OoC: Feel free to drop by if your character is old enough to do so, as this took place 8-9 years ago. Chances are Kobas will remember you.

IC:

“…so then I snapped his neck, just like that,” a 13-year-old Kobas bragged, making a rough twisting motion with his hands. He opened one eye to glance lazily at Rebecca’s reaction.

The future swordmaster had thick, wavy dark-purple hair that fell well past her waist, and deep, soulful eyes with a hint of mischief in them. She just giggled and threw a handful of grass at the young rogue. “You couldn’t kill anyone! You’re too nice.”

Kobas pretended to be offended. “Nice? Well you’re weird, then. What kind of girl laughs when I tell them how I snap some guy’s neck?”

Rebecca laughed again, and Kobas just smiled. He loved her voice and the way she would always laugh at his lame attempts to impress her. “Yea, I guess you’re right… I still don’t think you could do it though,” she said stubbornly. “The most you could do was pick his pocket or something.”

“Fine, don’t believe me…”

“You sinner. Destined for Hell for sure,” Rebecca said, her eyes flashing with amusement as she brought up an old joke.

“According to your mother, that is. Why, if you don’t convince her I’m a perfect little saint, how am I supposed to marry you without her after my blood?”

A red tinge appeared across Rebecca’s cheeks but she said nothing in reply.

“If you don’t think sin is fun, you haven’t been committing the right ones,” the blue haired rogue replied with a wink. A gentle summer breeze ruffled the tall green grasses on the hill the sat on, Rebecca’s hair loose and flowing freely.

“You listen to Sauron too much,” she said with a small frown, referring to a man that had prevented Kobas from sneaking a drink from a bar one night. The guy had taken a liking to Kobas, and vice versa, and Rebecca nor her disapproving mother thought much of the bad influence Sauron was sure to have on the impressionable mind of the young thief.

Kobas looked at Rebecca, a serious expression on his face although the corner of his mouth twitched every so often.
“If I had a ticket to heaven,
But you didn’t have one too,
I’d tear my ticket to pieces,
And go to hell with you!”

“You, heaven? It’s a bit too late for that for you, don’t you think?”

Kobas made a face. “I’m not that bad of a person, am I? I even repented at the Temple Quarter the other day. I think at least Din heard me; she even sent along a sign. The corner of my cloak caught on fire from one of the candles. That means she was really listening that time.”

The purple-haired girl grinned and shoved him playfully. “You really shouldn’t make your stupid jokes in front of my mom, though. She doesn’t like you at all…”

“Even if I was a perfect little saint I don’t think she’d like me anyways… You really shouldn’t be out here now anyway. I thought you weren’t allowed to see me anymore?” Kobas asked solemnly. “Maybe if I had a mom like you, or at least a dad, your mum wouldn’t mind so much.”

“I don’t see what’s wrong with having no parents. Maybe if you washed your face at least once a week…” There was a large streak of dirt across Kobas’s face and his clothes were patched and dusty.

“I really wasn’t kidding around that time, Rebecca.” The two lay back in the lush grasses, daydreaming and staring at the bright blue sky. “I don’t blame your mum. If I was her I wouldn’t trust a dirty little street urchin who’s only good at picking pockets either,” he added quietly.

“Don’t say that! You’re good at everything! You can play an ocarina, and even the piano, and you can sing really well and you’re even a poet-“

“-Don’t give me that much credit. Half the stuff I say is by Sauron. And the other half’s inspired by…” his dark blue eyes drifted to the spirited childhood friend beside him, who, even when she was frowning or scolding him, or even crying, was so beautiful she could take his breath away and leave him speechless. “You’re good at loads of stuff too,” he said hastily, trying to remedy the awkward moment of silence.

“No I’m not… mom wishes I could play a harp, or waltz, or even curtsy right. All I’m good at is swinging a sword at someone.”

“You’re the best myrmidon I’ve ever seen!” Kobas exclaimed. “Don’t even bother forcing yourself to learn that lady-like crap. I like you just the way you are.”

