To hate you have to hurt, to hurt you have to care.
-Unknown

I was born to a single mother. My dad had died two weeks before I was born. My mom was really upset about that, but I think my existence made it better for her. She spent a lot of time on me, making sure I was well fed, well dressed, and everything like that. She even had a good job though the loss of Dad made it harder on us. It wasn’t too long that I actually started to attract other kids, especially the girls. They just really liked me. I guess I have this natural charm or something since I didn’t end up having any Earth Magic. Who knows, maybe I should have been one of the Weasels.

Life was actually great for me while I was younger. When I was eight, I met a girl who really did a lot for me to change my life around. She was seven and I could see her through the front window of her house crying. Well naturally I had to go check that out. I had never seen the girl before and she lived only a block away. I didn’t even know that the people who lived there at that time had a kid. I think I startled her when I peeked into that window to find out what was wrong and who she was. I found out almost immediately what was wrong. When she pulled back, I saw this huge bruise down the side of her face. She had ended up getting abused by her parents and was mostly kept out of sight. No one really even knew about her at all. I had seen her parents a couple of times and I never really did like them that much. They just seemed creepy. So I risked life and limb to go into that yard and see what was wrong with the poor girl.

Her parents weren’t home at the time and weren’t due home for a long time yet so she ended up letting me into the house. Not the nicest looking place in the world. They needed my mom to come fix it up for them. We talked and played for a long time until the sun started to set. I then realized that I had to get home cause my mom was probably worried sick about me. I left but only after promising her I would be back. I got to find out that yes, I was right. I had to tell my mom what ended up keeping me out so late. She immediately ended up leaving to go use the phone. I didn’t know what about at the time, but I did find out later that she had called the authorities on it.

The girl ended up being taken away from her parents, which I was really glad of. I saw her once more before she was taken away and she said that she was happy to be getting away from her parents, but sad that she would have to end up going elsewhere. That was the worst part about it all. She ended up moving to the other side of the States. I only hope that she’s had a happy life.

Well I went through high school like a breeze. I wasn’t the best in my class, but I wasn’t that bad really. I was never really the best looking, but I tended to catch the attention of a lot of women anyway. That charm thing again, you know. I went out with a lot of them, but none of them actually felt right. They all liked me though and I really felt kind of bad having to tell them that I just wasn’t interested. I actually didn’t find anyone until after I got out of school.

I was hanging around my job, thinking about college and what do you know, this great woman pops up out of the blue. I think angels brought her in. Either that or she is one and hasn’t told me yet. I wouldn’t be surprised. Covert… Oh, this was a year ago. Yep, I was still thinking about college then. Anyway, she just clicked right. Couldn’t get my eyes off of her. We went out for awhile, but I didn’t really need much of that to tell that I just wanted her and no one else. She’s the one who introduced me to Las Panteras. I joined up with them to help out even more with my mom though I still work and send her most of the money to help. She deserves to have a great retirement and I’ll support her as much as I can. Of course I can’t work a very big job since the Strikers have taken over, but we both get by.

My charm continues to just get me by. In fact I met this really great woman bard of the Aztecs. I have the damnedest time trying to pronounce her name right, but ah well. Can’t be perfect. I kind of convinced her to leave the Aztecs behind and come with me to our side. Took a lot of convincing, but I did it! She’s really a great person. Just have to keep her safe and all. And well I’d lay my life down for a lot of people and she’s one of them.

Another woman ended up liking me too. Marcia of all people. You know how weird it is to have a Malkavian who loves to torture actually like you to the point where she releases you without having anything done to you? That was bizarre… though I feel bad cause because of that, Tricks ended up getting turned into a Malkavian instead of me. See? This charm can be a pain sometimes when it comes to other people. Oh well, it’s the way I am and I can’t help it in the end.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear.
-Mark Twain

Woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love - and to put its trust in life.
-Joseph Conrad