James Luclare Gray [Fin~]

James Luclare Gray was born to one Mark Gray and one Samantha Riven in a small town a few miles away from Bellmuse - two years after the birth of his elder sister Serenity, or as he affectionately called her, Nity. At age 3 came the arrival of a new sibling, a sister by the name of Artemis. Goodness, how close those three were. Despite the mass prejudice displayed against the family for being Faunus - all three being a fox Faunus - the three children were able to do away with the ill feeling by being together. They were each other's sanctuary, their comfort.

At age 10, James, along with his siblings, discovered their talents in the musical arts. What had become a little hobby had turned into a band of melodious intelligence. Serenity found her calling in the flute, the calm and gentle pitch a reflection of her general attitude. Artemis found comfort in the violin, a symphony of sound mimicking the energy ball she was. James, however, found solace within himself: his voice. A tune as melodious as his eldest sister's flute with the strength of his youngest sister's chords. The three went around, parading in musical harmony; though it seemed to only spur the ire of the townspeople.

At age 14, disaster had struck this seemingly perfect family. It was a dark and stormy night, the Gray household had just finished dinner when a sudden knocking had made itself known. Suspicious due to how late it was, the father ushered the two youngest into the closet and made sure to lock it tight. After the two were secured, the three adults went to greet their unexpected guests. The door opened and a shot was heard. Two screams followed until they were silenced by the sound of flesh being sliced. Two thuds were heard as the clatter of steps resounded through the house. Vases were being smashed, wood was being broken apart. The two's breath hitched when one of the strangers drew near to the closet. They stayed their breath as the figure got closer and closer. The tension was thick and the two were trembling as the figure reached for the door knob...

Before he turned away, and left with the rest of his group. Breathing a sigh of relief, James had cracked open the door, just a bit so he can get a clearer view of the scene. What he had scene repulsed him greatly. The bodies of their sister and parents laid stacked on top of each other, blood and viscera spread across the walls and the floor. Little Artemis had squeezed through the small space left by her brother before reeling back into his arms with heavy tears dripping from her face.

This day had forever scarred the two. The family of five had now dwindled to two. Under the guise of night and the shine of moonlight, James carefully led his sister out of the village. The rain pounded hard on their skin and the thunder above muted the sobs escaping from the two children. With nowhere else to go, James led the group to the only destination in mind: Bellmuse

Worn from the journey and dirtied by the trip, little Artemis collapsed - the events of the night catching up to her. With short and heavy breaths, James lifted his sister into his arms and continued to push on. Conveniently, the youth found living space in the form of an abandoned apartment. Rundown and broken, James did not care; he only wanted to find shelter for his precious baby sister. Not bothering to knock on the door, he kicked it open. The door flew open, the lock breaking in the process, and the boy walked in. Looking around, he noticed the simplicity of the quaint room. A hallway with three doors on each side extending into a living room. Walking through the place, he noticed how dusty everything was. Obviously it wasn't used for some time. Moving over to the couch, he grimaced at the amount of dust collected on it - it was easily an inch deep. With surprising strength, he lifted Artemis from his arms using his tail and proceeded to remove his own wet shirt. Placing the shirt onto the couch, he gently placed his sleeping sister on top of it.

A smile placed gently on his face, he rubbed her cheek with the back of his index finger and chuckled a bit when she began to squirm. Moving a lock of his hair behind his ear, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled when she smiled. He felt guilty about what he was about to do, but they were gonna need some money if they were gonna survive - and what better way to earn money then through music? Of course, this involves using what little money they have right now, and he felt bad that they won't have some commodities for a while. With his goal set in place, he strolled out the apartment, regardless of him being shirtless, and made his way through the city. Store after store, he purchased clothes that would obscure him as well as be appealing to the public eye - thankfully, he had sisters that would constantly gush over performers like this. In the end, he went for a radical change in his attire. Torn black jeans with crossing belts, a slate gray hoodie with over sized sleeves, a wig with his inverted hairstyle, and a fox mask. Why they like this, he would not know, but he would make it work.

After buying all he needed, he walked into the biggest record company in the city and requested an audience with the owner - and he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was admitted up to meet face to face with the grumpy CEO. She didn't expect to have someone come in and was grumpy from being woken up - yes, she sleeps at the headquarters oddly - but had shaped up after seeing this odd fellow walk through her door. Let it be known that she will deny ever blushing at the sight. They chatted for a few and he even removed his mask upon her request. Obviously, she was shock at how youthful he really looked. After this, she gained a predatory smirk. Yes, she could sell the mysterious singer. James reeled from seeing the smirk and was taken back when she asked for a sample of his singing. He was confused, he legitimately believed that all you had to do was ask and they would sign you up. Oh the naivety..

With a touch of timidness, he sang. The woman was captivated by the gentle song and asked him for his address after he finished. Confused, he asked her why and she responded with "So I can send you your paycheck." The woman smirked at the boy and the youth smiled back. He thanked the woman and proceeded to return home.

Five long years had passed. At age 19, James had become an decently known star for, ironically, Shooting Star Inc under the alias of Kitsune - in reference to his fox-like qualities. The youth became known for his versatility in his song choices - romance, pop, rock, alternative, etc - as well as his constant donations to various charities, especially orphanages. The woman, who he came to know as Ms. Belle, keep her deal and sent anonymous checks of money to his household at the end of every month; which he had used to renovate the drab old apartment to be a lovely two story household as well as fund for Artemis's education. She always asked where all the money came from, but James always deflected the question. He didn't know how to feel about his sister knowing his little secret. He would tell her eventually, of course, just not know.

And so, his day continued on. A normal Academy student by day, artist by night. He even learned how to cook because lord knows that his little sister's cooking could destroy the planet. One day, he gained a letter from Syne Academy. He was surprised that he was actually chosen to go and began to read his acceptance letter. A brow was raised in confusion at the head master knowing about his "night job." As it were, looks like his side career is going on hiatus.

With a teary farewell and a promise to visit often, James set off to Syne Academy.. without first calling Ms. Belle to reroute a good potion of his pay to Artemis's bank account so she can buy food. James really doesn't trust her cooking for herself - he doesn't want to come home and find out she suffered food poisoning.

"Big Brother, where do you get the money for all this?"

Little Artemis Gray looked at her guardian, James Gray, with wide eyes, expecting of an answer this time. From the rundown apartments she first woke up to, the very same building had been renovated into a very comfy two-story house - a far cry from its beginnings. The young man in question sighed. Looking down to the girl, he told her the same answer used for the past 5 years, "I'm been doing jobs here and there." Of course, by jobs, he meant his nights as Kitsune - Shooting Star's very own shooting star. For so long has that become a part of his identity that now he didn't know what to do without it. However, life has other things in mind.

Syne Academy. The training grounds of Hunters and Huntresses in Bellmuse. In addition to his nightly routine, James had been training to be a Hunter during the day - working hard at Bellmuse's primary academy. Now, after a good few years, he was finally ready to enroll in Syne Academy. Being a year or two older than a good amount of first-years did not bother him at all. It just meant he had more time to make sure his baby sister had a reasonable living wage during his stay at Syne.