This caused Rebecca to blush again, and she turned so her back was facing him. After another, yet longer period of silence the young teenager replied, “She’s going to marry me to some hideous old man, or to a young noble if I’m lucky that already has 2 other wives and 5 mistresses...”

A fierce look appeared in Kobas’s eyes. “I won’t let that happen to you as long as I live,” he said admirably, but truth rang through his words. “Just to let you know, though, that when I get older and hit on and sleep with tons of different women every night-“ He flinched as Rebecca threw another handful of grass at him. “-I’ll still love you the first and most. Okay?”

"Why, hello there, little children!" Boomed a jolly voice. Down the hill trotted a man in his late twenties or thirties, his long, black, healthy hair tied in a ponytail down to his shoulderblades, and a tasteful dervish perched on his head. He wore a brown coat with a darker brown vest underneath, and it was evident that he was rather portly, though fit. He waved a muscular arm at them, a wide smile plastered across his boyish face. He had heard a bit of their conversation on his way, and knew he had caught them at an awkward moment--And he loved it. He stopped a few feet away from them and tipped his dervish at them. "What would you kids be doing on this fine day?"

OOC: I doubt Kobas or you know who this is, but don't worry about it. I didn't just make him up to crash your topic Instead, you get a sneak peek at an upcoming storyline of mine.

"Hey, old man," Kobas said in reply, rolling on his stomach so he could see him. He could tell the man had heard parts of their conversation, and he struggled to keep from turning red. "Nothin'. Like you'd care what a bunch of punks are up to."

"Don't be rude, Kobas," Rebecca chided, sitting up. She gave the man a good look. Not dirt poor like Kobas, and not filthy rich as she was. She wondered if her mother had sent him to look for her; if so, she would be in a load of trouble that night. "You weren't sent by anyone to find me, were you?" She asked tentatively, wanting to get the worst over with. "Not Cassandra- I mean Lady Winters?"

Kobas glared at the newcomer, pulling Rebecca behind him protectively.

The man gave a hearty laugh and sighed. "No, I haven't been sent to find you. I just thought it seemed like a good day for a walk. Evidently, you young ones thought it was a good day for something else!" He laughed again, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. "Don't you think you're a tad young to be exchanging vows in the first place?" he teased. "Oh well, you don't have to be afraid around me, I won't hand you over to this Lady Winters. Don't even know who the mistress is in the first place, nor what she would want with you." He grinned widely, amused by the protective stance of Kobas. "I have a boy about your age, you might know him. He's named Boore."

Both teens blushed at the same time, but seemed to calm down as they realized he wasn't a threat to their perfect afternoon. "What I do isn't any of your business," he replied angrily. "And never heard of your kid either. What kind of a name is Boore anyway-"

"Kobas!" Rebecca scolded again, yanking on his sleeve. She stood up, shaking grass off of her expensive-looking dress and purple hair. "Well, sir, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone you saw me today," she said, tilting her head and giving him a sweet smile that melted away Kobas's heart and anger away in a second. "Lady Winters is my mother- if you don't mind me saying so, I'm sort of surprised you've never heard of her. She's married to one of the richer merchants of Upper North Castle."

The blue-haired rogue's temper heated up again as she mentioned this, ripping off a fistful of grass and mumbling angry curses under his breath. His mood seemed to have been completely ruined; something small that could irk him even in the slightest- such as the stranger then making fun of his odd shade of hair- could set him off completely, and not even Rebecca and her singsong voice could calm him then.

The man was taken aback at the young man's initial reaction, frowning at the fiery child. He felt a small bit of anger rise up in him at the insult towards his son, but suppressed it as best he could. It also helped that the little girl chided Kobas for him--I think I like this girl, He thought with a mental snicker. "Oh, that Lady Winters. I didn't know she had children, she doesn't look the part in my opinion. She kept her form remarkably well." He replied. "I've seen her husband quite a few times, I do a lot of business with him. Every now and then I see his wife as well." He eyed the rogue with concern. He's not helping the environment much, now is he? "What's got you so blue, lad?" He queried, totally unaware of the insult in his tactless sentence.

