The price of magic (Staine x Stealthpanther)

[Staine]

Noah followed the small crowd, adjusting his glasses as he looked again at the program in his hand. The auctioneer, at least that's what he thought the man's title was, had been pretty clear about the rules and the systems in place for newcomers like himself, first timers in the noble profession of buying up abandoned or defaulted storage unit contents, a sort of treasure hunting that he knew some did indeed make their living off. He could see some of those people now, regulars that were to the front of the group, eager to try and make a profit in reselling the goods that they bought but that wasn't why Noah was here, this wasn't how he wanted to make his fortune. No, Noah was here for one specific lot, something he had heard existed and he'd gotten wind it was being sold. Most weren't really interested in the contents either, he would imagine, but for Noah it was a dream come true, the storage locker of Gregor the Great! To most people, that name meant very little but to him it was inspiring, he remembered when he had first started out as an amateur magician, visiting every show he could to learn the tricks of the trade, to see what others in his chosen field were doing, make contacts, even put on a few shows himself. He'd been hoping to launch his career but sadly that hadn't paid off and he just about managed to get by performing for children's parties and the occasional show at a bar, far from the Vegas dreams he'd had years ago but he'd never forgotten watching Gregor perform, the elegance, the skill...it had felt like actual magic and when he had finally met the man and asked him for advice he had simply smiled, patted him on the shoulder and winked, that warm, friendly and encouraging smile still etched into his memory. "Get lucky, respect the magic and practice, practice, practice." Gregor had never gone on to greatness either, seemingly happy to perform in the cheaper venues until he retired two years ago and it had been months since he had died, a mugging gone wrong.

Nobody seemed to care, nobody but Noah himself, who had tried to reach out to his family but it turned out Gregor had none. What he had heard of was this storage unit, his ex assistant had told Noah about it, hinted that it was the place that his journal was here, containing all of his secret tricks and maybe some of his gear had ended up, stored away when he had retired. Unit A-6...the one that was about to be sold. Noah didn't have much saved up in the bank but he had managed to scrape together enough to buy it...he hoped. The auction itself passed quickly, there was fierce competition from some of the regulars and some less than friendly looks but he refused to give in, n the end paying $1650 for the unit. Just his luck that the saw table had been on display...it was clear it was a magic trick, the rest of the unit was covered in a tarp that the auctioneer refused to remove. Added to the mystery, and the gamble, he had said. The rest of Noah's cash had been spent on getting the contents of the unit back to his house and loaded in, he'd had to pay extra for the delivery, even though he had helped, and only then was he free to look through what he had actually bought.

Junk.

Most of it was just junk. The table was good, sturdy, worth a few hundred and still in good working condition to perform the classing 'sawing in half' trick, so he had that at least, but the rest of it? A few older tricks and clothes, top hats, caped, wands...Gregor had been a traditionalist it seemed...a large chest which had looked promising when it was being carried into his house but inside had been nothing but a mostly empty journal with no secret tricks in it, some decks of cards and a single magic wand. Sighing, he had kicked the chest in frustration, was this all there was? He'd spent the last of his money on this and there was nothing of any real value, it had been worth maybe $600 at a stretch, he had paid three times that including the delivery, and they had been crystal clear, there was no refunds, buy at your own risk. Pissed at himself he had gone to bed angry, leaving everything in his front room until the next day when he had been miserable the entire morning, but at least he could get some of his money back, he did have a show later that day. Going through the things, determined to make the most of what he had bought he picked up the old magician's wand, squinting at the strange, silver ring with the gemstone set into it, which the wand had been pushed through. Sliding it from the wand he tried it on, holding his hand up to look at it. It was ostentatious at the very least, maybe it was worth something if he got it cleaned up? Breathing on the gem, he rubbed his thumb over it a few times to clear the dust that had built up over however long it had been in storage, hoping that maybe later he could get it appraised.

 

[stealthpanther]

The ring steadily began to glow with a faint light, growing warm to the touch as the man stroked the stone. A faint smoke filled the room, a scent of roses and incence permeating the air with slight perfume. A shadow appeared in the billowing smoke, standing perfectly still.

