The stage was set on a drab, peeling, faded pink apartment. A tall, thin, lanky man was up on the roof, practicing his exercise routine. His wild, black hair was noticeable to the blonde driving the moving truck, his partner humming and adjusting his glasses. The triangle-shade-wearing man sped through the small, winding road, turning the steering wheel at random times. The man on the roof, however was startled by the erratic driving.
Letting a string of cuss words, the man shook his fist angrily at the truck, reading 'Strider & English Moving Co.'
"Watch where y'going, motherfuckers!" he yelled.
The driver acted as if he hadn't heard the profanities and kept going. Pulling into the driveway, he unloaded the truck, and a troll with short, black hair opened the door. The blonde held his hand out and rubbed his fingers together, asking for a tip.
The troll slammed the door, leaving the mover with a long face and, alas, no money. He sighed, got back into the car, and drove off. While driving, he almost hit a black cat with-wait- was that a purple streak in its fur?
The cat skittered away, hissing and turning its nose up at the truck.
It ran toward the back door where a young troll was preparing for an adventure. She meandered down the stairs, making her way to the bush that lay a few steps away from the edge of the stairs. Pulling a branch, she tore the leaves off the vegetation and held it out, like a mystical compass of sorts. She made her way up through a small hiking patch overooking the house. Finally, she made it to her destination- a clearing of trees in the middle of a huge ditch.
"Rrrrrow!" the cat yowled, making the girl jump.
"Ack!" she yelled, turning around to see the cat. "You scared me, you freak cat!"
The cat's 'expression' seemed to turn annoyed at the outburst from the girl.
"Well, I'm looking for a well," she said, crossing her arms, but still gripping the branch tightly. "Know of any?"
The cat shook its head.
"Not talking, eh?"
The girl rolled her eyes, and put the stick in front of her.
"Magic dowser, magic dowser! Show me the well!" she said, in a sort of chant.
Suddenly, a horn blared, and she whirled around to see a wheelchair popping a, well, wheelie. She gasped, and ducked out of its way. "Auuugh! Get away from me!" The creature sped down the hill, straight at the girl. She jumped out of the wheelchair boy's way and got a face full of mud.
"Ick!" she yelled, wiping the mud off her rain jacket.
The boy flipped his short, shaved cut and opened his eyes. The girl sat up, black hair messy and wild.
"Look," he said, "I've heard some about water-witching, but, uhh, I've never really understood it. I mean, uh, it's just an ordinary branch." The boy had long, bull-like horns.
"It's a dowsing rod," the girl said, folding her arms again. "And, I don't like being stalked. Not by-" she read the name adiosToreador on the back of his wheelchair- "ToreaDORKS and their mutant cats."
"Y'know, he's not my cat. He's more feral, like, uh, a wild animal. He'll bring me dead fish and rats and stuff," the boy said.
"So if I'm a water witch, where's the secret well?" the girl asked.
"Stomp too hard, you'll fall in it," the boy said. She gasped, jumping back. "They say that if you fall in it, you'll see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day."
"Surprised my grandma let you move in. She never rents the Pink Palace out to people with kids," he said. "What do you mean?" the girl asked. "I'm not supposed to talk about it," he said, looking down.
"Tavros. Tavros Nitram," the boy said.
"Tavros?" the girl repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of name is Tavros?"
"It wasn't my idea, naturally," Tavros said. "Anyway, wha'd you, uh, get saddled with?"
"I didn't get saddled with anything," the girl said, closing her eyes exasperatedly. "It's Vriska Serket."
"It's not real, uh, scientific," Tavros said, running a hand through his hair, "But I heard a real non-scientific name like Vriska can lead people to have ordinary expectations about people."
"Tavros!" called a voice from afar.
"I think I heard someone calling you," Vriska said, smacking the dowser against her palm.
"Uhh…" Tav said, fidgeting with his gloves.
"TAVROS!" the voice called.
"Oh, I definitely heard somebody calling you, Torea-SNORE."
"Kanaya," Tavros said under his breath. "Look, it's nice to meet a water witch scorpio lady, but, uh, I gotta run! Bye Vriska!" He pronounced 'Vriska' accenting the I so it was long.
"Adios," she muttered as he started off, but then he stopped.
"Oh yeah, and that dowsing rod of yours? It's poison oak," Tavros said, then jetted off into the horizon.
"Augh!" Vriska screamed, chucking the rod over the hill.