Hamato Leonardo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
duelkatana) wrote2000-11-08 07:08 pm
duelkatana) wrote2000-11-08 07:08 pm
⚔ tu shanshu application
Player Information:
Name: Angel
Age: 21
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
throesofangels
Game Cast: N/A
Character Information:
Name: Hamato Leonardo
Canon: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV Series)
Canon Point: Post season 4, immediately after being defeated and kidnapped by the Tribunal's wooden mannequins.
Age: 18 (now 19 in-game)
Reference:
Setting:
TMNT's rendition of the world is seemingly a parallel to the one we live in. You've got New York with its tall skyscrapers that brush the heavens, its run-down and dilapidated buildings, its nighttime clamor and daytime bustle. There are politicians with smiles pulled a bit too thin, brutish thugs who don't bother to mask their true intentions at all as they stalk the shadowed alleys. Violence and crime run rampant in the city streets, offset only by a police force stretched to its limits.
This is where the similarities end. While the New York in TMNT may seem quite realistic on the surface, its hidden components are rife with elements of fantasy and sci-fi alike; deep within the bowels of the city live fantastical creatures such as aliens, mutants, ancient races from long-gone civilizations, and more. Almost without exception, these anomalies mask themselves in a human world--whether by blending in or by keeping out of sight depends on the race, but as far as the humans of this world are concerned, they are the sole intelligence dominating their planet.
Perhaps one of the largest of these "undercover races" are the utroms--a small, squid-like alien species that relies heavily on technology to compensate for their limited physical capabilities. The utroms crashed onto Earth centuries ago, their ship damaged beyond repair, and forged a new life on this planet using humanoid exo-suits to diguise themselves. While waiting for Earth to develop its own technology advanced enough to send them home, the utroms employed a handful of actual humans whom they entrusted their existence to, naming them Guardians. The utroms and Guardians became powerful allies of the turtles during their adventures; but even more importantly, the utroms were responsible for the creation of the ooze that led to the turtles' mutation in the first place. If not for the utroms, the TMNT would have never been more than pet turtles in a glass case.
The second major player is the Foot. A clan of human ninja operating in secrecy throughout New York, the Foot are too numerous to count and unflinchingly loyal to their leader: Oroku Saki, better known by the turtles as Shredder. Violent, vengeful, and twisted with hatred, Saki puts up a front as a billionaire philanthropist for the world even as he digs his fingers deeper and deeper into New York City. Saki utilizes his unmatched talent for subterfuge to seize the city both politically and criminally, becoming a malicious, larger-than-life presence in the turtles' lives. Even after his defeat, however, the Foot lives on under the rule of Shredder's adopted daughter, Karai. No matter how many various other factions exist in the TMNT universe, it almost always rotates back to the Foot in the end. But what makes Foot more than a ninja-themed gang?
It's eventually revealed that Shredder is in reality an utrom by the name of Ch'rell, a fugitive from his race who had escaped captivity at the time of the utroms' crash landing. It's through his hatred for his captors that he hunts down and kills Hamato Yoshi, one of the Guardians--and the master of Splinter, the turtles' own father and sensei. In this way, the Shredder is tied to the turtles by a blood feud that goes far beyond good versus evil.
A less important, though still prominent faction is the Purple Dragons. One of the most powerful gangs in the city, the Dragons serve as yet another resource of the Foot through their leader, Hun. Hun is a loyal subordinate of the Shredder and willingly commits the Purple Dragons to furthering the Foot's goals. However, when left to their own devices without Hun's leadership, the Dragons are fairly commonplace thugs with no particular ambitions.
Spirits and magic are also prevalent in the world of TMNT. While uncommon, spirits may commune with a select few individuals, acting as anything from advisers to roaming, restless souls. Several of these beings have displayed an ability to use magic. Furthermore, mystical rituals exist within the series that allow multidimensional travel. Even the science is ramped straight up to sci-fi; tools that allow travel through time and space itself are more common than one might think.
