L.O.S.T.

[Rennal]

Rennal squatted behind a bunch of bushes, watching Moblins go by and wishing he'd never come into the forest, never agreed to that camper that he would find him a ball fairy. The offer of fifty rupees he'd made had sounded so good at the time (especially considering he was starving, in desperate need of food, and did he mention so hungry he could eat one of those Mobilns?), that he had no choice but to agree. He suddenly wished for the billionth time that he'd taken some money out of his family's treasury.

After the Moblins passed, Rennal continued and kicked a jar over onto its side, nearly hoping a ball fairy would just come out and follow him, maybe lead him out of this ****ing forest. Rennal prided himself on a keen sense of direction, as he'd studied every map of Hyrule down to every last tree, but it entirely different when you were actually there. So there he was, hungry, lost, and alone.

How could it get worse?

[Vriska]

Hit the road, Jack

And don't you come back

Travel was and always would be a *****. No matter what road Vriska took it always took way too long and her feet hurt. Why did she even decide to cut across Faron for Din's sake. There was nothing at all in Faron. Ruins and forest forest forest. With her Vision Eightfold she could see through the trees as if they weren't there and still get lost.

Again: Minish people do not necessarily know where to go. How can every single tree look the same?

And now she found ruins. Presumably this was the old Forest Temple. Good. At least she knew where that was. Roughly. Looking through the walls with her Vision Eightfold, Vriska spotted a man in the temple. Finally, something to do.

Circling around, Vriska greeted him. "What'd that poor jar ever do to you?"

[Rennal]

Rennal was too tired and hungry to be even remotely concerned with danger, so when heard the feminine voice, he just turned around to face her. He blinked upon seeing a Hybrid, fangs and horns and long, jet black hair. Her eyes actually weren't the first things he noticed, although when he finally did see how many pupils were in her right eye, he cringed a little. Creepy.

"I was hoping there would be food, or a map out, or maybe a ball fairy in there. ****ing camper. I should..." he trailed off, thinking it was probably for the best if he didn't go off on a stream of curses against the camper, even though this was his fault anyways. Then he looked her in the eyes. "So, what are you?"

[Vriska]

What was she? Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man. This was going to be fun. And he was looking her in the eyes. Hoo, how long would that last? "A traveler," Vriska replied. Then she slung her backpack down and opened it up. Woodcraft may have been beyond her, but at least she'd learned to take enough food on a journey. Not a lesson she'd enjoyed learning. Soon she was munching on a strip of travel meat and travel bread and washing it down with travel water from her travel skin.

Hylians. Why did they have to use so many words for everything?

[Rennal]

Rennal was always taught to hold someone's gaze until they looked away first, so while she ate, he held her gaze. Inside, though, the more he looked at her, the scarier she appeared. No wonder Hybrids were chased from his island... He managed not to cringe though, and maintained a look of apathy. Or what he hoped was apathy. "Traveling where?" he asked, hoping she was looking for a traveling partner. Screw this, that camper can look for his own fairy. So maybe she knew the way out, and once he was out, he would ditch her. He couldn't be seen with a person so hideous. Then again, she could serve as the perfect disguise. No one would look for him with her, people would typically avoid her.

He leaned forward and gave her a look of what he hoped was intent listening, as if he was actually interested in where she was going. "And what's your name?"

[Vriska]

Oh this was such bullshit. "Castle Town," Vriska said sharply. Who did this guy think she was? She'd tell him who he should think he was. "Mindfang. Marquis Spinneret Mindfang. And who are you?" She emphasized the noble title, lying effortlessly.

[Rennal]

Rennal nodded, feeling the sting of her own title sink in. He was a noble himself, and yet he didn't have the kind of pride in it that everyone else he met seemed to have. He'd met many people of status, and yet he himself couldn't seem to find the happiness, the sort of joy in knowing you're better than everyone else just because of the circumstances of your birth that everyone else had. He sort of hated it, and he was jealous of it. And so he began to resent her when she put emphasis on her title. He leaned back, glaring at her. "What do you think you are, noble? I'm from a family of status too, so you can get off your ****ing high horse. We're both... nobles. I'm Iadar."

He instantly regretted snapping at her, but couldn't find the humility in him to swallow his pride and apologize. He looked away as he said nobles for the final time, and then his name. He couldn't bear to look at her anymore, hideous or not. Her exterior just made looking at her all the more unbearable.

[Vriska]

Vriska did her best shark impression. It was a fairly good one. She had the teeth for it. Iadar, he said. Well, what's in a name? Is it what your mother named you or how you introduce yourself? For now his name was Iadar, and for now she was Mindfang.

Placing a hand around Iadar's shoulder, Mindfang looked around at the forest enthusiastically. "Well, Iadar, I'm impressed you've made it this far." He'd lasted a full nineteen seconds before looking away. For a nob that was practically a world record. That deserved a reward: Being led in endless circles. "What brings you to Buttf8ck, Faron? Not the poshest place in the world for a couple of bluebloods like ourselves, I'd say."

[Rennal]

Rennal raised his eyebrows, daring to sneak a glance at her again. This time, he noticed her luxuriously thick black hair. He'd seen it before, but never really noticed it. It was beautiful, despite being worn from her days of travel. As she came close, he smelled it too. Not the best smell, but it looked nice. It was good enough for him to boldly reach up and touch it. "Does your hair always look like this?" He asked, meeting her gaze again, despite hating how she looked.

But god, the hair.

[Vriska]

Hair? He was asking about her hair? Yes, it did always look like this, thanks to Vriska keeping it obsessively clean and brushing it until her arm hurt. But why hair, of all things?

"Yes," she countered. "Does your face always look like this or did you walk into the ugly tree on your way here?"

[Rennal]

Rennal smirked at her comment. Of course she'd retaliate. "I meant that in the nicest way possible, Mindfang. Your hair is beautiful."

Why was he being honest? She was a hybrid of ugly and scary. So why was her hair so riveting? Stop it Rennal shut up stop it.

Just as he was about to let her hair go, something sliced through it and left him with some short strands of the end of her hair in his hands. He blinked at them, and pocketed them for... some reason.

And then the hairs on the back of his neck tingled. He put a hand on his sword. "We're being watched."