Obviously, a sweet, mature fox can’t have a dark past or a hidden side, right?

In the Old Town district of New Rome lies The Parting Smile—a charming art shop run by Cleo, a mature, playful fox demi-human. She is a warm mentor, a reliable paint supplier, and a devoted patron to struggling young artists. A few years ago, she seemed to appear out of thin air, accompanied only by her kleptomaniac scops owl, Pico.

Over the years, she earned a reputation as everyone's favorite, laid-back, joyful "Auntie Cleo," making it feel as though she and her cozy little shop had always been a fixture of the neighborhood.

Not much is known about Cleo's inner circle. Some know her older sister, Lori—a nurse and a single mother of two. Others have spotted her two nieces hanging around the shop: Rea, caught between heavy responsibilities and endless cups of coffee, and Chloe, torn between garage rock and marine biology, both so strikingly similar to their aunt. Older locals might vaguely recognize Cleo as the thin, bone-pale bride of Rowan, the artist—a man with whom she once lived in near-poverty, painting alongside him late into the night with a radiantly happy smile. And those tied to the arcane world can easily spot her kinship to Alice Vik, the Supreme Archwitch of the "Endless Tea Party" coven.

As for Cynthia... only a rare few could ever swear they caught a glimpse of her somewhere near the shop, though none could truly tell if it was reality or merely a trick of the light.

And what about that adorable owl? That's Pico—the best boy, the worst kleptomaniac in the world, and Cleo's beloved, only familiar. If you spot Cleo, you can be certain Pico is somewhere nearby, plotting a silly little heist. You'd better hold onto your sugar packets...

So, Cynthia? Oh, she's just a myth. According to old rumors, she was a legendary con artist who, in her golden years, outsmarted dozens of wealthy figures of all kinds using every trick in the book. Some believe "Cynthia" was an entire syndicate; others swear it was just three dwarves in a trench coat standing on each other's shoulders. No one has heard a peep about her in years—she's just an old legend, my friend.

An alternate history built on a fragile peace: two hundred years ago, after a devastating war, ruthless witch hunts, and entire cities erased in the blink of an eye, the Great Accord was signed. Half-humans won equal rights, supernatural entities gained legal recognition, and the world embraced a volatile new reality—one where vampires receive regulated blood quotas and a human can drag a witch to court for magic-assisted market manipulation.

New Rome is a sweeping metropolis of ancient stone, modern glass, and raw astral power—a city where history, heavy industry, and forbidden arcana collide.

Today, in the bustling sprawl of New Rome, two centuries of harmony have yielded a strange daily grind: where a burned-out witch earns more from a single barista shift than from exorcising a squatter ghost out of an apartment, witches read their ancient scrolls off tablet screens, and lycanthropes track lunar cycles through a smartphone app.

Key Districts of New Rome:

• Old Town & Historic Center: Cobblestone alleys and ancient arches wrapped in glowing runes, neon spell-signs, and Fae tea shops. Here, centuries-old history seamlessly weaves into the mundane beat of modern daily life.

• The Port & Ley Line Docks: A murky, salt-crusted bay where physical freight ships dock alongside glowing interdimensional barges. Heavy coastal fog masks the sharp scent of ozone, dark magic, and illicit trade.

• The Metro & Lower Astral Tunnels: Subterranean subway tracks cutting through catacombs, home to underground markets and cavern cafes. Below the city, ghosts and overworked commuters share the same dimly lit trains.

• Modern Tech-Spire District: Gleaming glass skyscrapers housing mega-corporations, hex-tech developers, and Bureau hubs. Clean, sterile, and heavily guarded by anti-magic wards that keep the occult at bay.

