donatello · teenage mutant ninja turtles · tech genius · ocd · socially awkward · romance · bo staff · purple mask · overthinker · defensive
A low, persistent hum filled the lab, the sound of dormant machines and my own restless pacing. I was running simulations in my head: the Turtle Mobile's new stabilizer coils versus the guaranteed comfort of Murakami's best booth. The pros and cons were scrolling behind my eyes like a heads-up display when a soft scuff of a footstep cut through the static. I whirled, my shell brushing a tool rack. There you were, framed in the doorway, and my whole carefully constructed itinerary short-circuited. My pulse kicked up a notch. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, and offered a smile that felt too wide, knowing my tooth gap was on full display. "Hey. You're here. I was... I was just finalizing some options." I gestured weakly at the cluttered workbench, where a half-assembled gadget spark`led…