Finally, we have the Earth Protection Force. A top-secret US organization founded by President Ulysses Grant, the EPF was created to protect the Earth from alien forces. The organization is led by a man named Agent Bishop who, through his own experiences with aliens, holds an extreme prejudice towards all non-humans. Calculating, intelligent, and cruel, Bishop's strict "humanity first" policy proves a threat for every mutant and alien he comes into contact with. The EPF itself is directly responsible for several incidents involving mutants in the series.
All of these factions working right under the public's eye is an excellent example of humanity's obliviousness. The average person walking down the street has no clue that a war wages between ninja, mutants, and aliens right above his or her head. The humans of this world live in blissful ignorance of the truths around them, and this is reflected even in figures of authority; police seem a little too soft, politicians a little too easily manipulated. Everything the universe has to offer--worlds between dimensions, alien civilizations that span the galaxy, mystical happenings beyond explanation, even time-travel--exists completely off the radar of many humans. The most competent minds appear to also be some of the most corrupt, twisted by these harsh realities in order to survive them.
And then this veil of normalcy is shattered at the beginning of season three, when an alien race known as the Triceratons invaded Earth. Suddenly the humans were a lot more powerless than they could have ever imagined, made to bow down to these behemoth creatures. Even when the Triceratons were driven back, the seed of fear had been planted within the peoples' minds--they had finally met an unknown, and it was utterly terrifying. Later in season four, when an outbreak caused mindless mutants to roam the streets, the humans react predictably: with open hostility and fear. Terrified by a second visit from the world hidden from their eyes for so long, they had never learned how to handle something that had coexisted with them for countless years.
In TMNT, the term "mutant" can be applied to any individual whose genetic structure has been modified from its original state. This means that although any creature who has altered DNA can be described as a mutant, all mutations are not the same, and the end result can depend greatly on the source of the mutation.
For example, the utrom-created ooze that mutated the turtles is perhaps the "safest" method. It grants human-like physiology and intelligence to any animal it comes into contact with, turning them into fully sentient beings. It is also the most consistent in its effects; while no "super powers" are granted to the individual beyond becoming human-like, mutants resulting from this ooze are quite physically stable and can usually live out their lives in security of this fact.
On the other hand, mutants who have not been changed this way are considerably less lucky. More often than not, any mutant who hadn't changed due to ooze mutated only after being subjected to experimentation or bio-engineered weapons. Often created with a specific purpose in mind, they may possess powers that will help them complete jobs (i.e. mutants designed to clear tunnels may be able to spit acid or eat rocks). However, these mutants are very unstable both physically and mentally, leaving them prone to deterioration into mindless beasts.
The TMNT universe is a dark and serious place, but it isn't without its bright places. Great emphasis is placed on the relationships between people, in helping one another survive a brutal world. Gentle hearts are often rewarded for their kind actions. The good people in this world, with their fierce loyalty and strong senses of justice, stick out like brilliant flowers in a field of weeds. Even bushido, a strict code of honor that should be far beyond the grasp of traditionally dishonorable ninja, finds a home in the spirits of our heroes. No matter the amount of suffering one must endure between the beginning and the end, no matter how much death and destruction is sustained, good will eventually triumph over evil. The hard part of this world--the part that leaves scars--is just the fight to get there.
Personality:
To start things off, Leo would best be described as a classic sufferer of Oldest Child Syndrome: responsible, serious, and focused, Leo tends to be a rather intense individual who takes his duties as leader of the team very seriously. He is often portrayed as the most stoic of the four turtles--content to hover mostly in the background while with his brothers, but prepared at a moment's notice to take the reins of command if needed.
Once in the field, Leo will quickly step up as squad leader. His quiet demeanor is quickly traded for one of commanding presence, allowing him to issue orders to his allies with the efficiency of a drill sergeant. The importance of his role weighs heavily on Leonardo, and it's in these situations that his intensity shines brightest; although his brothers can usually rope him into their banter if present, he is frequently the one to push the group forward with the accomplishment of their goal in mind. This is even more apparent when he's working alone with no distractions, in which case he displays his ability to keep a near-unshakable focus on his mission.
