Vixen and Dash take more of a humor approach here.

It's a bit oddball humor, especially the battle, where I went for more of a humor approach, and Vixen followed suit. Some think it's weird, but it makes me smile when I reread it.

It also officially draws Vixen into the KOKOL itself! Vixen looked pretty good in the last mission, even striking out her first solo roleplay.

This is the only time she shows until the Finale, and she's with Dash. Still, it's a fun piece, like I said...

Vixen started her long walk to Seaside Town, across the Nearby Plains. She was mumbling something about getting fired as she walked, not even enjoying the scenery, what there was of it. Vixen kept up a steady pace. "Hmm maybe there's work in Seaside Town," she thought out loud.

Two creatures that came up to Vixen's knees appeared infront of her. "Give us all your meat and we won't do anything to you," one of them shouted, with an almost childlike voice. Vixen sighed loudly. "You come up to my knees! I got an idea, you two scram before I shove BOTH of you in a hamster ball and find someone to play soccer with; I'm not in the mood for mini muggers today."

Without any warning at all (Seriously, they didn't give time for Vixen to give them meat, even if she wanted to), the two Bugbear-in-the-box bit her right on the leg.

Vixen decided to outrun the pest-in-a-box (Clever name change eh?), nearly tripping over Dash. "Hey mind letting me borrow your sword?"

Dash peeled himself off the ground. "Hi there yourself, and why do you need my-" He noticed the bugbears in boxes bouncing towards them. "The answer's still no, but I'm sure we can take them."

"Hmmph fine, but I call the angry one, and Hi!"

Dash grinned. "They both look angry for me. Probably the whole 'abomination in the eyes of our gods' thing."

Vixen looked at Dash funnily. "Wait wait. God doesn't like things in boxes?"

"Well," Dash said, considering it. "How would they live, first of all? Were their parents born with boxes on? Is it a right of passage? How would they go -"

"I get the point, Dash. But I think there about to attack..." Vixen pointed out.

"No, we've definitely got a few minutes," Dash answered, leaning on his sword.

"Well.. shall we let them build there anger up?"

"That's my thought," Dash answered. "So, how're things down at the Tavern, anyway?"

"Weeelll, I got fired!.. Still trying to figure out why. Apparently being rude to a customer.." Vixen answer grayly.

"Oh, good news, I suppose," Dash answered. stretching his legs out a bit. "Shamus is still alive.. somehow.. we think."

"...You think?" Vixen asked. "How do you not know?"

Dash sighed. "Am I on trial here?!"

"Nah, just makin conversation." Vixen smirked.

"Anyway," Dash answered, assuming a defensive position, "Our 'Prince' said he saw Shamus, who then vanished and hasn't been seen since."

"Heh maybe will run into him," Vixen said, smirking at the bouncy box thing.

"Yeah- alright get ready, any minute now, they'll attack, then it'll be our turn!" Dash explained. "Anyway, yeah, but who knows? He's unpredictable."

"Hope he doesn't get himself hurt..." Vixen paused.. 'What are you lookin at boxboi?!"

It roared! "We don't speak to puny humans, except to demand their meat, or provoke them into putting us out of this unholy misery! Also, you smell like drunks!"

Vixen looked at it funny. "ME? Drunk, pfft I wish."

"Oh.. you brilliant furry! DIE!" It finally leapt at her.. wielding a knife.

Vixen sighed and held it back with one hand. "YAWN!" (She actually said that aloud.)

"HA!" It answered boldly. "We'll see who has the last or at least next laugh in a few seconds when I use this knife to slice through your hand! ... here it comes.. you ready?"

Vixen hit the annoying creature with her walking stick. "HAH! I still got the laugh." She grabbed the knife. "You want this?" Vixen threw it in a Conveniently-Placed-Pond©.

"I refuse to do that!" the Bugbear answered, and it bit her arm! "On grounds which have nothing to do with the idea that I can't swim!"

"You-" Vixen got interrupted.

Dash interrupted by kicking the box sending it flying. The other bugbear in the box looked nervous now.

"Let me have this one.." Vixen pulled a walking stick out of nowhere again. (Were does she get these things? We- I mean you the audience may never know) and knocked it into the pond.

"Alright!" it yelled in a shrill girl voice. And it had a ponytail. "No need t'get violent, ya know?! I'm sure we could discuss this. Maybe over soup and AHHHHHHH You're kicking me! While I'm trying to crawl out of this pond, which I'd never actually SEEN here before!"

"Hmmm... How about you give me YOUR meat?" Vixen grinned.

"No extorting the monsters, now," Dash admonished. "Besides, we could use your help.. Let's get going."

"Fiiine..." Vixen replied.

"How exciting," Dash answered in a deadpan voice. "Your first mission as a fulltime member of KOKOL."

Vixen smiled. "Yes, very exciting!"

"Welcome aboard," Dash said, taking the lead.

"One question, how did I get into Kokol?" Vixen asked Dash.

"I'm pretty sure I recruited you and you accepted just now," Dash answered, still showing that roguish smile.

"Well... that works.. I think anyways," Vixen replied.

"Best not to question it too much," Dash answered. "So why'd you pick the mosquito quest?"

"What in the name of random battles are you talking about?" Vixen answered, looking at Dash funny.

Dash winced at the harsh language. "Didn't you bother to read the important clan notice this morning? You should probably keep up on the clan board if you want to be a productive member of KOKOL."

