Sam the Clam
- -=San Francisco=--=Redcap=-
Sam the Clam is a Seelie Redcap Grump in the Kingdom of Pacifica.
Originally from New York, Sam arrived in San Francisco in 1964 with $12, questions about his own orientation, and two pairs of jeans. He sold one pair of jeans for enough to stake him in a poke game, won enough at the game to buy back his jeans and then some, and never looked back. A successful small-time entrepreneur, he has built over a half-dozen small businesses up from scratch simply for the pleasure of making them grow. Once they became successful he inevitably lost interest.
Sam's questions about both his orientation and reality were answered when he met Hector Gallegos. It was love at first sight (lust for Hector but Sam has him reasonably well in hand these days) as well as a startlingly late Chrysalis. When the dust settled and the last streamer from the post-Saining party had been thrown, Hector revealed to Sam his dream: a club like no club Frisco had seen before. Sam took one look at Hector's business plan, thew it out, and had a better one written within the hour. Since then they've lived happily ever after. Really.
Appearance
People tend to have one of two reactions to Sam in his mortal seeming: helpless hilarity or wide-eyed horror. It's not that he's hideous in his human form; rather, he bears an uncanny resemblance to the late actor who played Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street. Those who can appreciate the irony of the situation find this utterly hilarious while others are aghast at the idea of a ringer for an icon from their childhood being part owner of a notorious gay club. Fortunately, Sam dresses a bit better than his doppleganger, covering his stocky form in loose earth tone slacks and Nehru shirts. He has an inexplicable fondness for Docksiders and wears a small ruby stud in his right ear. Occasionally, when he feels the need to be businesslike, he will put on black, thick-rimmed glasses. There is always a notepad and Cross pen in his shirt pocket and he wears a silver pocket watch that was a gift from Hector.
As far as his fae mien goes, he's rather cute for a redcap. While his smile does stretch from ear to ear, it is a smile instead of a snarl and while his face is lined and seared, there is unmistakable humor in his glowing red eyes. Often seen in a white poet's shirt with gray pirate pants and a cloth-of-gold belt, Sam prefers keeping a large, thick, chimeric dagger planted firmly in his right boot where he can get at it easily. A smaller blade can be found in his belt and a chimerical cutlass dangles on his hip.
Behavior
Life may be a party, but someone has to make sure that nobody runs out of chips. That's why he an Hector make such a great couple. He comes up with the pie-in-the-sky ideas and Sam figures out what it takes to make a pie fly. Still whimsical, he is firmly grounded in practicality to the point where several of his best friends are boggans. All the details of running Chainges are left to him and he handles them exceedingly well. Once he decides something's worth doing, he'll do it come hell or high water. Of course, convincing him is something entirely different and despite his mild demeanor, he's got a flair for profanity few other kithain can match.
Hector is his life partner and the two of them have a wonderfully strong relationship. Chainges is the culmination of both of their dreams and it's as much a part of the relationship as anything else. Sam is protective of Hector but only demonstrates this under the direst of circumstances. If people can't see why the two of them are together, he doesn't bother explaining. They aren't worth the effort.
