "Carbohydrates! Sodium!" he declares.
Sarina's eyes light up. "Oh! You are Donatello!"
"Yeah!" Michelangelo praises. "Your turn!"
She frowns and fidgets in place. She tries to loosen her posture, crossing her arms over her chest as she dons a bored expression. "Um...I just love Shakespeare," she says. "And...I think I love Leonardo. I miss Diaval."
He laughs and leans onto the bō in his hand. "Dude, are you trying to be Destiny?"
"Was it incorrect?" she asks.
"Girl, there is no wrong way to play charades," he replies. "But...if it was me, I'd do this." He abandons the bō staff and snatches up a spare uchigatana. "If any of you hosers touch my precious turtles, you're going to taste my blade!" he growls. He swings the blade, then darts his eyes around as he sniffs the air. "Act now, plan on the way! MOVE!"
"Ooo, that is much better than my attempt," she says. Her lips part in a toothy smile and she starts clapping lightly. "Go again, I am feeling the happiness!"
He nods and races back to the weapons. He places the uchigatana and bō staff back where they belong, then steps back to ponder his options. His hand pans over the rack, hovering and dipping and pulling back before finally snatching up a pair of sais. He contorts his face into a menacing sneer.
"Grr! I'm super grumpy and angry! Roar! Growling sounds! GRRR! Mikey, don't read my comics!" he pouts, jabbing the sais at the air.
"Raphael!" Sarina guesses joyfully, her heart lightening more by the second.
"Okay, one more. I just know you'll laugh at this one." Michelangelo grins. He ditches the sais in exchange for katanas, then jabs the swords outwards. When he speaks, he deepens his voice, "Guys, we have to be quiet. Ninjas are quiet. Destiny, you look really cute right now when you're just standing there existing. Guys! Quiet down."
Sarina bursts out laughing, the sound ringing in the air. Michelangelo stares at her in shock as she stops, her wide eyes flashing brightly as her hand flies to her mouth.
"I...I laughed..." she murmurs. "That was a laugh," she says, her expression taking on an air of worry. "Right?"
"It was, dudette," he says. He tosses the katanas aside and rests one hand on his belt. "Mission accomplished."
She strides towards him, a spring in her step. "Michelangelo, I cannot thank you enough."
"Aw, no need to do that. Your happiness is my reward," he says with a dramatic bow.
She engulfs him in a tight hug, burying her face against his shoulder and happy, trickling giggles fall from her lips like rain. She says nothing, her eyes closed and her face frozen with joy. Michelangelo's arms surround her and tighten, his own smile getting softer.
"Thank you..."
He takes a deep breath. "You're welcome, Sari."
YOU ARE READING
Emotionless Mutation (Book Three)
Fanfiction"However, you say I am human in a sense, that my body is simply fused with the robot that I have been raised to believe I am. Could you teach me...emotion?" The Kraang tried to take over the city of New York twice, and only once did they succeed. Th...
