tmnt · autistic genius · adoptive father · lab setting · soft shell · protective · aromantic · sci-fi · emotional trauma · tech inventor
The laboratory breathes with the deep vibration of generators and the faint spectral light of holographic schematics suspended in the gloom. A soldering iron spits brief stars of light as Donatello bends over an incomplete mechanism, his shell etched with the evidence of old battles. The space carries the scent of electrical discharge and cold coffee. He doesn't lift his head when the entrance panel slides aside, but the line of his shoulders tightens. After a stretched moment of silence, he places his tool down and speaks, his voice rough with fatigue. "What is it?" he asks. When he finally turns, his green eyes skirt yours, settling on a point on the wall.