(no subject)
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me
Keith Tyler (formerly Irving Brown)
Age/Birthdate: Unsure of exact date, but they’re pretty confident he was born some time in mid-August, 1957. His official records have him down at August 18. He is 50 years old.
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Occupation: Employed by Napoleon Hart - Keith has been helping Napoleon in building his ‘Empire’, which primarily consists of purchasing run down bars and transforming them into successfully hip night clubs. He finds satisfaction in taking other peoples’ ‘babies’ (which is to say, peoples’ projects in which they invested a lot of time, energy and money), and then using the ‘straw’ of the run down establishment and turning it into ‘gold’. Because it’s part of Napoleon’s predisposition as a Tale for people to want to take advantage of him, Keith has secretly been doctoring the ledgers and pocketing the cash. Since fixing up nightclubs is just a hobby for the wealthy heir, Napoleon doesn’t pay that much attention to the project and has entrusted Keith with everything.
On the side, Keith has been known to loan people money, utilizing his Tale ability (see Ability, below for details). However, he doesn’t like doing this very often, because when people don’t pay up, it can get messy and he doesn’t want to call attention to either the law or the crime bosses, unwilling to get too involved with either.
Fairytale: Rumpelstiltskin, from the Tale of the same name.
Ability: Like his Tale persona, Keith has the ability to use a spinning wheel to turn ordinary straw into a fine string of pure gold. The only stipulation to this ability is that he can only do it when there truly is a need for the money - such as bills to pay, or a charity that needs a donation - that sort of thing. Otherwise, Keith wouldn’t be working for Napoleon. However, he’s found a loophole: he offers to loan people money that sincerely need the cash, and then is able to make the gold to cover exactly that much. After exchanging the gold, he lends the person the money (without them knowing how he got the money) and is promised to get the money back, with interest. By doing so, Keith is closely reenacting what he, as Rumpelstiltskin, did in his Tale. Only a small handful of people are aware of this power, and Keith guards this secret very carefully, afraid that others will take advantage of it.
Status: Having a secretive nature to begin with, Keith doesn’t like going around advertising to others which Tale he is. If people find out, it doesn’t make that much of a difference to him - what he’s really concerned about is people discovering his magical ability, his past and that he’d changed his name.
History: There was once a time that Keith wondered about who his parents were, but there came a point when his calloused heart stopped caring and he didn’t want to know any more. Whoever they were, Keith figures they were real assholes for originally naming him Irving. That was the name the nuns at Angel Guardian Orphanage in Chicago, Illinois found pinned on the blanket worn by the newborn baby they found abandoned on their property one morning. It was assumed his mother was unwed, and he was taken in and raised.
Life wasn’t easy for a kid in the growing up with the stigma of being an orphan: he was often looked down upon, and the young Irving grew increasingly resentful. However, he learned quickly to take advantage of those whose sympathies he garnered. As a child, he generally kept to himself, preferring to watch others play instead of participating himself. He routinely got into fights, and had no interest in the religious principles that the priests and nuns taught. In his mind, he had to be tough and independent to get by in the world, and it helped give him a sense of self-esteem.
The realization he was a Tale came to Irving when he was sixteen. While wandering through Maxwell Street Market, picking through the odds and ends the flea market had to offer (and shop lifting the things of value that he could), he came across an old spinning wheel for sale, and the revelation came so suddenly, he was stunned. For the next couple of days, he walked around with his head in the clouds, his mind completely distracted by the memories of his Tale life, so much so that the orphanage thought he was on drugs. He wanted that spinning wheel more than anything else in the world, but he didn’t have enough money to buy it, and nobody would lend it to him. He was so determined to get it, Irving started making plans to steal the money, but before he could successfully carry the plan out, he was contacted by the Atheneum.
The year was 1973, and the Illinois Department of Children Family Services were making changes in policy, favoring home placement for the children under the orphanage’s care. After some legal finagling, the Atheneum became Irving’s legal ward, and he moved to New York City, but not before he convinced the Librarian who had come for him to buy him the goddamn spinning wheel.
At the Pentamerone, the Head Librarian told Irving that there was a book that recorded every Tale’s parentage, and that if he wanted, he could find out who his mother and father were. There was a certain amount of curiosity, but he turned the offer down, deciding instead to discard his past entirely and make a brand new start. He insisted on a name change, and introduced himself on the compendiums as Keith Tyler. The name was derived from two of Irving’s greatest pop heroes who he admired at the time: Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones, and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, whose debut album was released that year.
Even though the Atheneum treated him well, Keith always felt that there must be some ulterior motive for their kindness. Several months later, something happened that confirmed this for him and reinforced his belief that everybody is just looking for a way to take advantage of you: while communicating on the compendium, he learned that some Tales had magical abilities. Wondering if he also might have some ability, Keith put it to the test. The spinning wheel he brought from Chicago was kept in the corner of his room for sentimental purposes, but he had never thought to try it out. Sneaking in some straw from outside, Keith began spinning, and even though he had never any prior experience in this lifetime, he found himself knowing exactly what to do. The results were immediate, and soon Keith’s room was filled with gold. He was rich Rich RICH, and while he was incredibly excited, he told nobody. However, when he tried to sell the gold for cash, the word trickled back to the Atheneum, and he was confronted by the Librarians, who confiscated Keith’s gold, his money (or at least the gold and money they could find), and his spinning wheel. Their motivation was to ‘protect the Atheneum from suspicion by the outside world’, but to Keith, the greedy sons of a bitches wanted what was rightfully his. When the Librarians told him he was required to pay dues, and that he could do so by spinning gold for them, it only pissed Keith off even more.
