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-History: A Thief's Confession Letter-

You asked for a confession letter. Well, alright… here it is. Guess I don’t have much of a choice unless I want to rot in a cell for the next few years, do I?

This is the whole truth and nothing but the truth as you Americans say. Mind you this is going to be my first streak of honesty in over 5 years now, so this is going to be a little difficult. It’s funny you know, after deceiving others for so long telling the truth actually feels a little like lying.

Now, when do I begin? I guess from the place every man defines himself – my name. I would like to tell you my name is Bruno Moretti, and that I’m Italian, but you already know he doesn’t exist, I wish he did, would save me a whole lot of trouble. My name, my real name, is Adam Keller, and I was born and raised in Israel. English is not my mother language, so I apologize if this letter turns out a little... encumbered? Is that how you say it?

So… who am I exactly? What brought me here? And why did I try and steal from you? Since I’ll be getting no sleep tonight at is it, and I have a few hours to kill until dawn, I’ll allow myself to be descriptive.

Part of the reason I left Israel and wound up in this cell is my obsession with freedom. Ironic isn’t it? Ever since I was a young boy I sensed it: the need to escape, to get away. Since Israel is a small place, surrounded by uhm… not so friendly neighbours, your entire range of movement concludes in about a 6 hour drive from one end of the country to another. And yes, it made me feel very claustrophobic.

My spirit has always been a little too free, and no need to say I didn’t get along with… the natural flow of things around me. I guess you can call it rebellious when I think about it now. Disobeying was one of my kinks as a kid, varying from running around barefoot just because my parents told me to wear shoes, to crawling into dangerous places when I shouldn’t have. I learned my lesson after getting bitten by a snake. But you don’t know unless you try right?

I wasn’t a bad kid, I really wasn’t. Like all the other kids I was playful. The only difference is that my games were just slightly different than the rest. Usually boys want to become cops when the grow up, or astronauts. And in Purim, which is our weird version of Halloween, they’d dress up as cowboys, doctors or soldiers. Most Israelis get to dress up as soldiers when they reach the age of 18 anyways, knowing that was probably coming in a few years I didn’t have any burning desire to try out my uniforms before I had to. I wanted to try out a different set of uniforms – I wanted to be a thief. You know, stripey black and white shirt, shackles. I remember my dad wasn’t too pleased seeing my mom making that black mask for me. But hey I was just a kid right? I didn’t know what it really meant. Well at least that’s what my mom told my dad, who wanted me to dress up like a soldier. He was a soldier after all, for a very damn long time. Oh if I only knew how wrong my mom was back then, she shouldn’t have made that mask for me.

It first happened when I was 10. I had my thief costume on like any other Purim. I was walking down the street with a few friends dressed in our costumes, and like kids always do, got into an argument. My best friend at the time, who ironically was dressed as a cop, challenged me to a dare. He dared me to prove I’m not a scared coward and steal something for him, an RC car his mom wouldn’t get him from a nearby toy store. Needless to say I was scared shitless, but I wasn’t going to chicken out! I was a thief! I had to defend my thievery… honor! Or whatever it is thieves have.
I broke into the store that night, suspecting the crummy cheap looking store didn’t have an alarm, I broke the lock, and thanked god I was right. The second that rusty lock hit the floor something else inside of me broke – my … scruples? Is that the word? I ran all the way home with that little blue RC car in my hands, never looking back. I was sure I’m going to get busted. My heart was beating so fast I felt like it was about to rip my chest apart. But I couldn’t stop, not until I was safe.

