Raph
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Raphael "Raph" Pittman |
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Intake |
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| Gender | Male |
| Year of intake | 2019 |
| Sponsor | Jane |
| Gender at intake | Cis male |
| Date of birth | 1998 or 1999 |
| First appearance | Chapter 5 |
| Chapters with POV scenes | |
| edit this box | |
Raph is a boy in the 2019 intake. He is sponsored by Jane.
He has large, "pretty", [SD 41] "innocent" [SD 44] brown eyes and is of average build with a medium complexion. [SD 41] He is around 5'10" tall. [SD 37] At intake he wore his hair in a buzzcut and was "the fourth most buff guy in the basement". Diana recalls his appearance at intake as "the kind of guy you don’t really remember". [SD 41] HRT has caused his cheeks to grow rounder. [SD 41]
Raph seems to have a high opinion of his own intelligence but Jane observes that he is "a chronic follower. A near-passive sponge for peer pressure." [SD 41] While in the basement, many of Jane's mannerisms have apparently begun rubbing off on Raph. [SD 30]
Pre-transition
Raph was a Saints student before being inducted into the programme. Before attending university, he got his girlfriend Angelina pregnant when they were both seventeen and pressured her to get an abortion against her will. At Saints, Raph repeatedly cheated on Angelina. [SD 5]
Raph recalls being described by Cerys as being a "bastard with the face of an angel". [SD 44]
Pippa describes Raph's profile at intake as "another guy who just seems to get off on controlling and hurting women." [SD 20]
First year
At intake
Raph is twenty years of age when he is abducted by Dorley. [LL] Raph initially allies himself with Ollie and Diana (the "Mean Girls", as Bethany calls them [SD 13]) and is the least aggressive of the three; Tabitha describes him as "merely obstructive" [SD 21] and "all mouth". [SD 34] Bethany accuses him of having rage issues when introducing him; he is responsible for damage to some of the furniture in the basement and was tased at least once before Steph arrived. [SD 5]
Early on, Raph threatens Beth in the bathroom, accusing her of looking at his genitals; soon after, Diana throws a plate at Adam's head, bruising him "quite badly". Following these escalations, Adam, Leigh, Steph, and Beth strike a defensive alliance to protect themselves against Diana, Ollie, and Raph. [SD 9]
After Diana washes out, Leigh begins conspiring with Raph and Ollie; on November 27th, the three make an escape attempt that leaves Maria gravely injured. The three are immediately placed in the cells. [SD 17] By the time disclosure is administered on November 30th, the basement is being kept in a "split-population" configuration with Leigh, Raph, and Ollie living out of the cells on a separate schedule from the other basementees. [SD 19]
Raph does not take disclosure well; [SD 20] after his initial rage and shock subsides, he spends the next length of time languishing, "just sort of existing" [SD 21] and "rotting away" in his cell. [SD 22] Raph and Ollie are eventually reintroduced back into the full intake on December 24th; by this time they are both deeply antagonistic towards each other. Having done "some thinking" while in his cell, Raph has adopted a "realist" attitude regarding his situation and begins to accept his fate; that night, he starts attempting to join Steph, Bethany, and Martin for company. [SD 30] At this point, Jane believes that Raph's progress in the programme is proceeding at the expected pace. [SD 31]
On January 5th, Jane unintentionally shares part of her backstory with Raph, choosing to then fully reveal her own history and the truth of the programme to him. [SD 36] After speaking with Steph, Raph becomes vaguely aware of Jane's relationship with Amy. [SD 37] Raph's attitude continues to improve and he gradually becomes more social with Steph, Beth, Martin, and Leigh.
Actualization
By mid-January, Jane notes that, following the collapse of "basically every other masculine role model in the basement" after leaving the cells, Raph has begun "fixing his attitude" and has been "changing rapidly". Having decided to cooperate with the programme, Raph has a breakthrough and begins to actualize, catalyzed by a meeting with Diana, who has returned to the Hall for a visit. The two catch up and have a conversation about performative masculinity. Afterward, realizing that he now admires Diana, Raph begins to see transition as a "viable option". Raph becomes much more curious about the programme and womanhood; Jane has since explained the mechanics of orchiectomies, how to put on a bra, [SD 41] and tucking [SD 44] to Raph. During lockdown on January 13th, Raph shares an insight about the repressive self-inflicted rules of masculinity and homophobia. [SD 42]
Despite his distaste for him, Raph attempts to offer reassurance to Ollie, who is worried for Frankie's well-being during lockdowns, and listens to him talk about his late grandmother. [SD 43] Raph joins Steph's yoga session with Leigh and Pippa. [SD 44]
By the end of the month, his demeanor has noticeably softened and he has become more enthusiastic about transition, starting with a focus on makeup and clothes, noticeably starting with eyeliner January 19th. Following Paige's approach of learning one thing at a time and practicing it to perfection, Raph is currently gamifying his transition and has asked Jane to help track his progress. He has privately started considering a new name and is questioning his sexuality. Bethany suspects (perhaps selfishly) that he is moving forwards for "all the wrong reasons" and is "headed for a crash". [SD 44] When Christine gives Steph voice lessons, Raph joins in of his own accord and encourages Leigh to come along. [SD 46]
Jane eventually shares details of her relationship with Amy with Raph, including their new status as partners and Amy's neopronouns. [SD 44]
Post-disclosure, Raph has repeatedly joked about aspiring to become "one of those nerdy librarian women" and has expressed interest in wearing glasses, causing Jane to remark that he is "fixated on being a hot librarian". [SD 38][SD 41][SD 45]
Photos
Raph at intake. (Artwork from “Holly’s Snapshot — Intervention” by Emory Ahlberg.)
Raph after graduation (projected). (Artwork from “Holly’s Snapshot — Intervention” by Emory Ahlberg.)
Pre-transition associates
- Angelina, Raph's ex, whom he pressured to get an abortion. [SD 5] She is now a nurse and has a child; it is implied that the child is Raph's. [SD 41]
- Cerys, implied to be one of Raph's exes. [SD 44]
- Dean, possibly an old classmate. [SD 44]
| Dorley girls (and a few non-girls) | |
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| 2019 intake | Adam (Edy), Bethany (Maria), Diana (Monica), Leigh (Tabitha), Martin (Pamela), Ollie (Harmony), Raph (Jane), Stephanie (Pippa) |