As soon as he was able to see, a figure of a young woman stood in the center of the room, the haze fading around her. Violet eyes gazed at her olive-skinned hands, flexing the digits as if she hadn't used them before. Her wrists and ankles were adorned with golden cuffs, finely made like jewelry, but they seemed more like shackles than proper bangles. Vibrant hair mimicking the fires her kind were born from was pushed back by one of her hands, the woman finally taking in the appearance of the one who summoned her.

It was a man, a younger one by the looks of it. His dark hair was a a strong contrast to his fair complexion, though the two didn't clash and actually worked in his favor. His eyes were obscured by thin metallic rectangles bearing flat squares of glass. Odd indeed.

But still, nothing changed the fact that she was finally released; though such joy was significantly diminished by the fact that she was stuck serving another human.

"You summoned me...." came a smooth voice, the woman watching the boy like a hawk.

 

[Staine]

At first the glow didn't faze Noah, he thought it was just catching the light that was peeking in through the window, the green gem glinting as he rubbed it while thinking of how he may have just gotten lucky; it would be great if it was actually worth something and not just more useless junk that had cost him the last of his cash. Then he noticed the scent, like roses only...perfumed, almost. He frowned, coughing as the smoke started to fill the room and take shape, backing off before he realised it was coming from the ring, the heat of it soaking into his hand but not hot enough to burn. "What on earth..." He was mumbling to himself of course, not to the feminine shape that was forming, that would have been crazy, as crazy as the old ring forming shapes of smoke at all...was it a trick? Was this one of Gregor the Great's hidden toys, was it a hollow emerald set in the ring that emitted smoke? But why was it taking shape?

He coughed again, reaching forwards to try and waft the smoke away, his arm flailing to try and get rid of it but the shape remained, seemed to solidify before eventually there was a woman in front of him. In all the 28 years of his life Noah had never seen anything like it...looking back down towards the chest then back up at the woman. "What? Where did you...were you hiding here?" He kicked the box, solid, no secret compartment before he wheeled on her, turning so fast his magician's cloak swirled in the air behind him. The woman was strikingly beautiful, orange hair, tanned, perhaps from a country with far more sun, her eyes were a vibrant violet colour, unusual to say the least and the clothes she was wearing...he couldn't take his eyes off her as he looked down, then back up when he realised he was staring. "W...who are you? Where did you come from? Where you hiding in the box?" Even as he said it he knew it wasn't true, but this had to be a trick, Gregor was fooling him one last time from beyond the grave. Lifting his hand, he pointed the old wand at her, the ring still glowing on his finger. "I'm warning you, if you try to take anything I'm calling the police! This isn't funny, now explain yourself!" Even as he tried to be firm, he had doubt in is voice, like something wasn't right.

 

[stealthpanther]

Nasrin folded her arms across her chest, letting out an annoyed sigh as this human struggled to piece together exactly what had happened. Each of the humans she'd been bound to had a similar reaction. They always asked where she came from and who she was. They were clueless, fumbling idiots, or rude and demanding to know who dared to startle them so. The djinni mentally placed this man in the first category. Why couldn't a single one put two and two together?

Her brows arched as the new human kicked at a large chest, her previous master's chest no less. Obviously, the kick was ineffective at achieving anything, and Nasrin rolled her eyes at the male's question. Her, come out of a chest? Why in the hell would she be in a chest?

Soon enough, the man was sputtering out a threat- something about police or other such nonsense, all while pointing the stick of her former master at her. A wand, he'd called it. As far as she was concerned, it was a polished stick and nothing more. The only difference now was that her vessel had been taken off and now resided on the dark haired human's finger.

She waited until the man was finally done speaking before returning her attention to his face. Time for the usual.

"I already explained myself. You. Summoned. Me." she frowned at the man, regarding him with disdain before indicating the chest and wand in turn. "I most certainly didn't come from a box And that's just a stick. Completely useless by the way. Anything else you can't fathom on your own?" She asked, her frustration at her situation giving her words more bite than she might have intended.

However, his threat elicited a slight smirk. While she loathed her forced servitude, she could at least enjoy the opportunity to mess with humans when the chance presented itself. " Go ahead and call them then."