I reached home and rushed up to my room, sitting on my bed. It took me about an hour to calm down. I was shocked for stealing and picked up the phone to call my friend but I froze as I realized - he used me! My so called “best friend” talked me into risking my neck so he could have his little toy. No way, I stole it, it was mine and mine alone. The car needed to be hidden. I wasn’t giving it away. It was going to stay in its shiny plastic forever as my trophy of bravery– or stupidity.
When my friend found out about the break he immediately asked me, but I was smarter than admitting my crime. I wasn’t going to give away my trophy and I wasn’t going to let anyone else know about this, not unless they were crucial to the operation. As far as I knew he was going to snitch me out, so I just smiled and admitted being a sissy coward, and that I could never do such a thing. You should’ve seen my smile when I hung up the phone that day, ear to ear. I lied through my teeth, and it felt so good.

Life usually makes sense when you’re a kid. Mostly because you’re too dumb to realize what’s going on around you.
Things started taking the wrong turn in school, well high school to be exact. And don’t let anyone tell you school’s good for you. I mean, study? What for? Why spend hours over hours learning things you’ll end up forgetting by the end of the week anyways, when you can harness your brainpower into more… effective tasks? Like sneaking into the teacher’s lounge and… borrowing a copy of the next day’s test? Just like Robin Hood! I’ve seen that one when I was a kid, with the fox. Steal from the rich? Give to the poor right? Wrong! The poor always pay. Then it came to me. Hey, since I’m so good at sticking my hands where they shouldn’t be, risking my a**, why give to the poor when I can sell them? That’s when I learned a very valuable lesson in life: information equals money. And the right information at the right time can be a life worth of cash!

Hard honest work gets you nowhere. It wasn’t always about the money, no. It was the thrill. Even though it was just a copy of a stupid meaningless test, the fact that I got a hold of it got me so excited. The chance of getting caught and walking out of there without a trace. Hey I didn’t make the rules, I just find my way around them – that’s my motto. I learned that from observing my dad. a hard worker, a model soldier, who gets no reward for everything he’s done.

The heat. I just can’t stand the heat. And don’t even get me started about the sun. Ever since I was a small boy I was suffering from the hot, moisty climate Israel has been ‘blessed’ with. The expression “hot as HELL” suits it well. Ever wonder why hell never freezes over and always remains a hot furnace? Makes you think. Hey if you like living inside a wet sauna you’d love it there, just make sure you pack a few spares. What I was trying to say in short is – I hate the heat, period.

When they broadcasted shows on National Geographic about snowy places I sat there mesmerized, imagining how being there would be like. I was actually starting to have dreams about the snowy planes I saw on TV, but the little beads of sweat on my forehead that woke me up on 2a.m reminded me where I was. So yeah, snow was my little obsession ever since I was a kid. And the funny part is I’ve never actually been in real snow before. I was jealous, so jealous. Not knowing exactly what you miss makes the jealousy even worse.

Israel isn’t simple. We try to lead a normal life and sometimes when we stick our head really deep in the ground and try not to pay attention to the trouble around us we even succeed. But the truth is Israel is living by the sword, in constant conflict with it’s surroundings. And this leads me to the final turn of events that led me here. Living in Israel made me feel like an animal in a cage. A hot, steamy, sand filled cage. Being drafted to the military made me feel even worse. I barely managed to get through highschool because I couldn’t sit still, and now the military? Being a soldier? Sir yes sir? Oh man…

When you turn eighteen in Israel you’re automatically enlisted in three years of mandatory military service. My dad went through the same thing, and guess what happens? He fights for his country with hardly no pay what so ever. And by the will of god, or whoever that sorry clown sitting up there in the sky is, gets captured by the Syrians. He’s been held captive for months, tortured. Finally after the war ended he got released. My guess was that he walked out a different person, something was not quite right after spending time in captivity and torture. My guess was right – years later, a few months after I got drafted to the military, when I was 20, he snapped. They say his traumas got reawakened. And the state, whos responsible for my dad’s condition, turned the other way. It was our problem now. See? That’s what you get for being a model soldier and good citizen – troubles and traumas for the rest of your life.

