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Slip Away was direly frustrated. The whole night and not a single sighting of doe tail; a very bizarre and unlikely scenario. He'd relented his singular mystique and grudgingly wandered closer to populated areas, hoping to find somemeti for a...chat - he'd decided that if more than one sighted him, it would be regrettable but he would simply have to share his charms. As fate would have it, such sacrifice was not necessary.

No doe. Unbelievable. The sky was starting to warm up, a yellow flickering at the Swamp's edge. It was time for his day to end, and Slip was also direly exhausted. His heavy hooves impatiently stamped across the ground - he could do with a daytime snack before adjourning to sulk and sleep - until he sighted shrubbery dotted with red. Raspberries. he intelligently noted, and started to consume it, leaves, berries and all.

The sudden appearance of blue locks and a piped-up voice incited a particularly vicious crunch on the branch he was working off, and though he worked to control the damage it was sadly evident he'd jumped somewhat. Somewhat. In a knee-jerk fashion he swallowed the remains, whipped around and started on a "Swamp-dam - " tirade before his unfocused eyes took in everything - from the balding shrubbery to a sweet and pretty doe with guileless eyes perkily standing in front of him.

He wearily settled for " - hello." She was very charming, but he was finding it hard to be as chipper as she was at the moment. "Little miss." He appended, with some effort. "You are?"

His scaled brow quirked up at her novelty-savouring, not quite convinced that it should involve a full-grown doe creeping up behind a full-grown buck and creeping him out as well - that was his job! Those bright gold irises had saucer-like qualities at this point.

"Slip Away," he said, wishing he could do so right now except he had sleepy but intense interest in her. "Slip, for short. I'm surprised there wasn't already someone called Kiss, although I don't think I've seen anyone more suited to the name.

Maybe I should come in the mainland more often," he wryly joked, "there is a draw in such pretty does to be found here, however incredibly" grating "awake."

"Just a tad tired," Slip said, raising a hoof in protest, "and a connoisseur of everything to do with ladies - including names, since they're so revealing." He managed a game grin, "- Kiss."

Her coy movement woke his head a little, at least. "The coast and all that's in between. Thank you." He blinked, slowly, pleased to be complimented himself. "It has its dangers, but also its beauty. But the little does who wander there are often too frightened to see it. I calm them down...help them...understand its passion." His tail flicked as he slid into rhythmic conversation, a topic he could autopilot (rather skeevily). "Any interest in visiting sometime, inquisitive little miss?"

"Adventure." He noted aloud, smiling slightly. "That's the kind of spirit I like to see," even if it was too early in the morning she seemed really earnest and failing to respond appropriately would be a real shame, especially considering her looks. "True, you seem bold enough to appreciate the harsher clime, yet what should I do with you?" teased Slip, attempting to play her zeal and belligerent independence against herself. "I wouldn't mind escorting you further out and back, but I'm not sure you want to be babied like that, would you? Things to consider, Kiss, before you start an adventure with a guide such as I."

Oh darn, she was serious. His mind stirred into sluggish thought and he considered the consequences of leading a pretty little doe into threatening territory... Worst that could happen is...well, there's one less pretty little doe in the world. Best that could happen was the usual. Nevertheless, it didn't seem quite right to have gotten her hopes up, and so he turned to the direction of the salt marshes.

"If you get eaten by a croc, Kiss," he said wickedly, "be sure to make some noise so I know you're not following anymore." His hooves lifted to move - at least he'd gotten some sustenance before a noisy miss came along.

He was charitable enough to wait for her take-away, proceeding once the loud rustling ceased and a brief glance back revealed Kiss merrily trotting along with her berries. Dangerously naive, Slip thought, and decided then that it was better to drop her off at the cypress forests before the salt marshes - as much as he had just considered the possibilities of what could occur, it seemed a shame for the death of a charming little doe to weigh on his conscience.

"Stay close," he relented, checking on her constantly (but he hoped, subtly). He blinked wearily as the sun beat down in full force. In the very least, they were almost at the sawgrass plains.