Sly Blackpaw, aka Bait hopped from a dead log, to a mossy covered rock and down into bushes, landing directionally onto an unsuspecting mouse or what he termed breakfast. The red fox was a quick eater, scooping it up in his mouth, flinging it in the air and in a few bites the mouse was no more. Breakfast was both a fun and delicious time of the day. Bait looked skyward and saw very little sky above him.

Between the fog that was denser close to the ground in early morning, and the dark canvas of green above there was very little to be seen at all unless one had sharp senses. Fortunately Bait prided himself on that. Sharp senses and sharp mind in a rather dull world. It was his playground. That said Bait had come in here to check on the food and while it seemed plentiful with a great number of hiding spots for a wary fox, it wasn’t really his cup of tea. The darkness put a rather gloomy outlook on things.

Bait slowly walked through the eerie fog until he found a good root that made a decently high U-shape to climb up to where it was easier to see clearly. One mouse down and plenty more around, but now he was thinking of perhaps an egg to go with his meal. The small hunter continued on his trek.

The slender young woman was on the hunt. Not for food or water, but for mushrooms. This place seemed dank, dark and dreary, but it was the perfect place to harvest what she needed. Cicero was an herbalist of sorts. She was a little bit Gypsy. A little bit witchy. Equal parts mad woman and shy, sweet girl. She was a mystic. An entrepreneur. A scientist and a sister. And right now she just needed some damn mushrooms with which to make tea.

Aha! Silver eyes gleamed in triumph as the sleek, obsidian and ash lady found her quarry. A mound of mushrooms was nestled in the crook of some roots. Mmm, but it seemed like there was someone there. What should she do? Cicero was a pacifist. Sort of. Well, she couldn't fight, that was for sure. That was why she usually had one of her many siblings with her. But not today. No. Today she was on her own. Should she leave and come back later? Should she just sneak forward and hope that the fox didn't see her? No, that wouldn't work. Idiot. In the end, she plucked up her courage and walked awkwardly forward.

"You there. Small, orange cat-dog." Yes, she knew it was a fox, but Cicero had a thing about words. She couldn't explain that thing, but it was indeed a thing. "I need those mushrooms, savvy? Don't bite or I swear by the wind in the trees that I'll curse you and yours until the end of time." The woman wiggled her black toes to add emphasis. She was bluffing, but the fox didn't know that.

Were there any ground birds out here? Easiest option for eggs but he hadn’t found any. Oho! Breakfast forgotten! His head turned, large ears pulled forward and eyes seeming to glimmer with enjoyment when the blackness turned into the sculpture of quite the pretty wolf. Bait imagined the males of her species were all over her, if he met a black fox like her he certainly wouldn’t think twice.

Cat-dog? Odd. Bait opened his mouth in a toothy grin, eyes shining in enjoyment. “Oh hello miss,” Bait leapt off his stump and backed up away from it a bit, before bowing his head down. “I would never dream of biting such beauty my lady. You are as beautiful as the night’s sky, or the waters of a lake at night with just a hint of moonlight on them. How could I ever damage such a beautiful sight?” The grinning fox stood back up to watch her, “you my dear, some form of royalty no doubt? If you want more mushrooms I could show you to some spots. I’ve been roaming here for a bit and saw a few good patches earlier.”

Bait had been worried about a boring day. He certainly had no plans of staying overly long in a place he doubted any would come to entertain him. Oh foolish soul he was! Someone had already shown up. What luck he had wanted to hunt eggs before finding a nicer spot.

The fox seemed friendly but most things did until they bit you. He shot a wad of compliments at her and the young woman narrowed her piercing silver eyes in suspicion. "Royalty?" She questioned aloud, brows raising. Of course she wasn't royalty. It was a silly concept to begin with. Royalty... as though blood made you better than the one next to you. Or maybe it did. There wasn't a way to test blood though. If there had been, she'd have done it.

Ears pricked as the little not-wolf spoke of mushrooms. Apparently he knew where some grew. To trust his word or to run back to her siblings? She could force one of them to accompany her. It never dawned on Cicero that she was larger than the fox. She just knew that she didn't fight and that she was suspicious of everyone that wasn't related to her. Okay, she was suspicious of some of them too.

Eventually the woman spoke. "Alright. Lead the way. Ah, but no funny business, " she added. She didn't have time for funny business. There were teas to make. Things to see. Worlds to explore. People tio exploit. Wait... she didn't say any of that out loud, did she?

She didn’t like being called royal, or apparently any of his attempted compliments.  Oh bother, it was so much nicer when he found those that ate up flattery.  Some would believe his words, some were merely amused by his words but either way it seemed to get him far enough.

Bait offered her quite the dramatic hurt expression at her words.  “Miss, even if I did not find you beautiful I would not try such a thing.” Bait turned to head a bit farther into the forest, but having his head turned to her, “Foxes tend to avoid upsetting wolves, and I am not dim enough to be the one that doesn’t.” Bait hopped down from his perch, and then up again to perch on a higher rock.  “Also, I keep to myself for the most part and at times that gets rather boring.  So I would welcome a bit of company for a while.  All the better if the company is pretty.”

What would best to get her to relax? Bait would go with a few different variants to see if anything took her fancy more.  There was the reminder of beauty mentioned, logic over who was stronger and even a good amount of truth in his growing bored alone.  Any reaction she had would be fine, as long as she reacted the game was still in play. "The names Bait by the way, might I ask yours fair maiden?"

