G/T One Shots

Wishes Three | 2

Warnings: Implied assault (physical and sexual), Cursing, Fear, Betrayal?

Word Count (wow it's at the beginning!?): 1351

Time was a funny thing, right? Might as well repeat that to drill it in further. And Nadia was discovering that more and more as time passed.

Her service to Asra seemed like only a blip now, as weeks turned into months, turned into years, to decades, to centuries, to a millennia, give or take. But that's not to say that she couldn't feel the passage of time in minutes as well. And she unfortunately remembered every second of her service to Asra, and how she'd felt a strange sense of satisfaction when he died after so, so many years.

Yet still her bangles remained, her servitude still intact even after her Master's death. She was a Genie now. After all, she'd been stupid and desperate enough to believe the words of a cunning and desperate man.

She'd been summoned a few hundred times though, since his death, by other people. They were all so greedy, usually wanting money or other material gain, some wanting...other things.

Some wished for simple things and moved on quickly.

Others took their time.

No one ever cared that she was tired of this life. They only cared about what they wanted, not about her at all.

So when she felt the pull of being summoned from her lamp, she didn't expect anything different, tugging her tight, silken dress up to expose less cleavage, already hating how provocative it all was. And men typically had some weird power dynamic seeing women in bondage, which hadn't really changed with time it seemed, and the golden bangles on her wrist didn't help with that whole thing.

"Who are you that summons me, Master of me for wishes three?" She'd adapted the intro slightly but it really hadn't altered much from the original, and she felt more and more like a broken...record? Was that the word that had been used last she'd been summoned? Nevermind.

Nerves squirmed in her gut as she looked up from her place on a dusty wooden floor into the vague shape of a surprised face of a human male above her, feeling a strange sense of deja vu through the blue veil of mist that still hadn't dissipated. Time hadn't changed her anxieties. And a bitter morsel of solidarity always settled on her as she took in the expression. She'd been just as surprised to find Asra all that time ago....

Genie's eyes focused on the human again, finding that he still hadn't spoken or moved, mouth hanging agape. It seemed he'd be like that for a while if she didn't do something. And she was about to, when she emerged from the blue mist that shrouded her and saw his face, heart leaping into her throat. It was—

"Master Asra?" It couldn't be him, could it? She'd only gotten a glimpse, but the facial structure was the exact same, so— "What the hell?" She breathed stepping back rapidly before she tripped on an imperfection in the wood, continuing to backpedal and cowering as a hand approached. She couldn't hurt her Masters, so her powers were practically useless as fingers closed around her slim blue body, and she felt them tense in surprise as she squirmed.

"Uh....who?" Julian was completely lost. Was this a....whatever this chick was thing? Was Asra a part of that, maybe a title or something? He was barely even conscious of reaching forwards until his hand enclosed around the waist of this tiny person. A shock ran through him—it was solid;it was real!

And here he'd thought that his pothead neighbor had gotten him second-hand high.

But she was real. And she was terrified. "Hey, hey," he cooed, bringing her closer. "Look at me." He thought that his voice was pretty gentle, but the way her head snapped up to his said otherwise. "Are you okay? What's happening? Who are you?"

"I-I'm your Genie, Master. You summoned me?"

Worry pinched his brows together as he watched her facial expression, but something changed the longer her purple eyes stared into his green ones, silence stretching. She was still reserved though, he could tell from her body language.

And Genie realized slowly that, if this was Asra, then a lot had changed. His hair, for one, was a fluffy brown, not white as it had been all those years ago. And the eyes? Emerald rather than topaz.

"I guess? Um, I'm Julian. And very confused."

So she briefly explained the premise of her curse: she was his to command for three wishes, and three wishes only. He couldn't wish for unwilling love, and he couldn't wish for unlimited wishes, and blah blah blah.

"So, Genie, could you, say, cure an illness for me?"

And she nodded. That was her purpose, and it struck her a little that he hadn't asked for money or anything of the sort. So he was naive, then, or maybe just good-hearted.

"I have a way. But you must do as I say..."

And though she'd never felt the urge this intensely before, she tricked him in the same way that Asra had tricked her all those centuries ago. Could you blame her? After a lifetime and more of servitude, she was finally understanding why he'd done something so selfish. The gentle hold around her gradually loosened as he set her on a rather dusty box and prepared to speak. And as he made his wish, she became herself again, the purple tint to her hair fading and her eyes returning to their chocolate-like color. A breath of disbelief escaped her.

She was free? Yes, and, as she rubbed at her wrist at the phantom feeling of what had been her shackles to find nothing but skin, normal skin, she couldn't find it in herself to feel remorse in that moment. Relief washed over her like a soothing and gentle wave.

Until she looked down. He looked terrified, just like she had been. She pushed down the guilt.

After all—she waved her hand—she'd cured his sister. She'd done her part.

"G-Great." The shaky voice came from the blue being on the floor. "So now we can swap back, right?"

Nadia's heart twisted as she shook her head slowly. And his betrayed expression shattered her heart.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, gathering the trembling new Genie into her palms. Her words, at least, were entirely sincere. "I've been in there for so long. And I've been through so much."

"So...what?" The shaky voice of Julian spoke from her palm, scrambling back until he met her curved fingers, eyes wide. "You're going to put me through that now? We had—I mean, was all that a lie?"

She suddenly remembered what it had been like for her as his scared gaze and voice fully registered, and she immediately felt remorse bubble in her throat. She'd become the person she'd most despised. Nadia was Asra now, the villain of this vicious cycle.

"Genie, please—"

"Nadia."

"....What?"

"My name. Nadia. I really am sorry, Julian."

Her words made the Genie Julian flinch and cower, especially as the cupped palms he was sitting on closed with him inside. He pounded on the flesh around him, blue fists doing nothing as he shouted desperate pleas.

She bit the inside of her cheek at his cries and closed her eyes, focusing until she felt gravity alter and the weight return to her wrists.

Her compunction combined with her fear, and she opened her eyes to the sight of the blue skin she hated so much, bangles on her wrists once more. A slight smile spread on her face; she'd done the right thing, even if it meant her own suffering for another millennia.

It faded as soon as the hands around her opened to reveal her Master above her. And Julian looked pissed.

Her stomach sank and she could feel that she was no longer immortal; she could die.

She was completely at his mercy.