Now, Amos Caldwell wasn't a man to back down from some danger, and he'd made it through gunfights happening in town before without closing up shop and cowering like some city folk. So some two-bit bandits getting themselves into a scrape with the sheriff didn't even faze him, and he continued cleaning up the barbershop as usual. Of course, as he laid on the floor of that same barbershop about two minutes later, his blood staining that floor that he had just gotten properly clean for the first time in months, his final thoughts turned to whether those folks had the right idea after all. He'd always thought he'd find his end at the hands of some rowdy customer, or consumption... no, a stray bullet.
And then... he awoke with a start, as if rising from a nightmare, but to his surprise, it was as if he had passed from reality into a dream. The barber's surroundings were as unfamiliar as they could have been, with lush, green gardens surrounding him on all sides, a stark change from the dusty, arid frontier he had called his home. There was no sign of injury on his body, even if the memory of the pain he was in a mere moment ago still lingered within him. Was this Heaven? If it was, it sure didn't look like what the preacher said it'd look like. But while he pondered the potential theological implications of this situation, a woman's voice coming from behind surprised him. "Oh my, a visitor? What brings you here, stranger?" the voice asked.
Startled, Amos stood up and turned to face the voice, only to be startled once more. There before him stood a woman, not only about a head larger than him and dressed in garb wholly foreign to him, but more alarmingly, there swayed nine large fox tails behind her. Still, Amos was a man raised with values, and even if there's a strange fox lady in front of him, she is still a lady and therefore should be treated with respect. "Howdy, miss. I didn't mean to impose, but I'm afraid I ain't got the first clue where the heck I am. Name's Amos," he explained, reaching out his hand for a friendly introduction.
With a curt nod, the fox lady accepted the gesture, and the two shook hands. "I am Miyako, and you are in the gardens of my estate. As long as you are respectful, you have nothing to fear," she said, a smile coming over her expression.
"Pleasure to meet ya, miss Miyako. This ol' barber ain't lookin' to cause no trouble," he replied, producing his scissors from a jacket pocket to underscore that point.
However, that caused quite the reaction within Miyako. There, in her expression, was a glint of excitement. "Oh my... a barber? Well, you know, if you want to make yourself useful in exchange for room and board, there is something you could help me with..." she trailed off, a giddy undercurrent in her tone.
Let it be said that Amos Caldwell never figured that a lady being excited about seeing him would fill him with trepidation, but this one seems to have done it. Still, given his situation, there was no real avenue for him beyond going along with this, even if he couldn't shake the suspicion that he was about to be taken advantage of. "Well, miss, I ain't sure I got what ya need, but I'll give 'er an honest shot. What'd ya need?" he asked.
"Follow me..." was Miyako's simple response, and with that, she walked off in the direction of a large estate, again built in a style totally unfamiliar to the barber. Inside, other people were scurrying about, sent running by the mere presence of the fox lady. It became clear to Amos that whoever this lady was, she wielded a lot of power here. The two continued along the halls until they reached a particular room, which was fairly empty bar a stool in the middle of the room, and a table off to the side stacked full with hair supplies of all sorts. "You know, having these tails is quite wonderful, and they are a symbol of my power... but I just don't have anybody that understands how to make them shine, to really take care of them. They're all just so incompetent. So, it's a simple deal. You take care of my tails, I take care of you. Does that sound good?" she asked, sitting down on the stool and looking back at Amos.
"I can try, miss. Ain't much more I can promise ya," he replied, looking over the task at hand. The tools were indeed plentiful, though some he had absolutely no idea how to use, and while he did deal with the occasional mutt back home, nine fluffy fox tails worth of fur is a lot more than he'd ever dealt with. Still, his pride as a barber had been challenged, and just as much as Amos wasn't one to back down from danger, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge either.