Not that she wasn't pretty, as he couldn't find anything wrong with her in that regard. Her chin length black hair was a bit severe, and her bust wasn't of the bouncy sort that a lot of guys tended to drool over, but her chest was rather nicely sized, and her legs certainly made for the sort of 'viewing' that a lot of the boys he knew liked to do. Hell, even he could tell that the legs showed off by the short skirt of her slave dress would look great with a pair of high heels and hose, or some thigh high boots.
The thing was that he wasn't nervous due to any desire to 'jump her bones'. To tell the truth, he wasn't exactly sure that she looked like she'd appreciate that sort of activity. Not that she seemed to be about to act out either, as he could see that she was of the sort who would rather hold themselves back, rather than connect with the world around them.
Even as she came to a stop and stood tall in front of him, it seemed more like she was presenting herself to some superior official, rather than someone of a similar age as her. "Hello, my Master. My name is Lyra."
"Uhh... nice ta meetcha," he commented with what he hoped was a reassuring grin. "I'm Ranma Saotome."
"That is good to know, Master."
"Uhh... yeah."
"Is something wrong, Master?"
"Are ya... mad at me, or somethin'?"
"No. Why would you think that?" she asked, actually showing a bit of confusion.
"Ya don't seem ta be all that... comfortable right now. 'Course, I wouldn't 'xpect ya ta just be some sort of... party girl. But the thing is that ya don't need ta get all formal and stuff."
"What do you mean?"
"It's real simple. I ain't lookin' for a robot, ya know. I'd like ta at least be able ta talk with ya relaxed and everythin'. Remember, I don't know anythin' 'bout ya," the pigtailed boy admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
This seemed to surprise her a bit. "You didn't actually consider what you were getting when you brought me?"
"Ummm... no. Fact is that I just had this feelin' that ya were the one that I had ta buy. 'Xcept I don't even know what ya are capable of. And that's kinda stupid, 'cause my Pop told me that I should look ta see what sort of skills ya guys had, and ta pick a slave that'd be able ta handle the stuff that I'm bad with. So, ya could be a lot of things...."
"I am an alchemist."
"Huh."
"I am an alchemist," Lyra repeated.
This was something that Ranma understood, but it still took him a moment to comprehend what this meant to him. One simply couldn't be totally clueless about what alchemists meant to the world as it was, since they were so integral to society as it was. They were a major force in the realm of slavery alone, as it was them who created the chemicals needed for the process, empowered slave brands, and created the various tools needed to make the whole 'industry' viable in this modern world.
What was unusual was the fact that one had actually become a slave, never mind the fact that she belonged to him. "How in the hell did that happen?"
"If we totally knew how people became alchemists, then they wouldn't be so sought after...."
"Uh. No. What I meant was that I didn't, and don't, understand how ya, an alchemist, became a slave."
A light blush covered her cheeks ever as her face twisted up in an expression of disgust at her memories. "I was working for an official who was the administrator of the mines of the town we were in. But a government alchemist and his brother came in, found out that my boss was actually pretty corrupt."
"Ya didn't notice?"
"I... was looking for his promise of helping me become a government alchemist myself. He was going to be my patron, so I... didn't realize that he was charging the locals way too much in fees, and lowering their pay just as badly. When the state alchemist came by, he saw what had happened, manipulated my boss into giving up control of the mines... and destroyed my dream of joining the ranks like he did."
Nodding, he gave a look of sympathy. "What happened?"
"We found... and I lost. Badly. He was just too good at alchemy. Much better than I am. And when the military came to handle the clean up, I got arrested too. So, instead of becoming a respected government alchemist, I've become your property."
"Hey, it ain't that bad! Sure, I'm not 'xactly some rich guy, or a big shot government guy, but I've got some good stuff goin' for me. If nothin' else, I can train ya."
"You can?"
"Sure can. Martial arts are my life, and I can have ya learn some real good stuff pretty quick...."
Shoulders slumping, Lyra looked away.
"And the big thing is that ya'll get ta learn our motto real good. 'Anything goes'. When I get done with ya, ya'll be able ta adapt ta any situation, and use your abilities quick and in just the right way ta take advantage of what ya gotta deal with."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Think of it this way. Just havin' the power ain't enough. It's how ya use it, no matter if it's book learnin', fightin', or alchemy. Some frail old guy can beat a bodybuilder real easy, if he knows just where ta hit, like at the pressure points. If ya know how ta work that way, when ya get stronger with your alchemy, ya'll have that much more of an edge."
Clearly understanding the 'fight smart' concept, Lyra let just a bit of hope and admiration show in her eyes as she looked over at her new owner, while:
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(Posted Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:46)
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