The Dimensional Universal Bank
"It's been a LONG time since I've actually had the chance to use that trick!" said Kaita with a laugh.
"Um, just out of curiosity, where exactly can you GET one of those cards?" asked Kurapika.
"Don't tell me you want to get one too!" said Kaita with a look of mock surprise.
"It certainly made our day a LOT easier!"
"I could help you get one…but on one condition!"
"What?"
"You have to promise to not lose it or attempt to give it away to someone else."
"Okaaay… care to explain?"
"Well for one thing, if you lose it then you have to go through the entire process all over again to get one. And believe me, that alone is a pain in the rear the first time around!" said Kaita with a shudder.
"And the second half? You know, the part about trying to give it away?" asked Kurapika.
"If you try to give it away or sell it, then it will automatically become void and no one can use it ever again. And to make it more unappealing to try something of that nature, if you attempt to get a new one to replace the old, then you'll be given a fee and a bad credit score!" said Kaita.
"How do you know all this?"
"I paid attention to the people who issued me this card. Most people skim over the booklet, but I was so bored at the time that I actually read it! Because I read the booklet before they talked about it, they gave me a BIG discount on my account for free!"
"What kind of discount?" asked Kurapika.
"It's one they rarely use because NO one bothers to read the manual! It's a Smart-Hopper discount, if I remember right…"
"Smart-Hopper?!" said Kurapika in disbelief.
"Yeah; you see, when someone jumps between one dimension to the next, it's called 'hopping'. Most people use the incorrect term 'jumping' because they don't know this. With the Smart-Hopper discount, you get an unlimited supply of funds in any dimension. And to make it even better, if we don't use it constantly then we don't have to pay back the money we spent!"
"You're kidding, right?!" said Kurapika in disbelief. It sounded too good to be true.
"Well, there is one catch."
"What…"
"We have to actually pay for the card like those without the discount. It's some sort of fairness rule to the customers I guess."
"You said something about insurance…"
"Oh, right. If you pay a little over five percent MORE than the normal fee for the card, then you're given an automatic insurance against someone stealing it. Or from misplacing it…" said Kaita with an embarrassed look in her eye.
"You've misplaced your card a LOT haven't you…?" he chuckled.
"How'd you guess… Hey look, our pizza's ready! I can't wait to dig in!" (She changed the subject quickly to avoid becoming more embarrassed.) They didn't speak as they devoured the pizza. When they were done, Kurapika turned to her and said, "Can you help me get one of those cards?"
"The question isn't whether or not I could help you, but whether or not you can afford the fee to pay for the card on your own…"
"How much do they cost?" he asked.
"It varies…but most of the time it usually ends up the equivalent of 6,664,130 in the currency from whatever world you came from."
"Yikes! Why is it that high?"
"Do you really want to know?" she chuckled.
"It would be NICE…" said Kurapika.
"The reason it's those particular numbers is because…well, those numbers are considered to be bad luck in certain cultures!" she laughed.
"Which ones?"
"Well, most of the bad luck nonsense came from at least 2 or 3 different cultures. The first three numbers belong to these two religions called Christianity and Catholicism. Apparently they believe that the numbers six-six-six were the equivalent of the Devil or something!"
"Why?"
"Something to do about 'Judgment Day' or something, I don't remember."
"What of the other numbers?"
"Well, the next number is considered bad luck in the same small country that noisy ninja came from, Japan."
"You're kidding…"
"Nope. They consider the number four to be even worse luck than 13 or 666! From what I can recall, it has something to do with the words for 'death' and the number '4' sounding so similar."
"And the last three numbers?"
"Actually, there's only one number. It's 13, which some consider bad luck for various reasons. They even have a name for 'fear of the number thirteen', if you can believe it!"
"Do I really want to know…"
"I doubt you could pronounce it right anyway. I know I had a hard time saying aloud myself!"
"What's the name…" said Kurapika in a sigh of defeat.
"It's 'Triskaidekaphobia'."
"Tris-ka what?!"
"You heard me. Why they give such complicated names for such simple fears I'll never know…"
"So, when can we go to the bank?"
"Why not right now?" she said with a smile. She paid the bill with a large tip, and they left.
Kaita chanted the teleportation spell to the DUB. They made a quick pit stop back at their world so Kurapika could get the cash he needed and then they were there. The building was enormous. The doors appeared to be made out of precious jewels and the floor was pure energy. Kaita went up to the front desk and said, "We're here so my friend can get a DUCC. This is his first time here."
"Then he'll have to get in line like everybody else."
"Oh joy…" muttered Kaita.
"Is there something else or are you going to keep the others waiting for their turn to speak?!" grumbled the secretary.
"Actually there is. May I speak to (says unpronounceable name) please?"
"HEY KITE! A CUSTOMER WANTS TO SPEAK WITH YOU!" shouted the woman.
"Thank you," said Kaita.
"You're not welcome…" snorted the secretary.
What looks like a cross between a fox-demon and a human teenager walks up. He spots Kaita and says, "Welcome back, Kai-chan! What brings you here?"
"My friend is a newbie and wants to get his first DUCC."
"Then why don't you two come with me to my office…"