Raphael Hamato.

Name:

Raphael Hamato.

Nick Names:

'Nightwatcher', Red, Hot-Head, sometimes called Psycho, Raphie, and his preferred title Raph.

Age:

18 years old from date of mutation Splinter says is June 30th 1995.

Gender.

Male.

Species:

Mutated Red Ear Slider Turtle.

Occupation:

Vigilante, Ninjitsu Student.

Place of Residence:

The Lair.

Nationality:

American breed, hatched, mutated and raised.

Spoken Languages:

English, in a rough brooklyn accentuated voice. Japanese.

Eyes:

A bright amber gold.

Height:

5 foot 9 inches

General Appearance:

The first thing anyone whom glimspes this beast of a turtle - or is unfornate enough to face him in battle will recognise at once the red bandana and usual smirk.

And though he is at equal stance in height with Michelangelo, their 'baby' days normal turtle markings faded during mutation, though like all turtles he sports a hefty brownish green shell (carapace) and mustard yellow chest plates, (plastron) and a tail, the red ear markings are covered by his bandana. A bit of Hamato Yoshi's DNA that mixed with the mutagen that caused the mutation gave them an upright posture as wellas two fingers and a 'thumb' on each hand as well as two distinct twos and teeth. Raph's are uneven and somewhat stained thanks to dental care not being a high priority for the turtles until Donatello grew old enough and he often is found grinding a tooth pick, a habit encouraged by Donnie as it prevents him grinding his teeth instead.

Some features of his repilian beginnings have scaled down, his dark 'bottle green' skin like his brothers is microscaled so it feels softer and smoother than wild turtle skin but is still pebblish to touch, as well as stronger and thicker than human skin. Unlike his wild non mutate cousins, he can thermo regulate, however extreme cold weather will slow him down, if he cannot get to warmth he will go into a hybernative state that could last up to a week if no warmth is found. Raphael is usually adorned in his ninja gear; knee and elbow pads. His palms and wrists are wrapped in dirty off-white twine, his ankles and heels in thicker brown leather material as protection for sewer travelling.

Character traits:

Raphael, named after the Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, is rough and rude and brazen, blunty honest and a scowl is usually his default expression, though he can be caught smiling once in a while, especially when working on engines. They have a way of soothing his anger and mind when beating his punching bag or pumping iron just wont. And if he is not in the dojo doing the first two he'll be in the garage toiling away.

He is always ready for a battle, with attitude and never ending sarcasm and hot tempered also has a difficult time controlling himself. He is the Turtle's team 'rebel' and 'berserker' and though equal beta positioning with Donatello, does not always accept it and sometimes feels he would do better as leader - this often leads to rivalry between him and Leonardo his 'older' brother in blue. Raph is rather pessimistic, stand offish and a recluse, often needing his personal space - with threats of bodily harm to those (MIKEY!) that fail to give him that respect. And whilst this makes him seem like a brutish oger, the red-clad turtle does feel, and deeply, a love and loyalty to his brothers and their father, their human friends Casey Jones and April O'Neil, there is nothing he would not sacrifice for them, even his life if needed.

He struggles to accept the always secluded, lonely lifestyle he and his brothers are forced to lead, often finding themselves reviled by people they just risked life and limb to save.

The screams, the cries of fear and freak and sometimes a whack of a purse or two maybe nothing to some but hearing it often wears down at even a tough turtle, leaving deep ego bruising.

Likes:

Is a fan of strong indept action games like Metal Gear Solid and Gears of War.
His Sai as his pride and joy, he has learned how to craft his own weapons by now... living as they do they steal or make their own.
He loves cereal, particularly chocolate
And has a weakness for other chocolate items.
Chewing toothpicks.
PIZZA - the meatier and bbq sauced the better!
Enjoys a good thriller and slasher fest in movies, Saw, Friday 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street.
Enjoys martial art, car and (do not tell Splinter!) booby magazines.
Vigilante - ing with Casey Jones... or as they call it - busting heads!
Working out and pumping iron.
Working on the motor bike and car in the garage when he can find parts.

