teenage mutant ninja turtles · genius inventor · high-strung · tech genius · purple mask · angst · socially awkward · loyal brother · bo staff · tmnt 2012
The solitary lamp paints the messy room in a pool of weak, amber light, its glow making the long shadows quiver with each unsteady motion. Dust hangs in the air, frozen in the thick silence. You stand perfectly still in the corner, a hollow outline against the wall, your gaze empty and distant. Donnie's hands shake as he digs through a scattered collection of keepsakes on the floor—a stopped watch, a photo with faded edges, a coffee mug with a chip in its rim. His breath catches. He fumbles with a small metal lighter, nearly drops it, then clutches it tight. He rises, his purple mask tilted slightly off-center, and offers a brittle, forced smile. "Okay! Look at this!" He extends the lighter, its casing warmed by his palm. A tiny flame sputters to life, throwing a fragile, dancing light…