 

[Staine]

Noah's mind was still whirling, trying to figure out what kind of trick this was. If he was in a normal profession he might have been able to put it together faster, that something was out of the ordinary here, no matter how outlandish it seemed but it was because of his career as a magician, and the new objects he had bought that also used to belong to a magician that his brain wouldn't register. It didn't piece together the way she spoke, the way she looked and that she had formed from smoke from the ring that was still warm on his finger; to Noah this had to be some magic trick, an illusion that he just had to figure out. Was there a projector hidden in the room? She hadn't touched him, he hadn't touched her, that had to be it! She wasn't even real.

He stepped towards her, lowering the wand to his side as she insisted it was useless anyway. "Uh huh...so I buy a unit full of magic tricks and toys and then a woman just happens to appear out of thin air...and you weren't hiding somewhere in here?" He took another step towards her, convinced now that she was just an illusion, a creation of light, maybe the ring was even the one making her appear there? Technology had been advancing quite quickly, far beyond his understanding and the way he saw it, maybe the smoke was released to give something to project the image on to. The only thing was...she seemed so real, and the voice was coming from her general direction.

"No, I don't think I need to call them, you're...you're not real! The last of Gregor's tricks, an optical illusion...genius really, but see, I can just put my hand right through you and..." He reached out for her, his hand going towards her chest, fully intending it to pass right through her and the image to perhaps shimmer, dissipate. When the white-gloved hand made contact, he froze, his eyes on hers. "I..." Realising his hand was still on her he backed off immediately, stumbling, almost falling. "The fuck? You're real...then where the hell did you come from? What do you mean I summoned you? This isn't funny, I wish you'd just tell me what the hell is going on here!"

 

[stealthpanther]

Nasrin's eyes narrowed slightly as the human advanced towards her, his words almost insulting. He couldn't even acknowledge her existence! She wondered if he was tricking her, or was he really so abysmally ignorant of the reality? She honestly wasn't sure which she thought was worse.

The mention of her previous master prompted a roll of her violet eyes, the woman letting out a slight scoff. "He was definitely no genius." She corrected him, thinking he'd realize she was, in fact, very real now that he had stepped closer.

Except he didn't stop.
He was close enough to touch her, and his hand landed right at the center of her chest.

The effect was instantaneous, the djinni releasing an angered and startled shout, jerking back as the human did. Nasrin's face burned a tomato red, arms coming up to cover herself for lack of a more desired response. Her curse would not allow her to harm the human holding her vessel; otherwise, the man would be nursing a broken wrist (or at least snapped fingers). As it was, she could do no more than pull herself away and glare at the man.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped vehemently, eyes going back and forth between her usual violet and an enraged, burning amber.

The human's sudden alarm did nothing to assuage her aggravation, merely causing her ire to rise if anything. Nasrin's feet finally left the ground as she hovered in midair before the human, her fiery gaze burning into his as she finally answered.

"Of course I'm real you pathetic human! Last I checked, your kind don't talk to things that don't exist unless you're defective." She floated closer, getting in his face as she continued. "As for where I came from," she said, eyes regarding the ring with nothing short of hatred. "Take a look at your hand! Surely you can't be blind as well as stupid?" She snapped.

Once upon a time, she herself would have found such a ring to be a beautiful piece of crafstmanship. Now, she saw nothing more than a guilded cage, eyes glowing a furious amber as she looked upon the damned thing.

 

[Staine]

Noah's eyes widened as the girl in front of him pulled back, her face turning red after he had touched her. He...had touched her though, hadn't he? He was still trying to figure out just where she had come from but it was growing clearer to him that she wasn't an illusion and she was playing dumb as to being a trick, hidden among the boxes. It didn't make sense anyway, what would she have to gain by appearing like this if she had been Gregor's assistant, why would she have hidden among his things? She'd known him for sure, she had alluded to as much, but where from? His thoughts were interrupted as she began to float up from the ground, hovering in the air before him. Shaking his head, he looked down at his hand, at the ring. Had she...no, magic wasn't real, he of all people knew that, he refused to believe what she was hinting at.

