by His original birthplace and parents unknown, many a time he was told the story of how he was picked up by his mother and father when he was left in a basket just outside their wagon as they were getting ready to hitch onward to the next town. They heard his sniveling and odd-sounding cries and, fearing that he was some sort of beast, they journeyed out to the back of their wagon with bat and pan in hand...only to find a bundle of furry and orange abandoned joy placed upon the back of their humble mobile abode. Even despite the young child not being human, the middle-aged gypsy couple loved and took pride in their baby boy, as they had never been able to have children of their own.
He grew quickly and overtime became family to all those that were or became part of the band of gypsies he called family and the group of wagons he called home. He grew up knowing he was different, but that so was everyone else and yet they were all the same in so many ways, and he was never mistreated for being a Kitsune. He was just another one of the gypsy children.
It wasn't long before his curious nature had him intently watch on many a game of Euchre being played intensely by his father and random locals of their current location, learning how the game was played by viewing quietly. His father noted that he somehow seemed to draw better hands whenever his son came to watch or bring drinks, but he just chalked it up to happenstance. However, his father made his living by the cards, and not just from trying to win big with the locals: his father performed card tricks, while his mother read fortunes with Tarot cards.
He learned a fair share of the trades just by watching, and once he started to ask questions, his proud parents eagerly taught him the ways of both regular card tricks and Tarot readings. Soon he was also performing these tricks and readings to earn money for his family, but for some odd reason he would have repeat customers as his predictions would actually come true.
Life was great for him until around he turned sixteen. He wasn't really the rebellious type, but they stopped near a bigger western town for a bit of an extended stay, more than normal anyway. During this time he got to know some of the townsfolk...and by getting to know them, that of course involved all the odd stares and whispers and general shunning and distrust that everyone but the children blessed with versus actual conversation. A bit down about the whole thing, he stumbled across the general store and saw they had flour at a decent price. He stepped in to by some, and the old man behind the counter treated him the same as everyone else just before he went to fetch the flour, and that's when his presence was graced by a beautiful angel with dark auburn hair. Her name was Rosetta, and he could barely speak with her he was so taken aback, and she was very excited to meet a Fox-Person for the first time...so much so that after he paid for the flour they went off together to hang out around the town and talk about whatever was on their minds.
While eventually he had to leave for the night, he was informed by his parents that they would be extending there stay by a month's time, and soon the very next day he went out to meet the girl with the dark auburn hair. They spent many a day together, playing silly games and talking about what was on there hearts, and on one dark night when the moon shone at their highest...they kissed. It was a spark that both of them felt, and after being lead by her beautiful auburn hair to her residence, they spent the night together.
Indeed, in a short time they had fallen in love, but this day was also the day that his gypsy family was scheduled to leave for the next town. He did his best to leave without waking her, but as he left her residence she chased after. He apologized of course and informed her of why he must leave, and to his surprise she begged that he take her and her auburn hair with him. He asked her to ponder carefully, as she would likely never return this way for many a year, but she was set to leave this town and spend her life on the road with him...and he was more than happy to oblige, so they set off on their way to the caravans out of town.
Unbeknownst to both him, this girl had a father who was a power-hungry Mayor, and unbeknownst to both of them he had kept track of their whereabouts through his most-trusted hired man and he wasn't pleased with the idea of his only daughter being kidnapped by some mangy fox. He sent his hired man out to track them down and take her back, by force if required. The hired man easily tracked them down and called them out, pointing his gun at him and told him to let the girl go. Never did he state his intentions of why, and the goddess with auburn hair desperately did not want to leave his side, so he considered him a threat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the only thing he had on him: three playing cards from his deck, the rest probably in the sheets or on the floor of the auburn one's residence somewhere, and oddly enough the cards where the Queen, King, and Ace of Hearts. The man repeated with more insistence to give her up, and when the auburn one quickly ran towards the caravans, the hired man opened fire.
