Orpheus! A lovely fellow, and a popular character within my personal circles. Care to find out why?~ I’m sure you’ll appreciate a tease who’s all about taking your shyness and making it go ✨poof✨ in a single move.

I’ve uploaded a PDF version of Orphy’s lore that is easier to read and has visuals you’ll appreciate. You can find that here (link).

If you see a [#], it means there is a note about this lore at the end. It’s important to me that people know what I did and didn’t make up!

Overview

Orpheus is a “young” 113-year-old two-tailed kitsune. Being a kitsune this classifies him as a Yokai, a type of Japanese magical monster. This gives him great power with specific restrictions. For Orpheus, his power over others is restricted to his paws, tails, and “material.” He is bold, flirtatious, indulgent, and kinky as hell.

Orpheus’ most famous feature is his tail tug. If he can grab your tail and hoist it, he can apply powerful magic to you! Most commonly he draws out kinks to full force and normalizes them, allowing furs to be supernaturally relaxed even in a public space. He’s not a one-trick pony though, as he can cast many different spells on you this way.

“Life’s too short to be tight-lipped, go sink some ships!” -Orpheus

Orpheus adores diapers, and plays the role of a hard dom. He’s purely a Diaper Lover, but will heartily indulge the fantasy of a caretaker for Adult Babies or a feeder for fatfurs. He is strongly against turnabout; Orpheus is not someone you try to upstage. He does not enjoy being on the back foot, and like his brethren he will keep grudge debts to be paid at a later date.

Described as “the gayest asexual you’ll ever meet,” Orpheus loves to tease and flirt with others. He can be rather coy and assertive with his “victims,” and will be physically affectionate early into a friendship (such as hugs, rubs, gropes). Orpheus tends to pace around someone, keeping his body busy as he engages in conversation.

Orpheus pursues friendships, not relationships, though you’d be forgiven for confusing the two with his demeanor. If you were to ask him he’d cite his long lifespan clashing with other species, but at his core his love for others isn’t something he wants shackled to only one person.

Kitsunes sprout a tail for every 100 years they live, starting with one at birth. They gather increasing magical power with each one, up to a limit of nine. All kitsunes aspire to achieve kyubi status, the name meaning literally “nine-tail” [1]. Kyubi are rare but are growing more common as civilization matures.

Orpheus grew up in Western culture, although he is not oblivious to his species’ mythology. His Japanese is uncharacteristically poor for a kitsune, contributing to the distance he keeps from the rest of his species’ culture. He enjoys the aesthetic though, and likes to sneak in fitting references such as torii gates [2] into his attire.

While some kitsunes are habitual hermits preferring solitude and quiet shrines, Orpheus is a part of the more social half known for their service as messengers [3]. His prankster impulse is just as prevalent as it is for every other self-respecting kitsune though [4].

Appearance & Attire

Orpheus has yellow-orange fur with white tail tips and light black paws. He is rather lithe and lightly toned, but his fluffy fur and tails make him seem bigger.

Orpheus likes to wear somewhat loose clothing. His pants are designed to fit his thick poofy diapers he’s always wearing.

Orpheus will create vermillion baby bibs for the Adult Babies he teases, not dissimilar from the “maekake” aprons on kitsune statues. Although for his ABs, they’re absolutely yodarekake.

Orpheus owns a pearl attached to a short chain dangling from a pants buckle, which he jokingly calls a “hoshi-no-tama” (star ball).

Powers & Limitations

Orpheus has two vectors for his powerful magic: his paws, and his tails. His eyes allow him to spy the features he can manipulate in other furs; some refer to these as “kinky shinigami eyes,” borrowing the term from Death Note. His eyes also have a limited hypnotic ability, which can be empowered a thousandfold when used in concert with his other talents [*]. His magical claws can slice through objects efficiently but cannot harm the innocent, mostly relevant for tearing clothes off of furs [*].

His tails hold defensive curses, which when touched non-consensually will curse the grasper [5]. Each tail has its own curse, and will take time to regenerate their effect after use. Usually, this is a few hours. These curses are capable of becoming stronger when they are karmic punishments or disabling effects, and will likewise weaken if they are not. The time on the curse varies, but it’s generally temporary. His fluffy tails also have a limited hammerspace inventory and object conjuration, which he mostly uses to keep and create diapers [*].

Orpheus’s paws are more offensive, but require a premeditated approach. Placing his paws on an object and concentrating can allow him to enchant it over the course of several minutes. These enchantments enable him to ready his curses proactively, allowing all sorts of classic shenanigans. A collar that seals your vocabulary, pants that summon poofy diapers underneath, a fork that multiplies weight gain from food attached… all possibilities he can muster! The duration of the enchantment scales with his concentration, contact, and intent. Permanent enchantments are roughly a full day’s project.