When Keith turned eighteen, he legally changed his name and moved on to college. From an early age, he was excellent at arithmetic, and with scholarships and financial aid, he enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he graduated with top grades. It was with this qualification that Napoleon Hart hired him as financial manager when he returned to the United States after receiving his education abroad.
While he’s still carefully monitored by the Atheneum for any gold production, Keith has his own spinning wheel and has carefully done his own thing, making illegal connections to sell whatever little gold he makes.
Personality: If there is one thing that Keith has learned in this incarnation, is that there’s no such thing as a free ride. Nothing comes without strings attached. There’s always an ulterior motive, and he’s distrustful of people who seem to ‘spontaneously’ want to do nice things for him. It’s been his experience, and it’s the way he deals with others, so naturally he assumes the worst of people. He’s never been in love because he hasn’t been able to trust anybody enough to be share his intimate thoughts and feelings. When somebody asks him for something - anything - it reinforces his beliefs and internally resents having to do it.
He has a cynical streak, and he’s jaded, but despite these negative qualities, he knows how to be nice to others. The main reason for this is that when he needs something, Keith knows people are more likely to give to a friendly face than a sour puss. The problem is, Keith’s friendly face does not radiate sincerity; his smile hides something behind it; his eyes are alight with some idea or another. It’s a mask he hides behind, which protects an insecure nature.
Growing up without money has made Keith anxious about it: how to make more, how to save and invest. He dreams of an early retirement, where he won’t have to think about financial insecurities, and he certainly has enough now to be quite comfortable, but in his mind, there will never be enough.
You could say that Keith has one weakness, though, and that is young children, particularly those from the ages of new-born to about six years old. There’s something about them that warms his heart. Perhaps it’s their innocence, their honest, playful nature - an aspect of his personality that he longs for but has denied. The same characteristics which, in adults, he finds so fake and hateful. This is by no means a creepy, pedophile thing. There have been times when Keith has actually thought of adopting a baby for that reason, but then he remembers he’s legally responsible for dealing with the kid all the way through to adulthood.
Played-By: Dennis Leary
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me
Keith Tyler (formerly Irving Brown)
Age/Birthdate: Unsure of exact date, but they’re pretty confident he was born some time in mid-August, 1957. His official records have him down at August 18. He is 50 years old.
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Occupation: Employed by Napoleon Hart - Keith has been helping Napoleon in building his ‘Empire’, which primarily consists of purchasing run down bars and transforming them into successfully hip night clubs. He finds satisfaction in taking other peoples’ ‘babies’ (which is to say, peoples’ projects in which they invested a lot of time, energy and money), and then using the ‘straw’ of the run down establishment and turning it into ‘gold’. Because it’s part of Napoleon’s predisposition as a Tale for people to want to take advantage of him, Keith has secretly been doctoring the ledgers and pocketing the cash. Since fixing up nightclubs is just a hobby for the wealthy heir, Napoleon doesn’t pay that much attention to the project and has entrusted Keith with everything.
On the side, Keith has been known to loan people money, utilizing his Tale ability (see Ability, below for details). However, he doesn’t like doing this very often, because when people don’t pay up, it can get messy and he doesn’t want to call attention to either the law or the crime bosses, unwilling to get too involved with either.
Fairytale: Rumpelstiltskin, from the Tale of the same name.
Ability: Like his Tale persona, Keith has the ability to use a spinning wheel to turn ordinary straw into a fine string of pure gold. The only stipulation to this ability is that he can only do it when there truly is a need for the money - such as bills to pay, or a charity that needs a donation - that sort of thing. Otherwise, Keith wouldn’t be working for Napoleon. However, he’s found a loophole: he offers to loan people money that sincerely need the cash, and then is able to make the gold to cover exactly that much. After exchanging the gold, he lends the person the money (without them knowing how he got the money) and is promised to get the money back, with interest. By doing so, Keith is closely reenacting what he, as Rumpelstiltskin, did in his Tale. Only a small handful of people are aware of this power, and Keith guards this secret very carefully, afraid that others will take advantage of it.
Status: Having a secretive nature to begin with, Keith doesn’t like going around advertising to others which Tale he is. If people find out, it doesn’t make that much of a difference to him - what he’s really concerned about is people discovering his magical ability, his past and that he’d changed his name.
History: There was once a time that Keith wondered about who his parents were, but there came a point when his calloused heart stopped caring and he didn’t want to know any more. Whoever they were, Keith figures they were real assholes for originally naming him Irving. That was the name the nuns at Angel Guardian Orphanage in Chicago, Illinois found pinned on the blanket worn by the newborn baby they found abandoned on their property one morning. It was assumed his mother was unwed, and he was taken in and raised.