Out of instinct, he threw all three cards at the man, and he felt a strange sensation as the two of the cards transformed, the King a small sheet of iron and the Ace set ablaze. The metal King knocked out the bullet in mid-air, with both collapsing on the ground...but the blazing Ace kept going. It had a date with destiny, and it was destined to hit the hired man right in the left side of his face, combusting upon impact. Screaming in agony, the hired man dropped his gun and fell to the ground, and as the gun hit the ground it fired off another shot. There was a sharp cry of pain and a thud, and as he turned around he saw the auburn one fall to the ground. He ran over to her and turned her over, and she reached out to touch his face. He embraced her lovingly, but she could only remark how she couldn't feel him, how everything felt cold. The rest was saddened gurgles as blood flowed out her mouth and the life slowly drained out of her. Despite the blood, he kissed her passionately one last time, and she passed on.
He just held her for a moment the until wind blew something near by, and after picking it up he noticed it was the Queen of Hearts with a bullet hole straight through the middle. He gave it a quick kiss, then pocketed.
Tears streaming down from his eyes and an ache in his chest, he stood up and turned to face the man who killed his auburn one, only to see him taken away by what looked like some sort of medical staff. That was the last thing he saw as a bag was put over his head and his hands were cuffed, then he was beaten until he fell unconscious.
He woke up behind bars in the local jail, a bit battered but already starting to heal a bit. Looking outside his cell he saw the guards playing a game of poker. Pretending to still be asleep, he listened to the guards talk, and he learned a couple of important details: He was the only prisoner here, the guard on the end closet to his cell was a very bad player, the same guard had a sick son that he couldn't afford the medicine for, and he was destined for the electric chair. The guards played for about another thirty minutes before all the other guards went home for the night and the guard with the sick son stayed to watch him for the night. When the time was right, he spoke up to the guard about his situation with his son, and after the guard listened to his story he offered the guard a deal: he would help him honestly win the money to help his son if he could find a way to help him avoid his death sentence.
Now the guard found him to be an honest soul, but wasn't too sure about this deal, so he insisted that the guard wait until tomorrow night during the poker game and see. He told him that he would keep his attention on the game, and if he should stay in shuffle the cards in his hand, but if he should fold he would scratch the wall with his nail. Sure enough that afternoon, the guards met up for a round of 5-Card Stud, and to his word he shuffled his deck of cards if he thought he should stay in and scratched the wall when he thought he should sit the round out. By seeing the guard's hand and reading the faces and actions of the other guards, combined with the gut feelings he would get, by the end of the night when the other guards left the single night guard he had spoken to the night before had not only made back what he lost the past couple nights but had also banked about five thousand Jewels in addition. After seeing he was a man of his word, the guard told him that if he could replicate that for a couple more nights, he would have enough to pay for the doctor bills and afford the medicine for his son. If he could do this, the guard would agree to let him go free, and the deal was struck and finalized with an honorable handshake.
The next two nights followed the same suits: the guards would meet for poker, he would study the guard's hand and the actions and faces of the other guards, he would alert the guard by shuffling or scratching, and at the end of the night the guard would come out ahead in Jewels. They had a bit of a panic when one of the guards banned him for having cards in his cell, due to the fact that he can obviously hurt people with them, but he managed to throw small pebbles at the metal bed frame to replace the shuffling and the next three nights ended the same way. Oddly enough, the best hands the guard had were all hands focused on hearts, and the guard even once joked about him being his lucky valentine. That sixth night, the guard informed him that he had made enough money to pay the bills and afford the medicine he needed, as well as cover any possible expenses he may have in case his job was in jeopardy after he let him escape. He told him that he would get him out tomorrow and that once he paid for the bills and medicine in the morning he would head straight over to release him. Assured that everything was fine, he slept easy that night.