If his paws grasp a tail however, he can manipulate a fur’s mind, body, and attire like a toy [*]! When Orpheus does this, he is limited to the traits the fur already has. This doesn’t stop him from taking a passing curiosity and ramping it up into a crippling fetish, however. Furs under a temporary effect will have their tail stuck flagpoled until Orpheus lowers it or his conditions are met. Furs under a permanent effect aren’t so lucky. However, this does mean that those without tails can avoid most of his mischief (until he conjures a tail for you).

When Orpheus applies enchantments or curses, this is referred to as a “bakasu” technique. When he tugs a fur’s tail, he is channeling his “kitsune-tsuki” or kitsune possession ability. This distinction is important, as Orpheus can have as much bakasu as he likes but he can only keep a couple furs under the influence of kitsune-tsuki [6].

Orpheus likes to be creative with his magic. He’ll spin together narratives and silly ideas with his spells, creating some fun and goofy results. “Seems your diaper is the boyfriend you’re dating this evening~” and such. It’s all in good fun, but if you sleight him he can be a bit ruthless about it.

However, in spite of these powers Orpheus is no less bound to the “laws of the many tails” than any other kitsune. These laws forbid kitsunes from being a public name, to prevent aggravating one of the powerful gods in the process. Kitsunes are to be pranksters and messengers, not false gods or politicians [*]. This is fine for Orpheus, as he sticks with hit-and-run pranks anyway and would prefer to avoid attention on his life from the kitsune collective. Thanks to his illusion bakasu, his public stunts draw less attention than you’d expect.

Orpheus owns a pearl attached to a short chain dangling from a pants buckle. Although he calls it his “hoshi no tama” (star ball), it’s just a curiosity he keeps [7]. He’s very attached to this keepsake, so if it’s stolen he will bargain for its return. This is a great way to keep his shenanigans off you, and potentially strike a deal if you’re careful.

Orpheus will deploy this pearl as a “kitsunebi,” a type of will-o’-wisp, on rare occasions to attract or distract furs [8]. The fire burns white but does not scorch or spread, periodically flickers on and off, and stops burning in direct sunlight. Orpheus can guide this floating fire through his will but won’t move without him applying his intent. Orpheus is vaguely aware of the surroundings of his kitsunebi while it’s lit, allowing him to spy on furs without being around.

Backstory

Orpheus spent his first 100 years the way most kitsune do: maturing, growing bored with the mundane, experiencing the pains of nigh-immortality in a mortal world, and fostering his magical talent. Still, he never could quite find that “spark,” that spiritual thing that kept his paws moving forward.

Thus, he was stuck with his birth name. Kitsunes are given birth names by their parents, but once a second tail sprouts they are pushed to choose a name they feel represents themselves properly [*]. Without that “spark,” Orpheus wasn’t confident in choosing a true name.

Within a few years of sprouting his second tail, Orpheus discovered diapers. After being curious and exploring them, he fell in love with diapers. Now he’s dedicated to the full-time wearing lifestyle, with his pants custom-made (or enchanted) to accommodate the thicker waist that is required.

Orpheus quickly learned to love using his powers to turn the most closeted diaper admirers into loud, bold diaper adorers. There was nothing quite like slipping behind a cutie, hoisting their tail up, and hearing “I’m SOAKING my DIAPERS!” cry from their own lips! Packers, droolers, gropers, grinders, shouters, babblers, there were so many ways the diaper fetish would manifest at full personality-skewing force!

And thus Orpheus found his true name. Orpheus picked his name because, like his Greek namesake, he leads furs from out of the shadows into the open! But rather than the underworld into the living world, it’s shyness into the public space. He certainly wasn’t looking back, either.

Orpheus does not speak of or refer to his birth name. It’s a sensitive topic he avoids. Birth names are meant to be placeholders, holding within the aspirations the parents wish for in their children. To discard his old name for his own aspirations is an expected part of adulthood.

Daily Life

Nowadays, Orpheus’s hobby is visiting his public stomping grounds- malls, movie theaters, parks, etcetera- and keeping an eye out for new cute furs to recruit in public to diaperdom. He’s also been exploring these other new kinks in others he’s learned about too, stuff like fat and transformation. His natural dexterity and practice with seizing appendages will ensure your tail is never safe from his wiles. Shy about your kinks? You won’t be for much longer~

Orpheus delights in awakening others to their desires, kinky indulgence, and sharing love around in his own way. Were you to ask, he’d describe his hobby as “blessing with an alternative form of prosperity.” Orpheus does not serve Inari in any fashion, so he’s just being coy.

Much like his brethren, Orpheus can be bribed with food he enjoys (he keeps his favorites a secret for this reason). He’s also extremely willing to use his powers on willing victims, although he will lament about the lack of fun for a trickster.

Orpheus keeps in contact with his “victims,” connecting them with others and watching out for them. This friend circle of his will often organize activities between themselves, creating a cozy environment out of the initial shock, surprise, and later embarrassment he delivers.