Life wasn’t easy for a kid in the growing up with the stigma of being an orphan: he was often looked down upon, and the young Irving grew increasingly resentful. However, he learned quickly to take advantage of those whose sympathies he garnered. As a child, he generally kept to himself, preferring to watch others play instead of participating himself. He routinely got into fights, and had no interest in the religious principles that the priests and nuns taught. In his mind, he had to be tough and independent to get by in the world, and it helped give him a sense of self-esteem.
The realization he was a Tale came to Irving when he was sixteen. While wandering through Maxwell Street Market, picking through the odds and ends the flea market had to offer (and shop lifting the things of value that he could), he came across an old spinning wheel for sale, and the revelation came so suddenly, he was stunned. For the next couple of days, he walked around with his head in the clouds, his mind completely distracted by the memories of his Tale life, so much so that the orphanage thought he was on drugs. He wanted that spinning wheel more than anything else in the world, but he didn’t have enough money to buy it, and nobody would lend it to him. He was so determined to get it, Irving started making plans to steal the money, but before he could successfully carry the plan out, he was contacted by the Atheneum.
The year was 1973, and the Illinois Department of Children Family Services were making changes in policy, favoring home placement for the children under the orphanage’s care. After some legal finagling, the Atheneum became Irving’s legal ward, and he moved to New York City, but not before he convinced the Librarian who had come for him to buy him the goddamn spinning wheel.
At the Pentamerone, the Head Librarian told Irving that there was a book that recorded every Tale’s parentage, and that if he wanted, he could find out who his mother and father were. There was a certain amount of curiosity, but he turned the offer down, deciding instead to discard his past entirely and make a brand new start. He insisted on a name change, and introduced himself on the compendiums as Keith Tyler. The name was derived from two of Irving’s greatest pop heroes who he admired at the time: Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones, and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, whose debut album was released that year.
Even though the Atheneum treated him well, Keith always felt that there must be some ulterior motive for their kindness. Several months later, something happened that confirmed this for him and reinforced his belief that everybody is just looking for a way to take advantage of you: while communicating on the compendium, he learned that some Tales had magical abilities. Wondering if he also might have some ability, Keith put it to the test. The spinning wheel he brought from Chicago was kept in the corner of his room for sentimental purposes, but he had never thought to try it out. Sneaking in some straw from outside, Keith began spinning, and even though he had never any prior experience in this lifetime, he found himself knowing exactly what to do. The results were immediate, and soon Keith’s room was filled with gold. He was rich Rich RICH, and while he was incredibly excited, he told nobody. However, when he tried to sell the gold for cash, the word trickled back to the Atheneum, and he was confronted by the Librarians, who confiscated Keith’s gold, his money (or at least the gold and money they could find), and his spinning wheel. Their motivation was to ‘protect the Atheneum from suspicion by the outside world’, but to Keith, the greedy sons of a bitches wanted what was rightfully his. When the Librarians told him he was required to pay dues, and that he could do so by spinning gold for them, it only pissed Keith off even more.
When Keith turned eighteen, he legally changed his name and moved on to college. From an early age, he was excellent at arithmetic, and with scholarships and financial aid, he enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he graduated with top grades. It was with this qualification that Napoleon Hart hired him as financial manager when he returned to the United States after receiving his education abroad.
While he’s still carefully monitored by the Atheneum for any gold production, Keith has his own spinning wheel and has carefully done his own thing, making illegal connections to sell whatever little gold he makes.
Personality: If there is one thing that Keith has learned in this incarnation, is that there’s no such thing as a free ride. Nothing comes without strings attached. There’s always an ulterior motive, and he’s distrustful of people who seem to ‘spontaneously’ want to do nice things for him. It’s been his experience, and it’s the way he deals with others, so naturally he assumes the worst of people. He’s never been in love because he hasn’t been able to trust anybody enough to be share his intimate thoughts and feelings. When somebody asks him for something - anything - it reinforces his beliefs and internally resents having to do it.
He has a cynical streak, and he’s jaded, but despite these negative qualities, he knows how to be nice to others. The main reason for this is that when he needs something, Keith knows people are more likely to give to a friendly face than a sour puss. The problem is, Keith’s friendly face does not radiate sincerity; his smile hides something behind it; his eyes are alight with some idea or another. It’s a mask he hides behind, which protects an insecure nature.
Growing up without money has made Keith anxious about it: how to make more, how to save and invest. He dreams of an early retirement, where he won’t have to think about financial insecurities, and he certainly has enough now to be quite comfortable, but in his mind, there will never be enough.
You could say that Keith has one weakness, though, and that is young children, particularly those from the ages of new-born to about six years old. There’s something about them that warms his heart. Perhaps it’s their innocence, their honest, playful nature - an aspect of his personality that he longs for but has denied. The same characteristics which, in adults, he finds so fake and hateful. This is by no means a creepy, pedophile thing. There have been times when Keith has actually thought of adopting a baby for that reason, but then he remembers he’s legally responsible for dealing with the kid all the way through to adulthood.
Played-By: Dennis Leary
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint