HEY NEAT I HAVE A CHARACTER! COMING SOON MAN OH MAN

Sunken waterways and dated architecture made for a truly romantic metropolis. In this city, gondola rides were one of the biggest tourist attractions. Dewy-eyed lovebirds from far and wide would hear whispers of the city's magic and would willingly, eagerly, pay any amount to experience it. In most cases they hoped secretly that the city's romanticism would inspire something passionate in their relationship that it otherwise lacked. It was the gondolier's job to make sure that his fares felt that passion because, in their business, the exchange rate between passion and cash was good.

But tourism has slowly started to decline. Most people attribute this to the general rise of cynicism; these days, lovebirds are more likely to notice the city's trash and vermin and crime than they are to be intoxicated by its atmosphere.

I think it has more to do with the disappearances than anything else.

Couples get on the gondolas but, curiously, never get off…



The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin' for a soul to steal
He was in a bind cos he was way behind
He was willin' to make a deal



?Evenin' sir, ma'am. How'd you like a tour o' the city?? a handsome gondolier drawled at a passing couple who seemed thoroughly in love. Arm in arm they nodded and clambered into the awaiting gondola. The gondolier pushed off and soon the only sound was the gentle movement of the water against the boat.

?The name's Hot. Are you folks new around here?"

?Mhmm. This city is beautiful!? the woman murmured.

?So folks say.? Hot smiled and lapsed back into silence.



When he came across this young man
Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot
And the devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said
Boy let me tell you what:
I bet you didn't know it
But I'm a fiddle player too
And if you'd care to take a dare
I'll make a bet with you



?Say,? he said, ?if you can beat me in a game of chance, this tour is on the house. Everyone knows these rides are overpriced and I really hate to take advantage of such a lovely young couple.? He grinned, saccharine, ?It's my job to show you the best this place has got to offer.?

?That sounds like fun!" the woman looked up at Hot, "What do you get if we lose??

?Well,? he answered with a smile, ?we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.?

?Honey, let's play!? the woman implored. Faced with those puppy dog eyes her beau had no choice but to consent.

?Excellent! I'll just pull up by this bridge and we can get to playin'.?

?I should warn you,? the man said, ?I've got pretty good luck.?



Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the devil his due
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul
Cos I think I'm better than you
The boy said 'My name's Johnny
And it might be a sin
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret
Cos I'm the best that's ever been'



?Oh yeah?? Hot raised his eyebrow, ?I like a fella with confidence. Let's put that luck o' yours to the test.? Hot withdrew two dice from his pocket. ?Name the game, sir.?

?Do you know how to play pig??

?Sure do. How 'bout we play to ten seein' as I don't want to keep you here all night.?

Hot handed the man one of the die and tossed his without waiting for the man's consent. The die clattered around on the floor of the gondola before coming to a stop on three.

The man tossed his and landed a five. He grinned.

Hot took his turn and this round got a two.

The man took his and rolled a three.

?Looks like your luck's treatin' you good.? Hot said and rolled once more. A six. This brought his total to 11, ?or maybe I spoke too soon.?

The man, looking a little flustered, tossed his die for the last time. Provided he rolled at least a two, the game would end in a tie. But whatever luck he may have once had was clearly favoring his opponent because his last roll brought him a one.

?My win, sir.? Hot grinned and tipped an imaginary hat.



Johnny you rosin up your bow
And you play your fiddle hard
Cos hell breaks loose in Georgia
And the devil deals the cards



?Fair enough. What do you win??

?Well, sir, we're gonna go for a little ride. A slight detour. You'll meet a friend of mine and he'll determine the price.?

?Alright…? the man replied, looking a little uneasy.

Hot shoved off and began to guide the gondola down a succession of increasingly narrower, darker waterways. This detour eventually landed them underneath a particularly grimy bridge. The stench of poverty was pervasive and rats scurried around boldly to and fro.

?What… what are we doing here?? the woman asked fearfully.



And if you win
You get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose…



?Goin' to see my friend is all.? Hot replied.

?W-where are you taking us?? the woman asked tearfully.

?Don't you worry, honey. We don't even have to leave the boat.?

The couple looked around when, to their horror, the city with which they were so enchanted began to dissolve. The charmingly old buildings began to melt like ice cream on a hot summer day. The waterways changed colors to yellows and oranges and reds and started to radiate light. Suddenly, everything was touched by an intense heat that made the air shimmer. Fire and brimstone surrounded the trio as they now found themselves in a very narrow corridor. The walls, barely two arm lengths wide, were jagged, dark red stones, and the entire corridor had a slight downward slope.

Hot grinned and pushed off, allowing the gondola to be taken by the flow of the (now molten) river.

?Like I said, we don't even have to leave the boat.?



The devil gets your soul.

Besides his propensity for stealing souls, Hot is the modicum of a southern gentleman. He has a laid back, cheerful demeanor and abides by a strict sense of honor when it comes to women. With his lazy grin and careful flattery, few people are likely to turn him down when he offers them a game of chance.

But above everything else, Hot's personality is compulsive. He gambles frequently and with an utter disregard for the consequences of losing. And he does lose – his luck is not infallible. When he loses, he shrugs it off with an immediate disregard no matter what he staked on the bet. This carelessness has cost him dearly both physically and fiscally in the past, although it hasn't deterred him in the slightest. Hot lives to gamble. The rewards of his games are great enough to keep him at the table.