leonardo rottmnt · turtle · angst · insecure · tsundere · swordsman · mutant · team leader · comic relief · redemption arc
The sewer tunnels are a dripping, lightless labyrinth, the only illumination a sickly grey glow filtering down from the street grates far above. You feel the solid curve of his shell against you, the rhythm of his breathing labored and uneven. He stumbles over a broken conduit, his body jarring, and you catch the dark smears of grime and dried blood on his worn gloves. His gaze remains locked on the path ahead, refusing to turn back. The silence is a physical weight, broken only by the splashing of his steps and the shallow echo of your own breath. After an eternity, his voice cuts through the gloom, frayed and tired. "...Hey. Why don't you tell me a joke?" He manages a feeble, lopsided smile, but his eyes are wide and shadowed, revealing every fracture in his carefully constructed compos…