Dash kept a slight smile to himself since he was in front of her, as he pushed aside thorny bushes blocking their way with his sword Bad Beats.

"You do know, I never been near the KOKOL HQ, not to mention never been to Seaside Town either right?" Vixen asked, nearly tripping over a stump.

"So you're saying you don't know how to answer that one?" Dash asked playfully, silently taking note of the trip.

"Im sayin... If I trip over one more stump today I might just turn feral again..." Vixen growled, tripping yet another stump. "And yes, I don't know how to answer that one."

"Stumped huh?" Dash asked, not able to hold back a laugh.

"I can't wait till you trip over something..." Vixen mumbled.

"Oh, me neither," Dash answered, "as it would break my five and a half streak since the last time it happened, and let me know I finally need to start paying more attention."

Vixen mumbled something about stumps.

Dash walked on in silence a few minutes, clearly making his way south. "So.. in all seriousness, if you're out of a job with the idiots at the bar, we'd love to have you."

"Sure I'll join.." Vixen said.

Dash smiled widely. "Good! I'll talk to some people after this mission, make it official."

"Right.. speaking of idiots at the bar, wanna set fire to the place later?" Vixen smirked.

Dash thought.. well pretended to think it over. "No, I don't think we'll be doing that. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Aww..." Vixen teased.

"Changing subjects as quickly as possible," Dash decided. "This's a pretty simple mission, but it's an odd one. It's got a winner."

"Every simple mission ends up overly hard Dash, there's no such thing as 'simple' these days," Vixen said, wondering if she should start watching where's she stepping.

Dash shrugged. "Anyway.. we're each out to get a mosquito larvae .. a nest of them, that is.. to the Council of Loathing. Simple enough, right?"

"Maybe..." Vixen replied quickly.

"They're going to raise one of the mosquitos and award it to the winner," Dash continued.

"Winner of what?" Vixen asked.

Dash shrugged. "Whoever gets them the Larvae first, I guess. So the winner of the mission. Well.. the first one there, anyway."

"Weeell, hopefully whoever win's it trains it to feed off beer or water or something," Vixen pointed out.

Dash winced. "I think I'm going to try to win this one; fair warning."

"Go ahead, I got no where to keep one, if you can even keep one, how big are they?" Vixen rambled a bit.

Dash shrugged. "I've heard of them getting as big as twenty pounds in the wild, although of course, with the right skills, they can get even bigger and thus, more powerful."

"Don't they suck blood from your opponent and inject it into you?" Vixen asked getting more interested.

Dash shuddered. "Yes.. but I'm sorta hoping it can be broken of that habit. Although I hear it's surprisingly safe. I want it for something.. different. Retrieval."

"I'm guessing that's something you're not going to fill me in on," Vixen replied.

"Quite the opposite, it's backstory time!" Dash said with a smile.

"Wonderful... remind me when to pay attention," Vixen stuck her tongue out.

Dash didn't seem to have heard her. "It was back in Adrule. Remember I told you about that's where I met Riko at?"

"Nope you never told me.. " Vixen answered.

"And when I mentioned it," Dash continued, making her wonder if he was ignoring her or just being flat out antagonistic, "I no doubt mentioned hard hard it was.. the land, as you'll recall from my previous story, was waiting on a 'hero of legend,' to coin the term."

"You know, you have a bad listening problem, I have a drink for that.." Vixen said smiling.

"Yes, I tried my best to help," Dash continued. "But something was always missing.. for example, there was this temple deep in the heart of the mysterious forest, Missingheart Woods. I'm sure you'll recall how dangerous those woods are."

"Yes I'm sure I will, considering I've only ever been to the Deadlands, Hey Daze, and my tavern and few other places, but please go on." Vixen tried to understand what Dash was talking about.

Dash shrugged as he hopped over a fallen tree limb. "Watch your step.. anyway.. I'd come to the land because it was under a dark cloud of evil.. pardon my metaphor."

"Thanks for the warning," Vixen said nearly tripping over the fallen tree limb.

"You could always take my approach and pay attention." Dash ducked under a tree limb. "Duck; watch out."

"Well.. maybe," Vixen thought about it for a moment.

"I tried infiltrating that temple, hoping to find something to help out the locals," Dash continued. "I got stuck half way into it at a door that wouldn't open. Magically sealed, despite my best efforts to pick it."

"Didn't think magical door's could be picked..." Vixen thought out loud.

Dash turned to her with a 'duh' look. "That's how I figured out it was probably magic."

"Well, could try opening it with magic," Vixen said.

"Ahh, this was three years ago, remember?" Dash reminded her.

"No, again." Vixen thought that Dash got hit on the head a little to hard..

Dash didn't respond, keeping quiet for a few minutes. "The point is," Dash finally continued, "there was a key on the ledge that I could never reach. If I'd have had the mosquito back then, maybe it could have gotten the key for me." Dash shrugged, suddenly feeling painfully self aware. "Sorry.. not like me to start babbling like this."

"I get your point, and I understand 95 percent!" Vixen smiled. "Aaand It's kinda like you to babble." She smirked.

Dash smiled affectionately. "Aww.. and here, I always pictured myself as the silent hero type."

"Nope!" Vixen answered.

"Not even a lil?" Dash grinned.

Vixen didn't answer, so Dash didn't press the topic. They each had their own thoughts to consume them. Dash reflected back on his story, and wondered what challenges would lie ahead, as Vixen contemplated why she'd been fired.. and what life in KOKOL would end up being like...

End- for now.