But the path of such responsibility is a difficult one--and in his time spent walking it, Leonardo has developed an almost manic obsession with self-improvement. He is shown to be an extremely dedicated practitioner of ninjutsu, one who takes the incentive with his training regularly and who constantly seeks to strengthen both his physical and spiritual abilities. But Leo's relentless pursuit of success tends to make him set unreasonable standards for himself, and thus he is highly prone to feelings of inadequacy. There's no quicker way to frustrate Leo than to make him think he's not good enough.
In fact, a Leo whose self-confidence has suffered is quite inclined to become an entirely different person. If he believes he's botched things badly enough, Leonardo will become downright choleric, easily agitated and prone to striking out at others for things that wouldn't normally faze him at all. In this state, every threat to Leo's wounded ego is cause enough for him to take his own self-loathing and turn it loose on the world--but worry not, for if nobody else is around, he is all too happy to take the brunt of his own anger. Luckily, such episodes are as uncommon and brief in length as they are intense. This is especially true because Leo has learned how to forgive himself for his mistakes more often.
Of course, try as he may to hide it, Leonardo sports a bit of a temper even under regular circumstances; particularly when butting heads with his brother, Raphael, or if a situation hits too many snags and begins wearing at his nerves. In these cases he's prone to losing his cool and becoming snappish or harsher in his commands. These moods are thankfully even more short-lived, rarely lasting longer than the few moments it takes to speak his frustration, and overall Leo's self-control allows him to keep a firm lid on his temper while maintaining a level head.
All is not doom and gloom for the eldest turtle, either. While he is indeed the most serious of the bunch, Leonardo isn't quite as rigid as he can come across; he can be surprisingly easy-going and relaxed when in good spirits. During downtime he teases, jokes, and even plays with his brothers on quite a regular basis. Leo also sports a dry sense of humor that he often employs when not in battle (and occasionally still does when he is). He even has the tendency to be a little hammy at times, such as when he trails off into overly sentimental tangents about family or honor...or spouts lines in combat that are a little heavy on the cheese.
Speaking of honor, Leonardo is a devout follower of bushido and tries to abide by its rules at all times. His family's honor as well as his own personal code are both of massive importance to him, shaping a great many of his actions and views on the world around him. Leo firmly believes that every person has the potential to be honorable. In fact, if he senses any trace of it in someone he meets, he is often willing to gamble with his own well-being in order to prove or coax it out of the person. This has gained him some very dependable allies; likewise, it has cost him dearly in the past. Even still, he prefers to see the best in people.
All of this is complemented by Leo's incredible compassion for others. The eldest turtle is, of course, fiercely loyal to his friends and family, but even people he doesn't know personally often fall within the scope of his attention. Leonardo despises the suffering of others. He frequently gets involved in matters that should be of no concern to him purely because of his sense of justice. He'll prevent innocents from being placed in danger if at all possible, and even his foes can find themselves on the receiving end of his compassion if he believes their suffering to be undeserved. Leo is never content with simply letting things be--if he doesn't have a problem of his own, he'll inevitably find someone else's to get involved with instead.
Upon learning of the In Between, Leonardo will be rather unsurprised that he's been dragged into another alternate dimension-type place--if not grimly fascinated by the mechanics of such a mystical world. He won't understand his purpose for being there, and while suspicious of the hospitality of the kedan, he'll politely accept it...at least until he can figure out the pecking order of this strange world, primarily the Emperor's involvement, and how it runs itself. However, his interest in even that will mostly be a means of finding a way to return home.
He also won't find the giant turtle thing funny. At all.
Appearance:
(with a shell scar as of season four)
Abilities: Leo and his brothers have been trained in ninjutsu since they were practically infants, and it shows. Leo's fighting style is all about grace and maneuverability, utilizing his exceptional flexibility and quick reflexes along with his twin katana to gain the upper hand on opponents. He's neither the strongest nor the fastest of his brothers, but he's a fair mix; strong enough to hack-and-slash while parrying incoming attacks and quick enough to outmaneuver many of his opponents. Simultaneously one of the more agile and less dexterous of the turtles, Leo prefers close combat to ranged, relying primarily on fancy footwork and aggressive use of his katana to disorient and/or disarm his foes.
