Time Out: Oh, I Come From A Land, From a Faraway Place
We intended to make a quick stop in the present to get Uncle Bentley some medical treatment, but Felicia warned us against it. Apparently, time was in a rather strong state of flux just now, and taking Bentley to the present might cause backlash since he was the focus of a recently collapsed paradox. Instead, we had to use the gold coin Mom had grabbed from Le Paradox' warehouse to head to Ancient Arabia, in search of Salim al-Kupar. We just had to hope someone there would be able to give Uncle Bentley some treatment.
Salim al-Kupar was a founding member of the legendary 40 thieves, so we expected to have plenty of help at this stage...though weren't surprised to discover that wasn't the case. Apparently, by the time of our arrival, most of the original 40 had retired already...and there was no trace of Salim. On top of that, several of the guards wandering around were armed with modern weaponry bearing Le Paradox's mark. We would need to be careful if we wanted to find our way around without drawing excessive attention, and possibly getting caught.
It was during our scouting mission that Uncle Bentley's condition started to worsen...and Penelope stumbled across an unexpected ally in our quest...
Penelope carefully but desperately escorted Bentley around the desert oasis city as he struggled against his back and his wheelchair, gasping for breath as they sought out both a clue to Salim's location and a hideout for the gang...or somewhere to hide Overlord Mark II - their transforming plane/boat/mech - as a native building. "Come on, Bentley," she whispered quietly. "It won't be far now..."
"I'm...I'm okay," he gasped out, sweat beading his brow as he pushed against the pain. "I just...need to rest..."
"Pain of the back?" a purring voice suddenly asked from an alley. "I can help with that. Come, come..." A beckoning hand guided them towards the alley. "Quick, before the outsiders see."
Penelope did not want to trust the beckoning voice, but she knew she didn't really have a choice. Bentley needed treatment, and now. "Okay," she whispered as she guided him into the alley.
Before she could react, she and Bentley were both seized by many hands and hustled into a building. To Penelope's surprise, the place was filled with women her age in...well, given the time period, it was highly appropriate to refer to it as 'harem garb', even if it showed more than even modern interpretations of it suggested. As she looked around, she considered herself lucky to find her eyes on a girl wearing as much as a harem vest and thin silk pants.
An unknown vixen garbed in a veil, thin top, vest, and pants quickly pushed Penelope into another room. "The girls will see to your man," she insisted firmly, "but if you do not wish to bring more danger to him, you will change quickly. You stand out like a diamond in the dungheap!"
Caught up in the intensity, Penelope changed costumes as instructed...and found herself in an outfit not unlike that worn by the one who'd pushed her in, complete with veil. At first she considered going without the veil, but quickly set the notion aside. It wouldn't have been provided if it weren't needed.
Stepping back out in the outfit, she found Bentley laid out on his stomach as many of the girls expertly tended his back and legs, the expression of absolute relaxation on his face showing they'd definitely eased his pain. "He's going to be okay?" she asked worriedly.
"The damage is not severe," the vixen answered readily. "My girls know their work. The medicines we have will ease things, and careful exercise will repair the rest."
As she turned to face Penelope, the mouse girl gasped. "Ca-" she began, only to cut herself off. Yes, this girl bore a striking resemblance to Carmelita...or at least a younger version. Penelope estimated her to be at most 21, if not 19. Then again, given the time period, that wasn't that young by societal standards.
"You have heard of me?" the woman asked in surprise. "I am Ca li-Ta. What is it you were seeking, that had your man in such state?"
The commonality of name...Penelope decided to gamble. "We're seeking Salim al-Kupar," she offered softly. "We wish to aid him in driving out the outsiders that hunt him."
Ca li-Ta's eyes narrowed. "And you assume I know something?" she asked carefully.
"Let's just say...I have reason to believe you either are or will be romantically involved with him," Penelope explained carefully.
One eyebrow lifted. "Do you now?" she asked coolly. "And where have you gotten your information, hmm?"
"That is...difficult to explain-" Penelope began, only to gasp as the vixen blurred forward and she found a knife at her throat.
"Simplify it," Ca li-Ta growled.
Penelope swallowed nervously. "Would you believe we're time travellers and he's the fourth male of the line we've encountered in a relationship with a vixen almost identical to you in appearance?"
Ca li-Ta stared at her firmly. "Your words are nonsense...but your voice has nothing of deceit." She pulled the knife back. "Your man will stay here. Return with another male of the line and one of these vixens, and I shall heed your words. Fail, and he dies."
Penelope smirked. "It seems personality is consistent as well." With no more than that, she slipped out to contact Sly and Carmelita.
It didn't take long for Penelope to return to where she left Bentley, with Sly, Carmelita, and Coco in tow. Ca li-Ta gazed upon Sly and Carmelita in surprise. "Though age is quite different, the resemblance is uncanny," she murmured in surprise. "You are the male of the line?"
"Sly Cooper, at your service," Sly greeted with a graceful bow.
Ca li-Ta nodded. "Salim is in a boat out back," she observed calmly. "If you can return him to himself, I will be in your debt. Our children need him."