The fox was confusing. If possible, Cicero's eyes narrowed even more. Sure, she'd been told that she was pretty, but usually only when someone wanted something. What did this little beast want from her? His words ran in circles, he spouted compliments like a geyser. She had to figure out what he wanted.

Some drivel was spouted about company and loneliness sprinkled with a dose of pretty again. Cicero's eyes were nearly shut now. Her suspicious nature was going to make her eyes seal shut. Eventually the fox gave his name and, to keep herself from getting a headache, the woman opened her eyes once more. "Cicero." Her reply was simple. "Where are the mushrooms?" That was what she was here for. That was what she wanted. If the beast wanted company, he could have it for a time. Once she got what she needed, she'd skirt on out of there.

Bait let out the equivalent of a pained sigh, “Very well then dear Cicero. Come along.” Bait stayed off the ground when possible, leaping onto a variety of rocks, downed trees, stumps, or anything else that looked stable. “Quite a good size clump of them and of two different types. One is larger than the other but the little ones are far more numerous.” The fox did pause on occasion, ears pricked high as he looked about then continuing.

After a few minutes, they came to a spot where a good size clump of mushrooms was growing under what was likely to be a very old tree from the size of it, with another two smaller ones struggling to grow next to it. Mushrooms did spread out farther than just the few tree’s but they became more sporadic. It seemed the trees were somehow set up in a way that provided a better home for the little things. “As said pretty Cicero, a good number of mushrooms for whatever your desire might be. May I ask what a wolf would wish of mushrooms? Deer stew?”

Cicero followed along behind the sunset chicken, ready to run or fight if she needed to. He was too nice for his own good. Unnecessarily nice. That could only mean ulterior motives for sure. He wanted something from her. Well... she wasn't going to give it

In time the beast led her to a patch of mushrooms. They weren't exactly the kind that she was looking for, but she would take them anyway. The black and silver woman began harvesting the caps and stems, shoving them into her pack. At being questioned, Ciss parked one ear. "No, not stew. The one's I'm seeking are for medicinal purposes. These ones here are for eating though."

As she picked, Cicero happened to look over thre other side of thre big root cluster. On the back side of the tree lay a whole different kind of fungi. Thissss was what she was looking for. Cicero practically crowed in delight as she leaped over the root. The woman began clipping calls and shoving them into her bag. Jackpot! Ohhh, she was so happy.

This was not the most entertaining wolf he had ever met.  Bait found himself a spot of ground to sit, tail wrapping about and covering his front paws.  She had started plucking on the mushrooms he showed but then a moment later was finally seeming happy about a different bunch nearby.

Was there any way to warm the cold lady up? She at least seemed less prickly now that she had what she had wanted. “So lovely Cicero, does this help our lasting friendship a bit more? Your mushrooms are here, no threats are at hand, and this humble fox has requested nothing more than your company for a bit of fun for an otherwise dull day.” Bait flicked an ear as he pondered if there was anyway to get past her cold shield.  Otherwise he would be left bored once more quickly enough.

She was interested in healing? It was a bit of information to keep in mind.  If he needed help some day perhaps she would feel obliged to help since he had helped her? With a wolf one had to be careful, an injured fox could just be that much easier of a meal.

He was still talking. What a jabbermouth this little fox was. He wanted companionship? He wanted fun? Cicero popped a cap off of a smaller mushroom and tossed it to the orange cupcake. (What was a cupcake?) "Eat that, little catdog. You'll have loads of fun." Hopefully he was ready to talk to trees, listen to blades of grass, follow and converse with gods, and so much more. But hey... it was a small dose. Maybe he'd just see colors and wavy things. How was she to know until he tried?

Having harvested the lot of mushrooms, Cicero was quite pleased with her haul. The woman settled back on her haunches, a happy smile on her monochromatic features. Just think of what her siblings would have to say the next time they were all together. They were an adventurous lot an most times she had to play the mother, but she didn't mind getting a little twisted with them as long as it came in the form of mushrooms. Or cannabis. Both were fine with her.

Turning her attention fully to the fox, the small wolf nodded. "You did good, fox." A compliment was nice. He wanted compliments because he gave compliments, right? His own were silly and misplaced though. He had earned his compliment and so it was more worthwhile. She thought so anyway. "Claim your prize. What do you want?" No funny business, she wanted to add, but held her tongue.

Bait wasn’t a fool. He eyed the mushroom, gave it a cautious sniff before raising his head, “While I appreciate yonder ladies kindness I find myself not hungry at the moment,” finished with a small smirk at the wolf's attitude towards him. What manner of intoxicant it was he did not know, but he had always avoided this particular mushroom knowing something was wrong with it, fox intuition perhaps? “Thank you, missy,” smoothly returned in her approval. Not that it was a hard thing as Bait took time to learn any area he spent much time in. This wasn’t to say he would remember all he learned of it a month or two in the future once he had left but on return, Bait would repeat the process. It all went back to making sure he had multiple spots to flee should his fun get him into trouble. Bait enjoyed life and had no desire to end it early. What did he want? Ah. “Well now! I appreciate the offer of a prize. As a humble fox all I would request is that should you ever see me in a bit of a bad spot miss, and it's something you could easily assist me with that you might spare a moment of your time to aid. I’m fairly good at avoiding or getting out of trouble myself at any rate, and the odds of being around you when I am in trouble would be slim so like as not you would never need to offer such repayment.” The request offered with of course perfect humility, though ‘humble’ really didn’t fit Bait no matter how much he praised wolves. Truthfully he was an arrogant little thing playing games. Speech:"Life is but a game " Think