Being a ninja, he's also highly competent in the ways of stealth, able to vanish from sight within moments and blend into almost any shadow.
Being a mutant turtle, Leo's natural defenses have saved his tail more times than he can count. Both his plastron and shell are able to take substantially heavy blows without leaving him more than winded.
Lastly, Leo possesses a critical mind practically built for his job as team strategist. And if those plans go awry, well...adaptability is a pretty good talent to have, too.
Inventory: Twin katana & sheaths, blue mask, several shuriken, and leather knee/elbow pads, wrist wrappings, and belt.
Suite: Water Sector, next to Raphael please?
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
Inter-dimensional travel? Sure, no problem. All alone in said dimension, with no idea where is brothers are? Not exactly his ideal style of dimension hopping, but hey--been there, done that. Asking and finding out that the city approaching on the horizon is hitching a ride on the back of a gigantic turtle?
Now that's a bit of a new wrinkle.
It didn't matter, Leo supposed. The last thing he remembered was getting beaten down by a bunch of wooden soldiers as though he were back in ninja preschool. He'd expected to wake up in some dusty containment cell, not to be gently shaken into consciousness and pulled from the ocean. There was a dizzying sense of wrongness about the entire situation.
This wasn't exactly like the time they were all purposely ripped apart and sent to other dimensions; that had been two old enemies, driven half-insane by their conjoined minds and thirst for revenge. Those mannequins, on the other hand...impersonal. Brutally efficient. Leo blazed through a mental checklist of their enemies and came up short. If it was a revenge scheme, he couldn't think of anyone who fit the bill for craziness and that kind of efficiency. Anyone insane enough to seek vengeance on them would have flown off their rocker and straight into New York personally, like Draco and the Daimyo's son had. They would have made sure Leo and his brothers knew the source of their suffering. Sending those emotionless dummies, and then him waking up here in another world...did they really know anyone capable of such pragmatic revenge?
Leo didn't think so. And maybe that means this wasn't a revenge scheme. Maybe it means he and his brothers were kidnapped for more practical purposes. Which means that maybe they weren't supposed to be separated at all.
Maybe they're all somewhere here on this monstrous terrapin, distant only in miles rather than in dimensions.
It's only a maybe. But Leo will take it.
His eyes snapped open, warm light flooding into his pupils. The kedan pressed against his left glanced over. They had all been speaking amongst themselves in hushed tones for the duration of the ride, their answers to his preliminary questions staunchly cryptic. His eyes swept across the cart and he only conjured more. Were they sent here only to retrieve him? Why so many? Did they expect a fight? Should they have?
Leonardo opened his mouth to speak to the one on his left, then promptly shut it. He knew the answer he'd get: the Emperor's business. The same deflection he'd received for his first onslaught of inquiries. Leo suspected that he was either a guest of great importance, rushed to see the Emperor by tight-lipped aides...or a prisoner, being escorted to his cell for safekeeping until the Emperor decided what to do with an unwelcome visitor in this world.
Red carpet or gray dungeon, he didn't care. If he was being taken to his brothers, they could figure out what to do next. If he wasn't on his way to a reunion...he would be, soon enough. He'd make sure of that.
Network:
[The feed switches on to reveal Leonardo, arms crossed, idly tapping a finger on the inside of his elbow. He's looking to the side of the camera with a contemplative grimace, eye ridges furrowed. After a heartbeat his eyes flick to rest on the camera. Uncrossing his arms, he leans forward and steeples his fingers.]
In my dimension, there's a mythological creature named the World Turtle--an ancient beast who carries the world on its back. [Although his gaze is serious, Leo's voice rings with the gentle, relaxed tones of a storyteller.] It is said that once upon a time, the mountain that had held up the sky was destroyed. In order to keep the sky from collapsing, the Goddess Nüwa cut off the World Turtle's legs and used them to support it instead.