Notes

[*] I made this up. There is no precedent I’m aware of for this concept.

[1] In some lore kyubi achieve their ninth tail after 1000 years, because they only begin to grow another tail starting at 200 years old. This isn’t held as universal, so I’m just going with every 100 years = 1 extra tail for kitsunes. Likewise, their power is truly considered to increase with every tail.

[2] Torii gates are vermillion gates often found at the entrance to shrines. They mark the threshold of crossing from the mundane to sacred, and are a place to welcome kami (divine spirits) through. Orpheus wearing a torii gate is an intentional pun on his part as he “helps you cross the threshold.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii

[3] Some kitsune serve Inari, the Shinto god of prosperity and rice, as messengers. If you leave a kitsune a gift (such as rice or sake), they will carry your wishes to Inari and plead for them.

[4] There are 2 primary forms of kitsune: zenko (literally “good foxes”) and the mischievous yako/nogitsune (field foxes). Zenko tend to serve Inari and thus get called “Inari foxes” in English, while yako are often malevolent. Orpheus is a hybrid by this metric.

[5] While the Pokemon Ninetales has curses tied to its tails, and there is some precedent about kitsunes being sensitive about their tails being touched (thus leading to curses), I have not found a specific historical precedent for this ability.

[6] This is real terminology! Bakasu means to delude, bewitch, enchant, or confuse. It’s tied to illusion magic as well as what’s already been given. Kitsune-tsuki is also real, though it’s a typical ghostly possession in mythology. While kitsunes can also shapeshift through the power of “bakeru,” Orpheus goes out of his way to avoid using it. In that sense, Orpheus is honest for a trickster.

[7] Hoshi no tama are featured prominently for kitsune, often kept in the mouth or under a paw in statues. It’s a pearl that either keeps their soul, or a portion of their magical power. Either way it’s a precious item for kitsunes. For Orpheus, it’s just a keepsake.

[8] Kitsunebi and hoshi no tama are associated with one another in some tales. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsunebi

Behind the Curtain

Orpheus’s original concept first came about around the end of January 2023 in the Crinkle Castle Discord, when I pitched this thought:

“Casually hoisting a fur’s tail up and watching as they compulsively pack their diaper on the spot. Wasn’t a diaperfur before? Wasn’t in diapers before? Not anymore~ :3

And that tail will stay flagpoled until you pull it back down for them~

Gosh, imagine a mimetic hazard of a fur going around doing this to people… striking at random in a mall, perhaps~ He’s a diaperfur, and so will you!”

His name was pitched by Fluffbet and it stuck like glue.

The concept was revisited within a week and Orpheus’s species, age, and general shape (lithe) was figured out. There’s an alternate timeline where Orpheus is a Ninetales!

“He’s not a big presence by himself, he fills the room with his personality instead. This is a fur who could slip behind you and tug your tail up without you realizing.”

Orpheus was publicly announced and described on February 27th 2023 on Twitter, with a beta version of this document.

His official first draft of lore came around the end of July, where much of his concept was expanded upon (such as the “law of nine tails” and kitsune names. A lot of asterisk-marked content in this version). Orpheus also almost became a kitsune dad. This was all prompted by https://twitter.com/royal_poodle/st.....02834975973376 .

“Orpheus loves to bring out the best in people~”

Orpheus was on the backburner, talked about privately here and there, until he resurfaced again in February 2024 as a result of more diapered kitsune tweets. It’s a bit of a running joke in furs around my circle now that kitsunes are secretly huge diaper adorers in their lore due to all the unrelated tweets all pushing that theme. This resulted in the current and final version of Orpheus’s lore that incorporates all the myth-accurate details about kitsunes.

Finally in early May 2024 the opportunity came up to commission art of Orpheus. It was a project I had been meaning to get around to since at least June 2023. But because I tend to request a lot of edits and ref sheets are becoming more expensive (and less commonly offered), the chance never came up.

It’s a testament to how strong Orpheus’s core concept is that he’s kept coming back up with demand for art to do him justice!

Something I’ve noticed both within myself and others new to the community is that hypnosis and coercion are often used as an excuse to be indulgent with our fixations. It’s like a mask or defense mechanism, the fixation cannot be indulged without “losing control” to give yourself permission. To do it voluntarily in the open triggers a fight-or-flight response. There is a bit of irony in how furs are most honest with themselves when they’re lying to themselves.

Orpheus and his tail-tugging are an externalized manifestation of this. When he hoists a tail, he is giving the owner of that character permission to be as indulgent and cringe as they wish. And since he’s an agent, he actively seeks these furs out. It’s the perfect excuse, they can play the victim card too! He’s a walking, talking, personable window of opportunity for others to be open about themselves. I made sure to work that into his personality and power limitations. His name appeals to this too.

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Artist: ChaoticPowder (BlueSky)
Original post: Twitter (locked account)
Original date: 5/10/2024