[PRP] The curious Shadow (Icy Ice/Clean Sweep)

[Fasti]

Amidst the verdant embrace of the sprawling forest, Icy Ice emerged as a solitary figure, his movements deliberate and silent, his purpose as quiet and unassuming as himself. As a kin of few words and even fewer movements, his motto echoed the sentiment of 'as much as possible, as little as necessary.'

Deep in the shadowy depths of the forest, he dedicated himself to his task for the day. He was there to gather mushrooms, a task he found strangely soothing. The quiet hum of the forest, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, the earthy smell of damp soil. With an touch of quiet determination, Icy Ice collected an assortment of mushrooms and leaves, their vibrant colors shimmering in the sunlight filtering through the trees.

He was meticulously inspecting a cluster of mushrooms, when a rustle broke the quiet. It wasn't the usual whispering of leaves in the wind. This was closer and somehow different to the other sounds. He paused, holding his breath, his eyes scanning the undergrowth. He wasn't panicing, but he was on guard. The rustle came again, closer now, and Icy Ice felt a prickle run down his spine. He was no fighter but he was no coward either.

A flash of brown fur broke through the bushes. A bunny, its smal eyes wide, stood frozen for a moment, staring at him. Then, with a flick of its tail, it bolted deeper into the woods, leaving a little trail of dust. Icy Ice let out a sigh of relief, his tense muscles relaxing. Just a bunny, he thought. He was just about to resume his mushroom picking when he heard it again, the rustle, this time closer than before.

[cashmeresky]

Clean Sweep picked his way through the roots looking for one particular kind of mushroom that grew best low to the ground two days after sufficient rainfall. There were many other mushrooms around, but only one kind mattered to him today. They were a golden orange color, and so tasty.

After a short period of searching, his face lit up. There were quite a few patches in this area. He gently collected them into a pile. He made sure to only get the orange mushrooms, as storing other types with them changes their taste over time. The only way to collect these mushrooms were to gently pinch as low on the stem as possible and wiggle slowly until they become dislodged. Well, not the only way, but the only way to Sweep’s standard.

Sweep was just about finished with collecting the mushrooms when he sensed that he might not be alone, and it wasn’t just the bunny that ran by. He lifted his head and scanned his surroundings. A flash of blue caught his eyes between the trees, and he leaned side to side trying to see if there was kin nearby.

“Hello?” he cautiously offered towards the presence in the trees.

[Fasti]

Icy Ice froze at the unexpected greeting. His curiosity piqued, he couldn’t resist responding. "Hello?", he echoed softly, his voice low and calm, like a gentle breeze brushing through the branches. The underbrush parted slightly as Clean Sweep stepped into the open, the sunlight dancing upon his brown fur. Icy Ice wasn’t used to encountering another kin while beeing in this part of the forest, this rare meeting filled him with an unusual sense of joy.
"I’m Icy Ice", he announced, nodding. "I’m gathering mushrooms. What brings you here?"

[cashmeresky]

Clean Sweep was caught off guard for a moment by the buck in front of him. The blue of his tail and coat were eye-catching and bright, as if the blue sky itself lived on his body. He quickly composed himself for a reply.

"I'm also gathering mushrooms!" Clean Sweep gestured behind him, "Two days after the rain, it's the perfect time for my favourite variety of summer mushrooms. I've got a small pile of them back there!"

He looked around for the other kin's pile of mushrooms, but could notice no homogenous collection of mushrooms anywhere. And, to Clean Sweep, that was the only way to collect them. Maybe the other buck hadn't started yet. Maybe he didn't know what to look for. Clean Sweep felt that maybe he could help if this was the case!

"So... What kind of mushrooms are you looking for?"