[He trails off for a brief moment. Then he lowers his hands from in front of his face, grinning.] Not my favorite story when I was a kid.
Name: Angel
Age: 21
Contact:
Game Cast: N/A
Character Information:
Name: Hamato Leonardo
Canon: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV Series)
Canon Point: Post season 4, immediately after being defeated and kidnapped by the Tribunal's wooden mannequins.
Age: 18 (now 19 in-game)
Reference:
Setting:
TMNT's rendition of the world is seemingly a parallel to the one we live in. You've got New York with its tall skyscrapers that brush the heavens, its run-down and dilapidated buildings, its nighttime clamor and daytime bustle. There are politicians with smiles pulled a bit too thin, brutish thugs who don't bother to mask their true intentions at all as they stalk the shadowed alleys. Violence and crime run rampant in the city streets, offset only by a police force stretched to its limits.
This is where the similarities end. While the New York in TMNT may seem quite realistic on the surface, its hidden components are rife with elements of fantasy and sci-fi alike; deep within the bowels of the city live fantastical creatures such as aliens, mutants, ancient races from long-gone civilizations, and more. Almost without exception, these anomalies mask themselves in a human world--whether by blending in or by keeping out of sight depends on the race, but as far as the humans of this world are concerned, they are the sole intelligence dominating their planet.
Perhaps one of the largest of these "undercover races" are the utroms--a small, squid-like alien species that relies heavily on technology to compensate for their limited physical capabilities. The utroms crashed onto Earth centuries ago, their ship damaged beyond repair, and forged a new life on this planet using humanoid exo-suits to diguise themselves. While waiting for Earth to develop its own technology advanced enough to send them home, the utroms employed a handful of actual humans whom they entrusted their existence to, naming them Guardians. The utroms and Guardians became powerful allies of the turtles during their adventures; but even more importantly, the utroms were responsible for the creation of the ooze that led to the turtles' mutation in the first place. If not for the utroms, the TMNT would have never been more than pet turtles in a glass case.
The second major player is the Foot. A clan of human ninja operating in secrecy throughout New York, the Foot are too numerous to count and unflinchingly loyal to their leader: Oroku Saki, better known by the turtles as Shredder. Violent, vengeful, and twisted with hatred, Saki puts up a front as a billionaire philanthropist for the world even as he digs his fingers deeper and deeper into New York City. Saki utilizes his unmatched talent for subterfuge to seize the city both politically and criminally, becoming a malicious, larger-than-life presence in the turtles' lives. Even after his defeat, however, the Foot lives on under the rule of Shredder's adopted daughter, Karai. No matter how many various other factions exist in the TMNT universe, it almost always rotates back to the Foot in the end. But what makes Foot more than a ninja-themed gang?
It's eventually revealed that Shredder is in reality an utrom by the name of Ch'rell, a fugitive from his race who had escaped captivity at the time of the utroms' crash landing. It's through his hatred for his captors that he hunts down and kills Hamato Yoshi, one of the Guardians--and the master of Splinter, the turtles' own father and sensei. In this way, the Shredder is tied to the turtles by a blood feud that goes far beyond good versus evil.
A less important, though still prominent faction is the Purple Dragons. One of the most powerful gangs in the city, the Dragons serve as yet another resource of the Foot through their leader, Hun. Hun is a loyal subordinate of the Shredder and willingly commits the Purple Dragons to furthering the Foot's goals. However, when left to their own devices without Hun's leadership, the Dragons are fairly commonplace thugs with no particular ambitions.
Spirits and magic are also prevalent in the world of TMNT. While uncommon, spirits may commune with a select few individuals, acting as anything from advisers to roaming, restless souls. Several of these beings have displayed an ability to use magic. Furthermore, mystical rituals exist within the series that allow multidimensional travel. Even the science is ramped straight up to sci-fi; tools that allow travel through time and space itself are more common than one might think.
