"You remember me mentioning that 'cause me and Pops came from another universe, we tend to meet up with people who are not exactly..." Ranma stopped as a pair of scissors snipped briefly before rejoining the arc.
"People and things of a reality outside what most people believe to be the case?" asked Yusef. "Outside the 'muggle' viewpoint? The paranormal, supernatural, and just plain strange?"
"Yeah," said Ranma.
"That is so," said Yusef. "We all tend to run into each other a bit more than might be usual. Urban myths and legends and more. Sort of a karma obscura."
"Right," said Ranma. "Yusef here is not what he appears to be."
There was a pause as each item was deftly caught and set to the side. "Oh? And what exactly am I?"
"You're shorter than you appear to be," said Ranma. "You're not as good as illusions as you think you are."
"Side effect of my abilities and curse," said Yusef, nodding. "I have to rely on items for the illusion. Items don't adapt well to changing circumstances. Go on."
"All of you that I've met have a power or ability, and a curse to go with it," said Ranma. "Matathias for example."
"Is older than you, me, your father, your father's master - combined," interrupted Yusef. "He's a little over two thousand years old, but I'll leave the details to him to reveal when he wants. Go on."
"Benoit the tailor," went Ranma, ignoring the occasional snip as Yusef resumed efforts. "Can't make NORMAL clothing can he?"
"True, he bargained for the ability to make wondrous clothing, but now that's all he can make. His dreams of fashioning clothing lines for the masses and seeing his creations everywhere - can never be realized," said Yusef.
"All powers come with a curse?" asked Melfina.
"Everything has a price, child," said Yusef. "Some coins are more dear than others."
"Jayah in the Expedience Taxi," said Ranma. "He can never leave the vehicle, right?"
"And never go where there is no fare," said Yusef. "The Mercenary Curse. Fairly common one actually. Though he CAN leave the vehicle for a few hours at a time. There MUST be a payment - he can never do anything gratis."
"You've got some variant of that," said Ranma.
Yusef smiled and shrugged but didn't reply.
"For that matter, there's Jane," said Ranma.
"Ah, you've run into the Hunter," said Yusef. "How is she doing?"
"Haven't seen her for awhile, she was going to Hell because she couldn't find anything worth hunting in the mortal realm," said Ranma, frowning as he put something else together.
"Then there's myself," said Yusef, prompting.
"You're from offworld yourself," said Ranma. "You know things that go on even in other continents, but you can't see beyond this universe. I'm guessing here but you don't know the answer unless someone asks you the question, do you?"
"VERY clever, figuring that out," said Yusef, who shimmered and changed. "Though it's not quite the whole answer, you understand."
Melfina's eyes were wide as she took in a slightly overweight, four-foot-high, bald Arabic sort. Except for the bare feet that had a layer of fur on the top.
"So, about Melfina?" prompted Ranma. "What can you tell me about her and those after her?"
"I have to do this properly, you know, I can't lay the whole answer out in plain view," said Yusef with a hint of regret in his voice. "They hunt her because she is the key."
"Key? Key to what?" asked Ranma.
"Tsk. I can only give you cryptic or partial answers, you know that," reminded Yusef. "It's either that or do the whole poetic rhyme scheme and my skills as a poet have never been that good."
"Okay, so the Kei Pirates are hunting her because she's got a key or something? Some sort of treasure? Genetic lock?" asked Ranma.
"You ARE very well travelled," noted Yusef, snipping here and there. "Something like that."
"Huh," said Ranma, thinking magic must be involved. Magic was almost always a PAIN. "So what about Hilda? Same thing?"
"True," said Yusef. "Though Melfina has many secrets, even to herself, some things are clear. Ahem. What do you think?"
Ranma blinked as a mirror was presented to him. "It... doesn't look different."
"I just tidied up for the most part," said Yusef. "Trimmed. And you really ought to use a better quality of shampoo. And I don't mean Chinese Amazons."
"'Chinese Amazons'?" asked Ranma.
"Let me have my occasional in-joke," said Yusef. "In any case, Melfina here carries a number of problems - none of which are truly her fault. She is also very very good at telling where she is at any given point, one of her myriad abilities."
"Melfina?" asked Ranma. "Where are we now?"
"Egypt," said Melfina immediately, closing her eyes and thinking for a moment. "Eighty kilometers South-Southwest of the Kharga Oasis."
"Okay, that could be handy," admitted Ranma. "But they've got gadgets that could do the same thing so it's not what they want her for."
Yusef looked towards the door. "You'll have company in about fifteen minutes if you remain. Best to get moving."
"Giving me something?" asked Ranma, pulling out his wallet and getting one of the rapidly shrinking bills from it.
"Hardly," said Yusef, handwaving the point and then taking the money. "If you get in a fight here, what will happen to my humble establishment? Everyone else uses tents around here. I opted for something a little less nomadic and drafty. I can, however, answer one more question."
"Gotcha," said Ranma, thinking the next answer he needed would be to the question:
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(Posted Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:21)
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