I wanted out now. Out of Israel. Out of the desert. Out of the heat. But I was too scared to do anything about it, deep inside I was still the good kid. As much as I hated the system, causing real trouble wasn’t what I had in mind. This whole thing with my dad being sent away to the mental institute got me depressed and angry, I felt trapped. That’s when the wheels began to turn – I needed to feel that thrill inside of me again, just once… so I started stealing from the military. What exactly I can’t share. But it wasn’t weapons or valuable information. I only stole to feel like I was back in control, to get my spirits up, not harm anyone.

Then the inevitable happened. They found out someone was stealing. An investigation started and I knew I had to get out of there or very soon I’d be behind bars. I knew a guy in the military. I’d done him a favor in high school so he owed me. Without telling him the real reason I was able to get me forged papers and a fake I.D. That’s when the Italian Bruno Moretti was created. I knew it was now or never, it was either running away or getting the cage. I wasn’t thinking this whole thing through when I began stealing, but I knew it didn’t change the outcome. I was a real thief now, not a 10 year old stealing RC cars to prove how brave he is. Lucky for me my next leave home was the following day, and I knew it was going to be the last leave I’m going to take. I got home, packed my bag, told my mom I love her but I have to go, and I wish she won’t be mad at me.

I had to board a plane to America. See, soldiers aren’t allowed to leave the state, but I was Bruno Moretti, visiting family in Israel. They didn’t know who’d stolen, but the military’s private investigations (kind of like the military police) were narrowing down the list of suspects quickly. When they get onto your trail you’re screwed so I had to scram. I wanted to be free, I couldn’t be cooped up like that. Being a hard working citizen wasn’t an option for me, not anymore. All I needed was one good operation and I wouldn’t have to steal or work again for the rest of my life.

I wanted to make enough money off one operation that would sustain me for the rest of my life. Enough to make me live comfortably. I don’t want to be rich.
What kept me motivated throughout the past few years was my dream. I know it’s silly but I always wanted a lil piece of my own snowy paradise. I’ve never lived someplace cold before, but I guess you can’t get rid of childhood obsessions so easily.

Medical equipment was a hot ticket item on the black market and all I needed was one golden score to set me up for life. That’s how I got involved with Feral Labs. And that’s how I tricked that guy…. What was his name…? Jordan…. something or another…. A lab assistant there, I tricked him, earned his trust and used him to get what I wanted. It was easy enough: pose as his superior, work alongside him for a few weeks, then get him to do the dirty work for me. He never questioned my authority. He’s genuinely a good guy. He didn’t know what was really going on behind the scenes. It was immoral you may say, and perhaps even mean to toy with him like that, but sometimes you have to be that way.

So no, he wasn’t behind this. Not him nor anyone else. It was my operation and I work… well, worked, alone. I ask that no harm comes to him. He’s a good guy and I’m sorry to have caused him trouble. He shouldn’t be punished for my mistakes. Actually I think your company will benefit greatly from having him around, he follows orders blindly, I wish I could’ve been more like that. Keep my nose out of trouble, you know?

I’ll say it again – I’m a good guy. I never harmed anyone and I hope Jordan won’t be an exception.
I admit, I was a bit too arrogant, taking a job way over my league all by myself for the first time, and in such a big, security tight organization. And I actually thought I’d get away with it. Hey you asked for the whole truth.

Well, this is where we come to this confession. We were arrested before we could get the files I was after. I think they knew and were onto me.
And here I am sitting in cage, probably because I wanted to be free a bit too much.

I’m almost certain they set me up to take a fall.

I was, what’s the word? … outfoxed?

Why Arctic Fox?

First of all, turning Adam into an arctic fox would be an ironic and perhaps even amusing punishment for his crime (at least on Moreau’s end).

Adam has always felt drawn to snow and chilly climates. It’s been his own little obsession since childhood, probably because of the hot climate region he used to live in. You see, he’s always felt a little like a snow creature deep inside, especially when he was constantly suffering from the heat and never adjusted.

Physically: making him an arctic fox- while confining him to the tropical island- would make Adam feel like he was in his not-so-beloved former “home” (especially when that foxxie coat grows in!). This ensures he will never be able to fully enjoy his environment. So on the physical and emotional level it serves as a fitting punishment for stealing.