Finally, we have the Earth Protection Force. A top-secret US organization founded by President Ulysses Grant, the EPF was created to protect the Earth from alien forces. The organization is led by a man named Agent Bishop who, through his own experiences with aliens, holds an extreme prejudice towards all non-humans. Calculating, intelligent, and cruel, Bishop's strict "humanity first" policy proves a threat for every mutant and alien he comes into contact with. The EPF itself is directly responsible for several incidents involving mutants in the series.
All of these factions working right under the public's eye is an excellent example of humanity's obliviousness. The average person walking down the street has no clue that a war wages between ninja, mutants, and aliens right above his or her head. The humans of this world live in blissful ignorance of the truths around them, and this is reflected even in figures of authority; police seem a little too soft, politicians a little too easily manipulated. Everything the universe has to offer--worlds between dimensions, alien civilizations that span the galaxy, mystical happenings beyond explanation, even time-travel--exists completely off the radar of many humans. The most competent minds appear to also be some of the most corrupt, twisted by these harsh realities in order to survive them.
And then this veil of normalcy is shattered at the beginning of season three, when an alien race known as the Triceratons invaded Earth. Suddenly the humans were a lot more powerless than they could have ever imagined, made to bow down to these behemoth creatures. Even when the Triceratons were driven back, the seed of fear had been planted within the peoples' minds--they had finally met an unknown, and it was utterly terrifying. Later in season four, when an outbreak caused mindless mutants to roam the streets, the humans react predictably: with open hostility and fear. Terrified by a second visit from the world hidden from their eyes for so long, they had never learned how to handle something that had coexisted with them for countless years.
In TMNT, the term "mutant" can be applied to any individual whose genetic structure has been modified from its original state. This means that although any creature who has altered DNA can be described as a mutant, all mutations are not the same, and the end result can depend greatly on the source of the mutation.
For example, the utrom-created ooze that mutated the turtles is perhaps the "safest" method. It grants human-like physiology and intelligence to any animal it comes into contact with, turning them into fully sentient beings. It is also the most consistent in its effects; while no "super powers" are granted to the individual beyond becoming human-like, mutants resulting from this ooze are quite physically stable and can usually live out their lives in security of this fact.
On the other hand, mutants who have not been changed this way are considerably less lucky. More often than not, any mutant who hadn't changed due to ooze mutated only after being subjected to experimentation or bio-engineered weapons. Often created with a specific purpose in mind, they may possess powers that will help them complete jobs (i.e. mutants designed to clear tunnels may be able to spit acid or eat rocks). However, these mutants are very unstable both physically and mentally, leaving them prone to deterioration into mindless beasts.
The TMNT universe is a dark and serious place, but it isn't without its bright places. Great emphasis is placed on the relationships between people, in helping one another survive a brutal world. Gentle hearts are often rewarded for their kind actions. The good people in this world, with their fierce loyalty and strong senses of justice, stick out like brilliant flowers in a field of weeds. Even bushido, a strict code of honor that should be far beyond the grasp of traditionally dishonorable ninja, finds a home in the spirits of our heroes. No matter the amount of suffering one must endure between the beginning and the end, no matter how much death and destruction is sustained, good will eventually triumph over evil. The hard part of this world--the part that leaves scars--is just the fight to get there.
Personality:
To start things off, Leo would best be described as a classic sufferer of Oldest Child Syndrome: responsible, serious, and focused, Leo tends to be a rather intense individual who takes his duties as leader of the team very seriously. He is often portrayed as the most stoic of the four turtles--content to hover mostly in the background while with his brothers, but prepared at a moment's notice to take the reins of command if needed.
Once in the field, Leo will quickly step up as squad leader. His quiet demeanor is quickly traded for one of commanding presence, allowing him to issue orders to his allies with the efficiency of a drill sergeant. The importance of his role weighs heavily on Leonardo, and it's in these situations that his intensity shines brightest; although his brothers can usually rope him into their banter if present, he is frequently the one to push the group forward with the accomplishment of their goal in mind. This is even more apparent when he's working alone with no distractions, in which case he displays his ability to keep a near-unshakable focus on his mission.