"Children?" Sly asked in surprise.
"He's not himself?" Carmelita inquired.
"See for yourself," Ca offered sadly, gesturing to the back door, where a boat could be seen moored on the river.
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How many places are we going?
That sounds trouble. (and definitely with a bonus headache)
All I can think about is this line from Terry Pratchett's Sourcery
So Salim and Ca li-Ta have kids... why do I have the feeling Aladdin's One Jump Ahead song fits for them so very much? But I can totally see them teaming up with Coco to get into places the adults can't get to easy. I can't wait to see how things go and if Coco can learn any new magic.
8509657
You make that reference.
...and yet...
Whew, this is looking to be a very... confusing ride.
Like, Carmalita and Sly's ancestors have apparently all boned and reproduced and Carmalita and Sly are a thing so...
...
What exactly are they at this point?
Good show, nonetheless.
8509667
*Starts laughing uproarously.*
Yes! I am so looking forward to this!
8509624
In the game this is the last place they visit. It is also the last level in the whole series. But the last game ended on a cliff hanger where Sly (and only Sly) got stuck in ancient Egypt without the time machine. So maybe there will be a few chapters there. Otherwise we will probably go to Equestria after this part...
8509667
Or in this case, dance moves.
8509685
As stated repeatedly in comments...
The various vixens the Cooper ancestors have been in relationships with are in no way related to Carmelita!
8509714
To be fair, you can see why people think the kitsunes are related to Carmelita.
Obviously there's moore to Salid's problems than meets the eye.
Not sure if Ca li-Ta's diamond comment about Penelope was a veil about something else.
I'm honestly surprised they could massage through that thick shell of his to actually relieve his pain.
8509735
I've been debating back and forth whether or not to throw in an 'Impossible Vixen' scenario at some point.
8509747
Why not put it to vote for readers
8509714
I feel like I've hit a nerve
8509721
Still! Like 8509735 said >.> I've kinda been thinking that the while time, and I don't spend my whole time reading the comments section, save for certain scenarios...
I'll go now.
8509714
eeyep. it's just confirmed that Coopers in general have a type. or, who knows: reincarnation. two halves, always finding each other through the ages.
Hmm...considering how young Ca li-Ta is, and how old Salim was in the game... eh, I trust Tats to not make it creepy. XD
Not bad, but wasn't Salim like 40 something when Sly and the Gang appeared in Arabia? I remember they mentioned he was near the end of his career as a thief at the time, so him being in a relationship with someone in their 20s is kind of creepy. I get that this took place centuries ago and things were different then, but still. That would be a difficult thing to explain to Coco.
Wouldn't Ca li-Ta be in her later years if she's Salim's? I was thinking she is his granddaughter.
8509998
Young women marrying older men was not unusual at the time I believe
Ca li-Ta is no one to fuck with.
8509667 Took me a while with the chapter title
8509688
Whata is it with good games ending on cliffhangers and NEVER going back to them?
Half Life 2, Portal 2, I'm looking at you.
8510314
Half-Life and Portal are both Valve games, which might have something to do with it.
As for the Sly Cooper franchise, the last title in the series was made by a different company. Sucker Punch pretty much started focusing on other games. Not sure what they did outside of the InFamous games though.
8509842
8509980
8509998
One, 'marriage age' of girls in that time period was 13/14.
Two, men frequently waited until later in life to marry, especially if their line of work was especially dangerous (like a soldier...or a master thief). This way, if they did marry, they were guaranteed to have already provided for their children.
Three, I stated Salim and Ca had children. I never stated they were married.
8510415
Ah, of course. Now I feel silly.
I remember reading Carmelita is 24, a full 3 years older than Sly, Bently, and Murray.
8510618
She is three years older, but 24 was at the time of "Honor Among Thieves". How long between that and this game is unknown in canon...but Coco was nine-ish in "Honor Among Thieves", and is now a teenager. So Carmelita is at least 28 now...though I'd say in her 30s to be on the safe side for things.
You know, since no one else has...I will
Shut up, it's one of my favorite movies.
8511078
Glad someone caught the reference. I thought I'd have to go through the entire song in chapter titles before it was spotted.
8511078
Never be ashamed. I got the title reference as well. <3 Good series.
Though I will say I can't unhear Jerry Orbach as Salim even if he's got a different VA in this.
8511084
I never got the reference! The universe just doesn’t want me seeing Aladdin! To be fair it doesn’t let me see any Thor movies or all of the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit so... yeah...
Ah, I'm not worried about Kalim. No matter what it is that's got him down I bet Sly will sort him out. After all, Kalim ain't never had a friend like him before.
8515078
Ok I need some context I'm not going to go searching back through the chapters to find which villain this was about so please remind me, since you mainly talk about octavio I think that was where this one was tied to, but again need more context since you are replying to chapter specific comments
Aladdin references are nice but the Aladdin and the King of Thieves film was awful, i am hoping to see no references to it here.
8535876
better than the direct sequel, Robin Williams goes a long way towards saving anything.