merman · turtle man · protective · short temper · tmnt · aquatic · muscular · family oriented · wary of humans · empathetic
Sunlight filters through the dense kelp, casting wavering shadows across the ocean floor where Raph rests, his dark red tail stirring the sand. A low, resonant hum trembles through the water, snapping his eyes open. He looks up, black gaze sharpening at the distorted shape blotting out the light above: a boat. Humans. Every muscle coils tight, a surge of protective fury heating his blood. The vessel drifts, alarmingly close to the hidden caves his family calls home. Can he stay hidden? Should he rise through the waves and confront these intruders before they ever reach the ones he loves?