Space huffed faintly as his ears flicked back and forth with anxiety. Ever since they had left the party behind, (still boggling at having killed a dragon!!) Delilah had been acting rather odd, and it had put the poor male on edge. He looked over at his mate worriedly.

"Del?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?"

The vixen gave her mate a soft smile as she nodded, "Of course, dearheart, just have a lot on my mind." She nuzzled his shoulder before chuckling, "So we have a job, hmm?"

Space nuzzled her in return before nodding, "Aye, seems there are some scary sounds and monster sightings around, of all things, a trash bin."

Del blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what exactly her mate had just said. Squinting at him just made Space laugh with a playful smirk at her, "You heard me, lovely. We are going to examine a trash bin."

Heaving a sigh, Del's ears pinned back in disgust, "Very well....lead on, McDuff."

"It's lay on..."

"I want a divorce."

Space just laughed again as he shouldered his hammer before padding onwards, glad to hear his beloved's grumbles following him. It was more like how she normally acted, and it was a relief to listen to her soft bitching once more. The sun was starting to set in the sky when they finally arrived at the area listed on the job board. Glancing at Del, he nodded as the two readied their weapons before heading towards the alley in which the 'hell' bin was located.

Who knew a trash bin made the perfect home? Gucci relaxed in their pleasant little space, surrounded by all the goodies they'd gathered. Some were shiny, but most were edible. They stretched, hind legs sticking up and poking just above the rim of the bin as their toes spread out, and then they shifted and peeked up.

The sun was starting to go down, the alley their beloved bin was in becoming dark. Gucci sniffed, then looked at some of their purloined possessions, moving just enough to toss some of them out. Most of it was old food, stuff that they hadn't finished before it went bad, and it was starting to make the bin smell. Other things were just... Stuff that didn't really spark joy anymore.

The weather was changing, maybe they'd get something to cover the top and a blanket to curl up in. They'd have to keep their eye out for that, though. Yawning as they finished cleanup, Gucci contemplated where they'd go to look, first. Maybe down the street in another alley? There was a shop down there that tossed some nice things out...

The two warriors both stopped and stared as first pink toe beans poked over the rim of the trash bin, only to stretch out and then disappear back inside. Moments later, a possum's head poked up, scanning the area before disappearing again. Soon, things began to be flung out to litter the alleyway: rotten food, junk, and things that Del really didn't want to look at too closely. THIS was the Hellbeast they had been hired to fight?

"It's...a possum."

"Yup."

"Huh...pretty large possum, but still I don't think it counts as a hellbeast."

"Nope."

"What now?"

Del shrugged, "We go talk to it?"

"...yeah ok. Why not. Uh you there! Possum in the bin...um...hi?"

Del facepawed with a deep sigh.

Gucci froze, then slowly lifted their head up out of the bin. Black eyes grew wide before they let out a squeak, ducking down. They listened, hoping the phoxes poking about would leave, but the sounds of departure didn't reach them. Ever so slowly, they lifted their head back out, eyes still big and round and ears airplaning as they took in the two. "H-hi...?" This was no possum - Not an actual one, at least. It was a phox, same as the other two, if a bit extra and a fair bit dirtier. "Can I- Can I help you?"

Once again, the pair of adventurers stopped to stare at the trash bin and its 'inhabitant'. Honestly, given the dumbfounded look on their faces, it would be rather comical. Del's head had tipped one way while Space's tipped the other, both utterly befuddled.

"Not a possum."

"Nope."

"A phox in a trash bin that looks like a possum."

"Yup."

"Still not a hellbeast, right?"

"Right."

Del shook herself off before stepping forward to give Gucci a warm greeting, "Forgive my mate if he startled you, gentle being. I am Delilah, and this is my mate Space Soda. We were hired by someone who said there was, and I cannot believe I am saying this aloud now, a portal to hell in one of the trash bins in the area. They are paying us to deal with it, along with the monsters it has spawned. Have you, perhaps, seen anything unusual in the area?"

Blinking at them both, the possum-marked phox stared, then slowly climbed out of their bin. They weren't here to kick them out, then. "You want the next alley over. I don't go in there, but I can show you where it is..." Turning, they simply started out of the alley to head to the one a building over. "Follow me, I guess..."

"That would be greatly appreciated." Del gave the timid creature a gentle smile, not wanting to further alarm them. Space also nodded his thanks as the two readied their weapons and set off after the rather skittish possum-phox. They had a job to do, and by the gods, they would not falter now.

(FCWs Keantha: 584 & Andranis: 353)