But the path of such responsibility is a difficult one--and in his time spent walking it, Leonardo has developed an almost manic obsession with self-improvement. He is shown to be an extremely dedicated practitioner of ninjutsu, one who takes the incentive with his training regularly and who constantly seeks to strengthen both his physical and spiritual abilities. But Leo's relentless pursuit of success tends to make him set unreasonable standards for himself, and thus he is highly prone to feelings of inadequacy. There's no quicker way to frustrate Leo than to make him think he's not good enough.
In fact, a Leo whose self-confidence has suffered is quite inclined to become an entirely different person. If he believes he's botched things badly enough, Leonardo will become downright choleric, easily agitated and prone to striking out at others for things that wouldn't normally faze him at all. In this state, every threat to Leo's wounded ego is cause enough for him to take his own self-loathing and turn it loose on the world--but worry not, for if nobody else is around, he is all too happy to take the brunt of his own anger. Luckily, such episodes are as uncommon and brief in length as they are intense. This is especially true because Leo has learned how to forgive himself for his mistakes more often.
Of course, try as he may to hide it, Leonardo sports a bit of a temper even under regular circumstances; particularly when butting heads with his brother, Raphael, or if a situation hits too many snags and begins wearing at his nerves. In these cases he's prone to losing his cool and becoming snappish or harsher in his commands. These moods are thankfully even more short-lived, rarely lasting longer than the few moments it takes to speak his frustration, and overall Leo's self-control allows him to keep a firm lid on his temper while maintaining a level head.
All is not doom and gloom for the eldest turtle, either. While he is indeed the most serious of the bunch, Leonardo isn't quite as rigid as he can come across; he can be surprisingly easy-going and relaxed when in good spirits. During downtime he teases, jokes, and even plays with his brothers on quite a regular basis. Leo also sports a dry sense of humor that he often employs when not in battle (and occasionally still does when he is). He even has the tendency to be a little hammy at times, such as when he trails off into overly sentimental tangents about family or honor...or spouts lines in combat that are a little heavy on the cheese.
Speaking of honor, Leonardo is a devout follower of bushido and tries to abide by its rules at all times. His family's honor as well as his own personal code are both of massive importance to him, shaping a great many of his actions and views on the world around him. Leo firmly believes that every person has the potential to be honorable. In fact, if he senses any trace of it in someone he meets, he is often willing to gamble with his own well-being in order to prove or coax it out of the person. This has gained him some very dependable allies; likewise, it has cost him dearly in the past. Even still, he prefers to see the best in people.
All of this is complemented by Leo's incredible compassion for others. The eldest turtle is, of course, fiercely loyal to his friends and family, but even people he doesn't know personally often fall within the scope of his attention. Leonardo despises the suffering of others. He frequently gets involved in matters that should be of no concern to him purely because of his sense of justice. He'll prevent innocents from being placed in danger if at all possible, and even his foes can find themselves on the receiving end of his compassion if he believes their suffering to be undeserved. Leo is never content with simply letting things be--if he doesn't have a problem of his own, he'll inevitably find someone else's to get involved with instead.
Upon learning of the In Between, Leonardo will be rather unsurprised that he's been dragged into another alternate dimension-type place--if not grimly fascinated by the mechanics of such a mystical world. He won't understand his purpose for being there, and while suspicious of the hospitality of the kedan, he'll politely accept it...at least until he can figure out the pecking order of this strange world, primarily the Emperor's involvement, and how it runs itself. However, his interest in even that will mostly be a means of finding a way to return home.
He also won't find the giant turtle thing funny. At all.
Appearance:
(with a shell scar as of season four)
Abilities: Leo and his brothers have been trained in ninjutsu since they were practically infants, and it shows. Leo's fighting style is all about grace and maneuverability, utilizing his exceptional flexibility and quick reflexes along with his twin katana to gain the upper hand on opponents. He's neither the strongest nor the fastest of his brothers, but he's a fair mix; strong enough to hack-and-slash while parrying incoming attacks and quick enough to outmaneuver many of his opponents. Simultaneously one of the more agile and less dexterous of the turtles, Leo prefers close combat to ranged, relying primarily on fancy footwork and aggressive use of his katana to disorient and/or disarm his foes.