"Yeah, that old penny-pinching shrew's been using every trick in the book to make it seem like she drank out of the Fountain of-" Kobas stopped his rant at the stranger's last words. "What the hell'd you say?! I dare you, say it again!" He stood up angrily, his green eyes showing the beginnings of the lethal look they would hold in the future. "You got a problem with my hair-"

"Kobas!" Rebecca shrieked, tugging on his arm. "Stop it! Please, calm down, he didn't say anything wrong-"

Kobas shoved her away roughly and walked menacingly toward the man, looking up at him like a wolf about to pounce. Their great differences in height was almost comical, and Rebecca would have laughed if Kobas didn't look like he was about to commit his first real murder.

"Easy kid, easy!" The man said as he held up his hands cautiously, in the 'easy, easy' position. He tried not to grin at the thought of the small boy attacking him, for that would surely set him off. Although it would be a hilarious scrap, he didn't need the reputation of a child-beater. "Let's just forget I said...something...and talk about something else." He decided it would be much safer to talk to the girl than the boy--The former didn't look quite as ruthless as the latter. "What do you want to do when you grow up, little lady?" he asked, hoping everything would just blow over.

"Why's that any of your business-" Kobas began until Rebecca ran forward and dragged him back.

The young girl stared at the man with her deep eyes, contemplating whether she should give him the answer she was being raised to give, or the one that was actually true. "I- I want to be a Trueblade," she said, her voice faltering. "Please, please don't tell my mother! I hate being weighed down by these stupid dresses and these stupid ribbons and pins and bows in my hair! I hate sitting straight and serving tea to a bunch of snobby old women or fat sweaty men that stare at me like I'm some prize they can win! All I want to do is become a mercenary, and really help people in trouble, and..." Rebecca stopped and blushed, wringing her finely manicured hands. It seemed odd that a girl that seemed so fragile could even lift a broadsword, let alone swing it.

A hard look filled her eyes. "... and the last thing I want to do is get married to someone I don't even know, who just said 'I do' because he thought I was pretty and I'll have a really nice dowry."

"Who the hell are you anyway?" Kobas asked rudely.

"Well- um- why don't you tell him what you want to be when you get older?" Rebecca asked, hoping she could somehow get Kobas to calm down. "You never really give me a straight answer."

"I see...You've definitely got the spirit...As does the lad." The man replied with a chuckle, removing his hat and sifting its rim through his fingers as he tried to decide how to react to the hostile youngster. He cleared his throat, deciding to ignore the boy for now. "Well, I wouldn't know about being a mercenary. To me, it seems that all they really care for is the money. If you want to help people, there are better ways to do so than through being a mercenary. Your motives will change, you may be in it for the nice stuff at first, but you'll change...The money will become more and more alluring, soon you'll be taking jobs you would never have done before just to make a fortune. Take care you don't end up like that." He saw that his response was more likely than not lost on the girl, as she had turned her attention to her future hubby again. "And just who am I? Well, I'm a businessman of sorts. Like I said, I've worked with Mr. Winters a few times."

"That doesn't really answer the question," Kobas said stubbornly. "Tell me who you are, or I'll find out myself."

"Going to interrogate him?" Rebecca scoffed, but had taken the man's words to heart.

"Rebecca already has a cart-load of money. She really wants to help people! She's never been selfish in her entire life," Kobas said firmly instead.

"Not if I'm disowned," the purple-haired girl said wisely. "Erm, exactly what kind of business, if I may ask?" She inquired further, starting to get curious, as the man seemed evasive about giving out information pertaining to himself.