His dream of trying to take the auburn one's hand so they could run together through the fields but couldn't as she refused to take his hand was abruptly and rather rudely interrupted by being dragged out of his cot and cuffed and he was roughly escorted into a room with a weird looking chair with a bunch of metal attachments. He was in the execution room, and they sat him down in the chair and prepped him to be electrocuted while a bunch of random people from the town watched on the other side of the glass. Unbeknownst to him, one of them was the mayor, and one of them was a Rune Knight that had been staying in town, a marking on his neck lighting up bright at the presence of the knight. They sat him down and strapped him up, preparing him to fry as the mayor stood up and said many things about how he had maimed an innocent man and killed his daughter when she tried to leave his captivity...all lies that he filled into the heads of those present until all but the Rune Knight were cheering at his upcoming demise and were demanding his death. It was all complete and setup to fry him, not even being given the chance for any last words before the man pulled the switch...but nothing happened. Puzzled, the executioner lifted the switch and checked around only to find there of a disconnection of wires that needed to be replaced. It took him about five minutes to solve the problem, but as luck would have it, that's all that was needed: just before the man pulled the switch again, a storm had apparently rolled in and lightning struck the jailhouse. It knocked out all the generators so that there was not power, and it also set the building ablaze, everyone running in fear.
Stuck to the chair and trying not to breathe in the smoke, he waited for his impending doom...but he felt himself being released and picked up and carried...the guard had returned to honor his word! He quickly carried him outside the back of the burning jailhouse and set him down, checking to make sure he was alright before informing him that his aid ended here before returning to help calm the brightening blaze. Looking around, he found a panicking horse that was all by it's lonesome. He freed it from the tether and ran out to find the caravans.
He rode out to the exact location that all his gypsy family was, but he was only greeted with abandoned desert and rolling tumbleweeds. Completely abandoned and, after a quick check over his shoulder, a posse on his tail...he took off into the unknown.
The young Kitsune traveled from town to town, performing card tricks and Tarot readings for a price, being shunned and outright badgering for being labeled criminal scum. When the money for his trades wasn't there, he developed new tricks. When the tricks didn't work, and no one would let him hold even the lesser of jobs, he developed the trade that everyone expected of him: he became a pickpocket. Naturally gifted and being able to sneak around, he also moved on to robbing stores and banks, becoming worthy of the titles that people slandered him with daily. With the money he made he drowned his lonliness and sorrows with booze and broads, living the life than many criminals could only dream of.
"But to this day, he still cries at night for the family who abandoned him and the lover that he lost that fateful day."
"That's a very fascinating tale, but a tall one nonetheless."
"You know what they say, ma'am: truth is stranger than fiction."
"Well, that was a rather fascinating tale...I guess that deserves a drink. Here you go, on the house. Don't think I'll be making a habit of it though."
"Oh boy, that poor little boy...does he have a happy ending?"
"Well darling, I believe you just might be able to help with that. I have a question for you: you ever cuddled with a man as furry as me before?"
He grew quickly and overtime became family to all those that were or became part of the band of gypsies he called family and the group of wagons he called home. He grew up knowing he was different, but that so was everyone else and yet they were all the same in so many ways, and he was never mistreated for being a Kitsune. He was just another one of the gypsy children.
It wasn't long before his curious nature had him intently watch on many a game of Euchre being played intensely by his father and random locals of their current location, learning how the game was played by viewing quietly. His father noted that he somehow seemed to draw better hands whenever his son came to watch or bring drinks, but he just chalked it up to happenstance. However, his father made his living by the cards, and not just from trying to win big with the locals: his father performed card tricks, while his mother read fortunes with Tarot cards.
He learned a fair share of the trades just by watching, and once he started to ask questions, his proud parents eagerly taught him the ways of both regular card tricks and Tarot readings. Soon he was also performing these tricks and readings to earn money for his family, but for some odd reason he would have repeat customers as his predictions would actually come true.
Life was great for him until around he turned sixteen. He wasn't really the rebellious type, but they stopped near a bigger western town for a bit of an extended stay, more than normal anyway. During this time he got to know some of the townsfolk...and by getting to know them, that of course involved all the odd stares and whispers and general shunning and distrust that everyone but the children blessed with versus actual conversation. A bit down about the whole thing, he stumbled across the general store and saw they had flour at a decent price. He stepped in to by some, and the old man behind the counter treated him the same as everyone else just before he went to fetch the flour, and that's when his presence was graced by a beautiful angel with dark auburn hair. Her name was Rosetta, and he could barely speak with her he was so taken aback, and she was very excited to meet a Fox-Person for the first time...so much so that after he paid for the flour they went off together to hang out around the town and talk about whatever was on their minds.