On the mental aspect- Adam has a fox-like personality. He fulfills the stereotype of foxes being sneaky, plotting and not so trusting. Foxes are scavengers, “stealing” food and eggs from other animals. Adam is very similar in that manner – stealing for a living, “sniffing out” random opportunities he stumbles upon, pretty much like a fox sniffing around for a meal to steal. Obeying rules and authority figures is difficult for him, which makes him hard to “tame”.

Like many wild beasts, Adam values his personal space and can’t be caged like an animal on display. It’s his compulsion to run free to his heart’s content and to venture onto thin ice.

I also think it would be interesting to see how Adam adjusts to the growing personality and instincts of a fox. He did point out he wants to kick the bad habit of stealing. Will he be able to control himself and suppress the growing beast?


Arctic Fox


This animal

• raises its young in dens up to 300 years old, with as many as 100 entrances
• is the smallest canid, or doglike animal, in Canada
• ”migrates” in search of food in lean years
• has a white or pale bluish-grey coat in winter and a dark brown or darker bluish-grey coat in summer


Description

The arctic fox Alopex lagopus, or white fox as it is often called, is a member of the canid family and is related to other foxes, wolves, and dogs.It weighs from 2.5 to 9 kg and measures between 75 and 115 cm in length, making it the smallest wild canid in Canada—about the size of a large domestic cat. The long, bushy tail makes up between 30 and 35 percent of its total length. Arctic foxes have smaller, more rounded ears, a more rounded braincase, and a slightly shorter and broader muzzle than the red fox, Vulpes vulpes.

Over the winter, the arctic fox has a heavy white coat, but during May, when the snow begins to melt, this coat is shed for a thinner, two-tone brown one. Within a few weeks the back, tail, and legs are dark brown and the remaining underparts are a buff colour. A small proportion of arctic foxes have a heavy, pale bluish-grey coat in winter, which becomes thinner and darker bluish-grey in summer.

The blue coloration (blue fox) occurs in almost all populations, although the proportion tends to be higher in those animals living in marine areas that remain mostly ice-free during winter. In Canada, blue foxes seldom make up more than 5 percent of animals that are trapped, whereas in Greenland, for example, the proportion of blue foxes may reach 50 percent.

Colour morphs are determined genetically at a single locus, white being recessive. The "blue" morph comprises less than 1% of the population through most of its continental range, but this proportion increases westwards in Alaska, and on islands.


Signs and sounds

The voice of the arctic fox is a sound rarely heard except during the breeding season. Courting foxes communicate with a barking yowl that may be heard over a great distance. Adults also yelp to warn their whelps, or pups, of danger and give a high-pitched undulating whine when disputing territorial claims with neighbouring foxes.



Feeding
The diet of the arctic fox varies greatly from one part of its range to another. In the vast expanses of the continental tundra region, the arctic fox is almost entirely dependent on lemmings throughout the year. Only 5 to 10 percent of the summer diet consists of birds, eggs, ground squirrels, and berries. In winter, the fox continues its search for lemmings, which are active under the snow. Other winter food items include the meat caches, or hidden stores, of Inuit trappers, wolf kills, and food cached by the fox during summer

To satisfy the food requirements of their whelps, or pups, adult arctic foxes living on the tundra hunt lemmings throughout the sunlit arctic summer night, from about 4:00 in the afternoon until 10:00 or 11:00 the following morning. Each adult usually conducts 10 to 15 hunts per night and brings back from three to eight lemmings per hunt. When lemmings are abundant the foxes hunt over an area of 2.5 to 5.0 km2. However, when food is scarcer, the adults probably range much further. Foxes capture the lemmings by digging them from their nests, which are located in soft peaty hummocks. In open tundra covered with low-lying or sparse vegetation, foxes capture active lemmings with a quick dash and a pounce. Lemmings detected in areas of low bush are pounced on as the fox slowly stalks through the bush. The abundance of Arctic Foxes tends to fluctuate in a cycle along with the population of lemmings