"I don't really know what I want to do," Kobas said after a moment's silence. "Being a mercenary sounds alright. I've been thinking about it for a while too. But I'm not very honest..." he said truthfully. "I'd end up scamming the customer one way or another. I don't want to be rich- then I'd get lazy and lie around a big old mansion all day. Big houses are lonely, you know? Unless you've got a family and a bunch of screaming kids and a nagging wife to fill it up. No, I'll be a nomad. I'll just drift whenever I need a change."

Rebecca couldn't help but stare as Kobas began to speak calmly and thoughtfully, a complete turnaround from his earlier behavior.

"Hey, mister, have you ever been across the seas? Have you ever thought of leaving Hyrule? You have enough money. I bet you could buy your own ship and crew," Kobas said, an eager spark lighting in his eyes.

"It's a very odd thing to be honest with yourself about being dishonest to others..." The stranger murmured while Kobas was speaking. "I've been out on the sea, never to another land though. Last time I tried a storm ended up stopping our ship from leaving, and the conditions at our destination were disastrous afterward. Huge wave took out the place, big mess. Never really considered it afterwards. No, I'm a very busy man." His last sentence made him remember the query that he had received earlier from the violet-scalped girl.

"What kind of business? Law." He said with a boisterous grin. "I'm an attorney. A prosecutor, to be exact. That's why I know your father. All businessmen end up in court some time or other, either that or I meet them on the jury or during investigation." He placed his hat back on his head. "In fact, you may have heard of me. My name is Burlo."

OOC:...I honestly don't know how much of a court system they would have in Hyrule. They never really talk about it in any of the games. However, judging by the huge meeting in MM, it seems there is some sort of democracy in Termina. That doesn't say anything for Hyrule, but it at least shows that a law system is possible.

Rebecca tried to nod politely even though the name wasn't familiar to her. Kobas, on the other hand, said, "Mmm.... nope. Never heard of you. Sorry."

"Kobas!" Rebecca tutted softly, but the blue-haired boy ignored her.

"Well, um, if the thought ever crosses your mind again, you could always use a cabin boy on the ship, right?" Kobas added hopefully. "Or even a girl. Even though most sailors think girls on a ship are unlucky."

"I've never been out of Hyrule Field. I haven't even been to the Tantari yet," Rebecca said, not liking the idea of sailing to an unknown land.

"Wait, you're with the law?" The thief said as he caught one of Burlo's explanation, an alarmed look growing in his eyes. He twitched as if he considered leaving.

OoC: I swear, I never would have guessed it was Burlo. lol.

"I suppose I would need a cabin boy. However, I never plan on taking to the seas myself. I have an exceptionally weak stomach, you see." Burlo said matter-of-factly, wagging his index finger next to his head. He bent down to Kobas' level and looked at him out of the top of his eyes, raising his eyebrows in mock apprehension. "Yes, young lad, I do happen to be with the law. You haven't been doing anything that would make me unhappy now, have you?" He said in a grave tone. However, he was secretly rolling with laughter on the inside, finding the situation's irony ever-so-pleasing.

Kobas took a step back. "No, no, of course not..." he mumbled. His head suddenly jerked to the side as his sharp Hylian ears picked up the sound of an approaching person. Kobas's eyes widened in even more fear than when Burlo had been teasing him.

"Kobas, what is it?" Rebecca asked, concerned.

"REBECCA!"

The two young teenagers looked at each other nervously as a familiar sight trudged up the hill. Rebecca's governess Molly, who had been searching for her charge all day, had finally found the young heiress. She hitched up her long skirts, which tangled easily in the long grass, and tucked the stray hairs from her cap behind her ears. She mercilessly grabbed Rebecca's wrist, attempting to drag her back home. "Rebecca, where have you been? And with him again?" The woman glared at Kobas so fiercely he seemed to shrink before her.

"Thank you, sir, for finding her," Molly said, with a polite nod to Burlo.

"Molly, I don't want to go-"

Molly gave her a rough shake, her steely eyes like daggers. "Hush! When your mother finds out you've been hanging around trash again you'll be locked in your room for a month," she threatened.