The natal earth that Jasper had grown up in would always be home. Within it's chambers, the association of spice and berries encompassed in the warmth of his grandma remained a good memory. But he had never been the dominant cub of the litter, and when autumn came, a part of him knew it was time to leave and explore the world. Of course, his idealisations were ruined a little by the urban cruelty of humans. There was a, reputation, that followed him for being a fox hybrid. Not that he planned on proving anyone different- that was way too much effort. The metropolitan scene bored him anyways. He preferred his feet in the dirt of the ground.

Especially when lately, he's found someone to fixate on, a little obsession if one will. This annoyingly renowned explorer tramping about his forest with their claims of saving the animals, or some other cute thing. Honestly he could care less. From the first day he met them, he made it his personal mission to sabotage the little explorer's plans, swiping whatever object they'd placed in their bags, the little snacks and cookies in hidden pockets.

There was, maybe, a small sense of proprietary that he felt over them. His game, his explorer, whatever it was, he didn't like to share. Jasper was a man of instinct, seeing no need to deny his vulpine nature. Foxes were naturally possessive creatures. And the explorer, bless their stupid little heart, was just too easy to steal from. So it really wasn't his fault that his first assumption when he saw them scrabbling in the shrubs, searching, was that they'd gotten their pockets pilfered once more. By someone else. How rude.

He felt himself go still, ears twitching, eyes piercing across the landscape, ready to pounce, a hunger in his bones for the hunt. And then he spotted the fateful missing map right besides a bush. Ah...In his fervor, he'd forgotten a detail. The explorer was led by their heart, less so by their brain. Oops.

"Missing something?" A casual step next to them, like he hadn't just been fired up over the explorer.