Being a ninja, he's also highly competent in the ways of stealth, able to vanish from sight within moments and blend into almost any shadow.
Being a mutant turtle, Leo's natural defenses have saved his tail more times than he can count. Both his plastron and shell are able to take substantially heavy blows without leaving him more than winded.
Lastly, Leo possesses a critical mind practically built for his job as team strategist. And if those plans go awry, well...adaptability is a pretty good talent to have, too.
Inventory: Twin katana & sheaths, blue mask, several shuriken, and leather knee/elbow pads, wrist wrappings, and belt.
Suite: Water Sector, next to Raphael please?
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
Inter-dimensional travel? Sure, no problem. All alone in said dimension, with no idea where is brothers are? Not exactly his ideal style of dimension hopping, but hey--been there, done that. Asking and finding out that the city approaching on the horizon is hitching a ride on the back of a gigantic turtle?
Now that's a bit of a new wrinkle.
It didn't matter, Leo supposed. The last thing he remembered was getting beaten down by a bunch of wooden soldiers as though he were back in ninja preschool. He'd expected to wake up in some dusty containment cell, not to be gently shaken into consciousness and pulled from the ocean. There was a dizzying sense of wrongness about the entire situation.
This wasn't exactly like the time they were all purposely ripped apart and sent to other dimensions; that had been two old enemies, driven half-insane by their conjoined minds and thirst for revenge. Those mannequins, on the other hand...impersonal. Brutally efficient. Leo blazed through a mental checklist of their enemies and came up short. If it was a revenge scheme, he couldn't think of anyone who fit the bill for craziness and that kind of efficiency. Anyone insane enough to seek vengeance on them would have flown off their rocker and straight into New York personally, like Draco and the Daimyo's son had. They would have made sure Leo and his brothers knew the source of their suffering. Sending those emotionless dummies, and then him waking up here in another world...did they really know anyone capable of such pragmatic revenge?
Leo didn't think so. And maybe that means this wasn't a revenge scheme. Maybe it means he and his brothers were kidnapped for more practical purposes. Which means that maybe they weren't supposed to be separated at all.
Maybe they're all somewhere here on this monstrous terrapin, distant only in miles rather than in dimensions.
It's only a maybe. But Leo will take it.
His eyes snapped open, warm light flooding into his pupils. The kedan pressed against his left glanced over. They had all been speaking amongst themselves in hushed tones for the duration of the ride, their answers to his preliminary questions staunchly cryptic. His eyes swept across the cart and he only conjured more. Were they sent here only to retrieve him? Why so many? Did they expect a fight? Should they have?
Leonardo opened his mouth to speak to the one on his left, then promptly shut it. He knew the answer he'd get: the Emperor's business. The same deflection he'd received for his first onslaught of inquiries. Leo suspected that he was either a guest of great importance, rushed to see the Emperor by tight-lipped aides...or a prisoner, being escorted to his cell for safekeeping until the Emperor decided what to do with an unwelcome visitor in this world.
Red carpet or gray dungeon, he didn't care. If he was being taken to his brothers, they could figure out what to do next. If he wasn't on his way to a reunion...he would be, soon enough. He'd make sure of that.
Network:
[The feed switches on to reveal Leonardo, arms crossed, idly tapping a finger on the inside of his elbow. He's looking to the side of the camera with a contemplative grimace, eye ridges furrowed. After a heartbeat his eyes flick to rest on the camera. Uncrossing his arms, he leans forward and steeples his fingers.]
In my dimension, there's a mythological creature named the World Turtle--an ancient beast who carries the world on its back. [Although his gaze is serious, Leo's voice rings with the gentle, relaxed tones of a storyteller.] It is said that once upon a time, the mountain that had held up the sky was destroyed. In order to keep the sky from collapsing, the Goddess Nüwa cut off the World Turtle's legs and used them to support it instead.
[He trails off for a brief moment. Then he lowers his hands from in front of his face, grinning.] Not my favorite story when I was a kid.