As white tigers are extremely rare, he was regarded as a peculiarity by nearly everyone.  This of course led to a very difficult childhood and teen years.  Everyone knows how cruel children can be.  He became isolated and remote, as he felt that others his age just thought of him as "deformed," and would make fun of him and pick on him.  Although this was not always the case, the few occurrences that did happen just reinforced his paranoia.  His parents dealt with their son differently, in that his father usually ignored him, just going on about his duty to the family name, and his mother would try to overcompensate and coddle him, until his father stepped in. 

To make matters worse was the fact that he was possessed of an above average intellect.  He knew what was going on around him and he deplored it.  To avoid the nightmare of dealing with others, he purposefully would hide, trying with all his cunning to avoid so much as even being seen.  As they lived in an area that could be considered a small "estate" in the suburbs of a small city, it was not too difficult.  He spent much time running and wandering naked in the small forested area behind the estate, and swimming in the pond there.  In fact, this was the only time he could be found without being nearly totally covered in clothing.  He even took to wearing hats, which was not all that common.

His father became concerned with the time he spent roaming the woods.  He would comment that he was spending enough time there to be considered a fauve by some.  After some time, he forbade his son to go naked.  James agreed, but would, when far enough away from the house and sure he was alone, remove his clothing.  As he was not able to do this as often as he would like, he learned to savor the few times that he could.  These stolen moments became his refuge from what he perceived as the cruel, bitter world around him. 

When it came time for school, he was able to talk his parents into getting him a private tutor.  As his father was deep down somewhat embarrassed by his son, he was easily persuaded to do this.  A reputable elderly gentleman with an open mind was employed, and James dove into learning with all his might, as it provided him an escape from the daily ordeal that was his life.  The man became quite the mentor to the young child, bringing him as much out of his shell as was possible.  His father also tutored him in the ways of the nobility, the family history, and the way in which he should properly behave.  In a far shorter time than others his age, he had attained his high school diploma, and applied to a small private college.

He had grown to be a rather handsome young man by most standards but his own.  He was on the tall side, around six and a half feet or so, and around 250 pounds, with cold blue eyes that seemed to drill into your very soul as he stared at you.  He was quite fit from all the time spent in the woods running about.  His form would be very imposing to most, but not in his own view.  His brilliant white fur with the contrasting black stripes adorned a face that rarely smiled. 

He seemed to have a natural knack for things relating to science and business.  It was in this academic world that he was finally forced to prove himself.  He still avoided  contact with others as much as possible, and gained a reputation as a brilliant loner. After his classes, he would immediately return to his apartment to study.  On occasion, he would venture to the library, or sometimes even to a movie, but always by himself.  He detested the large number of individuals present on the campus, with all their sounds and smells, but forced himself to learn from and about them.  By the end of college he had gained his diploma, but unlike everyone else, had not made any friends or acquaintances.

After graduating college, and with some strings pulled by his father, he was employed in a small, but prospering brokerage firm.  From all the time spent out in the back woods on the estate, his senses were more enhanced, being similar to those individuals who had "gone fauve".  He had further honed these senses on the college campus.  He could use his senses of sight, smell and hearing to help interpret peoples emotions and feelings very accurately.  This lead to his success in the business world as a young adult, as he was always able to tell when his competitors were honest or trying to hide something.  In business this was very important, and he advanced very quickly, prospering along with the business.  But the longer he was employed, the more he began to annoy many of his fellow coworkers with what they interpreted to be a better-than-thou attitude.  He did tend to talk down to people, especially underlings, whom many felt he almost ordered around as if in the military.  Of course his bosses didn't care as long as the business did well. 

In fact, they where almost taking advantage of him and his "skills".  But this was a two way street.  James was learning from them as well.  He remembered every little dirty trick they pulled, filing them away for future reference, and using them as needed. 

When he was but 21, and only 2 years out of college, his parents died in an accident.  He was shaken very badly by this, as he had always been close to his mother over the years.  She was the only one who believed in him and would support him in his efforts.  She would always tell him that he was special, and he grew to believe that at least in her mind, he was.  He had lost the only people he had cared about, the only ones to have ever loved and protected him.  Although he knew his father would want him to keep up with the family traditions, he, not wanting to be reminded of his childhood and the pain from the loss, sold the entire estate and all the furnishings, keeping only a steamer trunk with some momentos and family papers.  He was making a good wage at his job, so he wisely invested the inheritance.

The next fourteen years were spent ruthlessly climbing the corporate ladder.  Having no family or friends, or even any outside interests meant he could spend nearly all of his waking hours relating to the business.  At the age of 35, he retired from the firm, a very bored vice-president, but also quite wealthy.  He had set up his finances long ago so he could retire and not have to worry about money.  After 16 years in the business he was very disillusioned and unhappy.  He had tried to keep away from people as much as possible, but as the business and his reputation grew, it became harder and harder to do. He also was now beginning to feel an emptiness in his life, a feeling that there had to be more to life than just what he had.

What bothered him most about people, especially in his business world,  was how two-faced they were.  They would tell him to his face how much they respected and admired him, but unbeknownst to them, he could "smell" right through the lies to what they really felt.  He had had enough and wanted to get away - far away.  Somewhere were he could hide out, where no one knew of him.  Where there were few people.  Maybe do a little research and some writing.  His boss at the firm said he could do some telecomuting "consulting" work.  This should keep him from getting too bored if the "retirement" thing didn’t work, but at this point in time, he felt that was highly unlikely.  He needed a place so totally different from  what he was used to.  Warm instead of cold.  Green instead of brown and white.  Lots of forest.  The Happenstance Islands - there was a place called Freedom's Run that seemed to fit his requirements - that sounded like a great place to begin again......