While eventually he had to leave for the night, he was informed by his parents that they would be extending there stay by a month's time, and soon the very next day he went out to meet the girl with the dark auburn hair. They spent many a day together, playing silly games and talking about what was on there hearts, and on one dark night when the moon shone at their highest...they kissed. It was a spark that both of them felt, and after being lead by her beautiful auburn hair to her residence, they spent the night together.
Indeed, in a short time they had fallen in love, but this day was also the day that his gypsy family was scheduled to leave for the next town. He did his best to leave without waking her, but as he left her residence she chased after. He apologized of course and informed her of why he must leave, and to his surprise she begged that he take her and her auburn hair with him. He asked her to ponder carefully, as she would likely never return this way for many a year, but she was set to leave this town and spend her life on the road with him...and he was more than happy to oblige, so they set off on their way to the caravans out of town.
Unbeknownst to both him, this girl had a father who was a power-hungry Mayor, and unbeknownst to both of them he had kept track of their whereabouts through his most-trusted hired man and he wasn't pleased with the idea of his only daughter being kidnapped by some mangy fox. He sent his hired man out to track them down and take her back, by force if required. The hired man easily tracked them down and called them out, pointing his gun at him and told him to let the girl go. Never did he state his intentions of why, and the goddess with auburn hair desperately did not want to leave his side, so he considered him a threat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the only thing he had on him: three playing cards from his deck, the rest probably in the sheets or on the floor of the auburn one's residence somewhere, and oddly enough the cards where the Queen, King, and Ace of Hearts. The man repeated with more insistence to give her up, and when the auburn one quickly ran towards the caravans, the hired man opened fire.
Out of instinct, he threw all three cards at the man, and he felt a strange sensation as the two of the cards transformed, the King a small sheet of iron and the Ace set ablaze. The metal King knocked out the bullet in mid-air, with both collapsing on the ground...but the blazing Ace kept going. It had a date with destiny, and it was destined to hit the hired man right in the left side of his face, combusting upon impact. Screaming in agony, the hired man dropped his gun and fell to the ground, and as the gun hit the ground it fired off another shot. There was a sharp cry of pain and a thud, and as he turned around he saw the auburn one fall to the ground. He ran over to her and turned her over, and she reached out to touch his face. He embraced her lovingly, but she could only remark how she couldn't feel him, how everything felt cold. The rest was saddened gurgles as blood flowed out her mouth and the life slowly drained out of her. Despite the blood, he kissed her passionately one last time, and she passed on.
He just held her for a moment the until wind blew something near by, and after picking it up he noticed it was the Queen of Hearts with a bullet hole straight through the middle. He gave it a quick kiss, then pocketed.
Tears streaming down from his eyes and an ache in his chest, he stood up and turned to face the man who killed his auburn one, only to see him taken away by what looked like some sort of medical staff. That was the last thing he saw as a bag was put over his head and his hands were cuffed, then he was beaten until he fell unconscious.
He woke up behind bars in the local jail, a bit battered but already starting to heal a bit. Looking outside his cell he saw the guards playing a game of poker. Pretending to still be asleep, he listened to the guards talk, and he learned a couple of important details: He was the only prisoner here, the guard on the end closet to his cell was a very bad player, the same guard had a sick son that he couldn't afford the medicine for, and he was destined for the electric chair. The guards played for about another thirty minutes before all the other guards went home for the night and the guard with the sick son stayed to watch him for the night. When the time was right, he spoke up to the guard about his situation with his son, and after the guard listened to his story he offered the guard a deal: he would help him honestly win the money to help his son if he could find a way to help him avoid his death sentence.
Now the guard found him to be an honest soul, but wasn't too sure about this deal, so he insisted that the guard wait until tomorrow night during the poker game and see. He told him that he would keep his attention on the game, and if he should stay in shuffle the cards in his hand, but if he should fold he would scratch the wall with his nail. Sure enough that afternoon, the guards met up for a round of 5-Card Stud, and to his word he shuffled his deck of cards if he thought he should stay in and scratched the wall when he thought he should sit the round out. By seeing the guard's hand and reading the faces and actions of the other guards, combined with the gut feelings he would get, by the end of the night when the other guards left the single night guard he had spoken to the night before had not only made back what he lost the past couple nights but had also banked about five thousand Jewels in addition. After seeing he was a man of his word, the guard told him that if he could replicate that for a couple more nights, he would have enough to pay for the doctor bills and afford the medicine for his son. If he could do this, the guard would agree to let him go free, and the deal was struck and finalized with an honorable handshake.