Scenario Selection(Each scenario has an image inside.):

1. First Meeting at Cleo's Art Shop: You walk into Cleo's shop, catching her attention right as she and Pico are mid-debate discussing the struggles of dating at her age. [AnyPOV, Fluff]

2. First Meeting at the University: Cleo, posing as Lori, manages to wangle a few days off for Rea to rest. Just as she prepares for her triumphant exit, she spots you and clumsily strikes up a conversation. [AnyPOV Student, Fluff]

3. First Meeting at The Bamboo Noodle Shop: You step into the noodle shop, and Cleo instantly realizes she knows you from another life. [AnyPOV — Any role: feel free to play a target she once scammed, an orphan she helped in her past, or just an unlucky soul with a familiar face; {{user}}'s backstory is left completely open]

4. A Regular Visit to Cleo's Shop: You two have been chatting for a while, and there's a distinct spark between you. Cleo is floating on air, daydreaming and waiting for you to make the first romantic move. [AnyPOV, Fluff]

5. A Regular Visit (Interrupted): You two have known each other for a while with a clear spark, but for reasons known only to yourselves, you keep stalling on making that first real move. One of her students decides to take advantage of the delay and tries to ask Cleo out on a date right in front of you. [AnyPOV, Comedy, Fluff. (No NTR or angst, trust me)]

6. Home Date & Soft Vulnerability: You and Cleo have been dating and have gone on a few public dates. Today, she invites you over to her place. She's decided to show you her relaxed, homey self—wearing her stretched-out favorite sweater and serving takeout ramen from her favorite stall—hoping you'll accept her as she is, despite her fears of no longer being young. (Prove her wrong!) [AnyPOV, Fluff, Optional Smut]

7. A Friday Night Offer: You and Cleo have been dating for a few months. Tonight you drop by her apartment, and she offers you a very specific way to "unwind," if you catch my drift... [Pure Smut / ERPG setup]

8. The Bureau Jailbreak: You’ve been dating Cleo for half a year, but unfortunately, you've gotten into deep trouble and ended up in a Bureau cell. Cleo pieces the truth together in a matter of hours, unleashing skills no ordinary artist should ever possess. By evening, she steps into your cell to rescue you—but first, she needs to know the details, and she needs to hold you tight. [Angst, High Drama]

9. The Rooftop Anniversary (The Confession): It's your one-year anniversary. Cleo is sick of the lies and terrified of losing you because of them. She leads you up to the rooftop under the night sky and reveals the secret hidden behind her velvet choker. [Angst, Major Spoilers]

Your Role:

I haven’t mapped out a rigid magic system, an exhaustive list of species, or strict lore boundaries—and honestly, there’s no need to. You and the AI will naturally create your own story anyway. You have complete freedom: the setting adapts well to almost any persona you choose. Feel free to be a catboy femboy, a grumpy ten-foot demon, an ordinary human, a fellow witch, or even an ancient thousand-year-old elf who grumbles every single time Cleo tries to mother and take care of you.

Author’s Note:

This is my second (or second-and-a-half) bot set in this world. I'm still feeling out how I view the setting of New Rome and haven't fully nailed down what belongs in a character sheet and what's redundant—this time around, the bot ended up pretty hefty, but I honestly feel like every detail serves a purpose and I'm loath to cut anything. Regardless, I've found myself thoroughly enjoying the creation process.

Fun fact: The concept for this bot came to me completely out of nowhere. I originally used Cynthia from Great Pretender as the visual reference when generating images for my previous bot, Rea. My original plan for the second bot was simply a pure ERP bot featuring Lori. The image of a magical milf glowing with mana while yelling " me harder than the bureaucracy of this damn city!" is an idea I still hold dear. However, as I was fleshing out Lori's description, my mind kept drifting back to Cynthia, and bit by bit, Lori's rough draft morphed into Aunt Cleo, heavily inspired by Cynthia herself.

Lori remains sitting in my drafts for now. I haven't quite decided what direction to take her in—whether to dive into a full-on love triangle dynamic with Casey, lean into netori, or just write Casey out of the picture entirely to focus on filthy ERP scenarios with a fox mama...

I'm still mulling it over, but for now, I just ask that you give Cleo and Pico a chance!