Dislikes:

The everyday garden variety of criminals, the street thugs and drug pushers, the thieves and those would be abusers of the most terrible kind.
LOATHS those abusers of children are rarely left standing, lucky if they are left breathing.
Shredder. The Foot Clan.
Being the butt and usual victim of Mikey's pranks.
Being called a freak.
Leo's lectures. Though he will never tell the brother in blue that he actually listens... sometimes and absorbs what is being said.
The Hashi!
Being an excellent knitter thanks to time spent in the Hashi!- though it has meant as they have grown a lot during puberty he has been able to make sure their collection of hand made blankets are big enough to cover himself and his brothers and father.


Skills and strengths:

Impressive ninja skilled in fighting with his sai.
The strongest of his brothers - the muscle of the team.
Has a knack for building cars and motorcycles - he may not know the computer components but is nonetheless would have made an excellent mechanic.
Also from all the time in the Hashi he has become quite an accomplished knitter.
Speaks Japanese

Flaws and weaknesses:

Entomophobia - in particular, Katsaridaphobia which is the morbid and irrational fear of cockroaches.
Because of their situation he sometimes struggles with depression.

Family:
Hamato Yoshi (Father, Mutant Rat, Sensei)
Hamato Leonardo, (considered the older brother even if they are all the same age.)
Hamato Donatello, (Raph considers him younger.)
Hamato Michelangelo, (the "baby" of the family)

History:

As normal hatchlings, Raphael and his brothers had been purchased out of a small pet shop by a heart and home sore Hamato Yoshi. Hamato Yoshi whom at the time was on the way to his nightly cleaning job at downtown secretive 'Sacks' laboratories, unawares then that those laboratories where ran by Eric Sacks not only a comsumate and rising enterprenuer but also a loyal and devoted student to Yoshi's old rival and long time enemy Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder. He heard crashing one night, yelling and when he had darted into the lab to discover a scientist and friend, Mr. Kirby O'Neil dead and the lab itself of fire, he tried to set free the lab rats, some scampering over his hands as he did so, some knocking over one of the last canisters of what Yoshi assumed where chemicals as they scampered away, it shattered as it hit the edge of the table and spilled unfortunately onto the little hatchlings in the bowl on the cleaners trolley he used - despite his efforts to stop it and getting the oozy cool stuff on himself in the process.

Hoping they were unhurt, Yoshi fled the scene, not wanting to linger when police and fire emergency crews arrived. Alarms rang in the smoke swallowed building. He escaped down many side alleys before pausing at a fast flowing storm drain in the hopes to wash himself and his pets off... it was then the pain he'd not noticed before flooded his senses... he could feel and hear and smell and taste as his body seemed to morph... bones melted and shifted, changing, grinding as they did so, a tail and furr grew, ears moved to the top of his head and larger, a snout and whiskers formed.

It was all he could do to howl in agony .... then it passed... and he was not himself... he was no longer human...

And his pet turtles had changed... then small infant humanoid turtles. And despite his fear, his doubts and his change, Yoshi had always been kind and compassionate and at once their cries reached him, he gathered them to him in the ruins of his torn clothing and took them away.

Or - that is the story Splinter always told them every year on mutation day when the turtles and their father would celebrate the passing of the year together. Ever since then they had lived in the sewers. Raphael had seen the few photos Splinter had managed to some how get and keep of himself and his brothers when they had been small and growing, but his earliest memories are sketchy and probably none of a time when he was only a hatchling pet turtle. Though it was far from a comfortable life, the five managed and, like his brothers, Raph grew, and as soon as he could walk Splinter was teaching him and his brothers ninjitsu.

Their first explorations above ground were not always fun, but since that time as fifteen year olds he and his brothers had made great friends of a couple of humans such as April O'Neil and Casey Jones, as well as enemies. Three years and many adventures have taught the red clad turtle to always expect the unexpected. What adventures await himself and his brothers now?