The next two nights followed the same suits: the guards would meet for poker, he would study the guard's hand and the actions and faces of the other guards, he would alert the guard by shuffling or scratching, and at the end of the night the guard would come out ahead in Jewels. They had a bit of a panic when one of the guards banned him for having cards in his cell, due to the fact that he can obviously hurt people with them, but he managed to throw small pebbles at the metal bed frame to replace the shuffling and the next three nights ended the same way. Oddly enough, the best hands the guard had were all hands focused on hearts, and the guard even once joked about him being his lucky valentine. That sixth night, the guard informed him that he had made enough money to pay the bills and afford the medicine he needed, as well as cover any possible expenses he may have in case his job was in jeopardy after he let him escape. He told him that he would get him out tomorrow and that once he paid for the bills and medicine in the morning he would head straight over to release him. Assured that everything was fine, he slept easy that night.
His dream of trying to take the auburn one's hand so they could run together through the fields but couldn't as she refused to take his hand was abruptly and rather rudely interrupted by being dragged out of his cot and cuffed and he was roughly escorted into a room with a weird looking chair with a bunch of metal attachments. He was in the execution room, and they sat him down in the chair and prepped him to be electrocuted while a bunch of random people from the town watched on the other side of the glass. Unbeknownst to him, one of them was the mayor, and one of them was a Rune Knight that had been staying in town, a marking on his neck lighting up bright at the presence of the knight. They sat him down and strapped him up, preparing him to fry as the mayor stood up and said many things about how he had maimed an innocent man and killed his daughter when she tried to leave his captivity...all lies that he filled into the heads of those present until all but the Rune Knight were cheering at his upcoming demise and were demanding his death. It was all complete and setup to fry him, not even being given the chance for any last words before the man pulled the switch...but nothing happened. Puzzled, the executioner lifted the switch and checked around only to find there of a disconnection of wires that needed to be replaced. It took him about five minutes to solve the problem, but as luck would have it, that's all that was needed: just before the man pulled the switch again, a storm had apparently rolled in and lightning struck the jailhouse. It knocked out all the generators so that there was not power, and it also set the building ablaze, everyone running in fear.
Stuck to the chair and trying not to breathe in the smoke, he waited for his impending doom...but he felt himself being released and picked up and carried...the guard had returned to honor his word! He quickly carried him outside the back of the burning jailhouse and set him down, checking to make sure he was alright before informing him that his aid ended here before returning to help calm the brightening blaze. Looking around, he found a panicking horse that was all by it's lonesome. He freed it from the tether and ran out to find the caravans.
He rode out to the exact location that all his gypsy family was, but he was only greeted with abandoned desert and rolling tumbleweeds. Completely abandoned and, after a quick check over his shoulder, a posse on his tail...he took off into the unknown.
The young Kitsune traveled from town to town, performing card tricks and Tarot readings for a price, being shunned and outright badgering for being labeled criminal scum. When the money for his trades wasn't there, he developed new tricks. When the tricks didn't work, and no one would let him hold even the lesser of jobs, he developed the trade that everyone expected of him: he became a pickpocket. Naturally gifted and being able to sneak around, he also moved on to robbing stores and banks, becoming worthy of the titles that people slandered him with daily. With the money he made he drowned his lonliness and sorrows with booze and broads, living the life than many criminals could only dream of.
"But to this day, he still cries at night for the family who abandoned him and the lover that he lost that fateful day."
"That's a very fascinating tale, but a tall one nonetheless."
"You know what they say, ma'am: truth is stranger than fiction."
"Well, that was a rather fascinating tale...I guess that deserves a drink. Here you go, on the house. Don't think I'll be making a habit of it though."
"Oh boy, that poor little boy...does he have a happy ending?"
"Well darling, I believe you just might be able to help with that. I have a question for you: you ever cuddled with a man as furry as me before?"