In other areas, other rodents, such as ground squirrels and voles, are an important source of food, and during summer, adult birds, eggs, and flightless young also make up a large part of the diet. Arctic foxes that inhabit coastal regions also hunt for small marine animals, fish, and carrion, or flesh of dead animals, along shorelines. During winter, these foxes venture onto the sea ice, where they frequently trail polar bears for the remains of seal kills and seek out seal dens to capture the pups.

Foxes living close to major seabird colonies raid nests for eggs and capture hundreds of birds, which they cache for food in winter. Some also search along lakeshores during June, hoping to flush a duck, goose, or shorebird from its nest and eat its eggs. Arctic foxes sometimes attack Sandhill Cranes and geese, but are seldom successful against such large prey

Many tourists visit the North to see wildlife, and the arctic fox is one species that they have an excellent chance of observing. These attractive wild canines often visit campsites in search of food and activity. In the past, this has been both a welcome diversion and an inconvenience; for example, scientists who visited colonies where seabirds breed had to take precautions not only against the loss of food from their campsite, but also against leading the foxes, which eat both eggs and chicks, to the nests that they were studying.


Breeding

The foxes tend to form monogamous pairs in the breeding season.
In March or April, two months before the end of winter, arctic foxes begin to form mating pairs. Mating follows a long and playful period of courtship involving much active chasing and play-fighting. Throughout the females’ 51- to 57-day pregnancy, the pair remains together and finds a den for raising the whelps, or pups. Den sites are typically located on the tops or sides of eskers, which are ridges of coarse gravel, or on the tops of banks of lakes or rivers where the soil is sandy, dry, and stable. The den sites are usually free from snow earlier than the surrounding landscape because of the good drainage. Dens may be up to 300 years old and possess as many as 100 entrances. Before the birth of the whelps, both adults share the responsibility for cleaning out a portion of the den and digging one or more new entrances.

Litters of arctic foxes are born between late May and early June. The average litter size is about 11 whelps. It is the largest litter recorded for any wild mammal in the world. Litters of up to 22 whelps have been recorded in Russia. At birth the whelps are blind, helpless, covered with hair, and weigh about 57 g.

Compared to other canids, the male fox is probably one of the most attentive and best providers of food during the denning period. Just before the birth of the whelps and while the female is spending her time nursing and caring for the litter, the male hunts for food for her. After five to six weeks, when the whelps are weaned, the female begins to share the hunting duties with her mate and gradually provides well over half of the food to the growing litter. Although the amount of food provided by the male gradually decreases, he continues to bring food to the den site until the whelps begin to leave the den about 14 to 15 weeks after birth

The large litter size and rapid growth of the whelps keep the adults busy hunting for food. An average litter of 11 whelps just starting to eat solid food requires about 30 lemmings or the equivalent in other food per day. The demand increases to over 100 lemmings per day just before the whelps leave the den. The adults and young consume about 3 500 to 4 000 lemmings during the denning period.Arctic foxes' habitats are tundra and coastal areas. The white morph is generally associated with true tundra habitat, the blue more with coastal habitat.




Information gathered from:
Hinterland’s Who’s Who: Arctic Fox - http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=81&cid=8
Wikipedia – Arctic Fox - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_fox

Wow, this is cool xd When I saw it I thought of Youko Kurama, a fox demon who was a theif in my favorite anime. He's also white as snow. Foxes are awesome.

foxes Unite! lol love it sooo cute and fuzzy. For an art project once i had to draw my own face that was half transformed and i piced an artic fox! Hey if you ever get someone to draw your character in his beginning stage i'll do that for you! It's a promise!

Didn't you win anything?

*steals back my pants and steals all your hamburgers* Ta! *runs*

*mauls bobbovski in the main thread as punishment!*