"Are you insane?" He looked up at her, a little nonplussed as he looked towards the angry looking, floating woman in front of him. "You can't be serious...are you trying to tell me you came from this?" He held up his hand, the ring on full display. The very notion that an actual person could have come from it was nonsense, but she seemed to be insisting that was the case. He stepped towards her again; as dangerous as she appeared, floating, eyes suddenly glowing that strange colour...she hadn't done anything to really threaten him, her bark seemed far worse than her bite and if what she was saying was even remotely true that would make her... "A genie?" He grinned as he said the words, they were even dumber when she spoke them out loud, what the hell would Gregor be doing with a genie, nevermind that they clearly didn't exist. The whole thing was ludicrous and he couldn't stop what happened next.

He laughed.

It started slowly at first before he seriously began to laugh, eyes filled with amusement as he looked up at the floating woman. "Are you trying to tell me you're a genie? you came from the ring? Oh, was it when I rubbed it, is that it?" As angry as she looked he just couldn't help himself. "Are you here to grant me three wishes? At least you aren't blue like in the movie...okay, okay, say I believe you, and somehow you're a real genie...prove it." He reached for the ring on his finger, touching it with his other hand. "And if you are, wouldn't that make me...your master? Shouldn't you speak to me with a little more respect?"

 

[stealthpanther]

The first sign of trouble began when the human made a rather poor choice of words; calling the now floating entity insane. Violet eyes narrowed in agitation, jaw clenched as she affixed her new human with a scathing glare. Instead of showing any hint of awe or respect, he took yet another step in her direction, his expression changing from confused to amused.

If that weren't enough, the man lifted his hand so the damned ring she was bound to was on full display, eliciting another growl and flash of amber, eying the gemstone with utter loathing. Surely it was obvious now where she had emerged from? It seemed as though the fool was slowly putting the pieces together in his mind. Nasrin presumed there had been progress when he deduced that she was, in fact, a 'genie.'

But then, he laughed.

It was not a nervous chuckle. No satisfied or self important sound of derision. It wasn't a laugh of embarrassment, joyful banter, or even the snicker of a private joke. No, this laugh was one of uttter amusement at a delightful jest or a brilliant joke, though Nasrin felt as if the laugh was mocking. A taunt.

Insulted as well as agitated, she growled low in her throat, violet gaze having returned to the human male before her. Her face began to flush an angry red as she seethed, patience snapping. She wanted him to eat his words!

She would do more than prove it.

Eyes switching to a burning, enraged amber once more, Nasrin began by erupting into flame, not burning anything around her, but letting the human feel the raw, untamed heat. Before he could say anything, she ceased floating and stood before him, now turning into the sapphire blue typical of all marid. In seconds, she towered over her new master as she grew nearly as tall as the ceiling, and the rest of her body sized accordingly.

Not wishing to be cramped, the woman's form shifted again, seeming to vanish before his eyes. A hiss at his feet revealed a large cobra, her eyes the only indication of being the very entity that stood before him. With another hiss, she changed again lest he try to step on her, manifesting as a hawk that flew in circles above his head. Finally, the djinni- turned- hawk landed on her feet in front of him, becoming a large black panther. She was close enough where he could feel the beast's hot breath and see the faint markings blending into her inky coat. Nasrin bared her teeth, fangs on full display. She finished by directing an angry roar into his face, eyes full of warning before she at last resumed the form of the olive skinned woman.

 

[Staine]

The genie didn't answer him, but it wasn't difficult to tell her mood, he could see it in her eyes even as he had been speaking, then more so as he had started to laugh, but he couldn't help that! Noah Grinned as she gave him an angry looking glare, unfazed by the seemingly magical being perhaps because he was finding it so hard to truly process? It didn't matter though...once he told her to prove it, the fireworks began, almost literally as she burst into flames. "Holy fuck! My home!!!" This was no illusion, he could feel the searing heat like he was standing in front of an open furnace and he started to look around for something to put the flames out with before he realised...nothing was burning. Turning back to her, he took a step backwards as she transformed again, turning blue, growing taller, huge even. She towered over him, every feature of her body enlarged...which in all honestly wasn't the worst thing as his gaze wandered just a little. All too soon she was gone...

And in front of him was a snake. A fear of snakes, he leapt back immediately. "Shit! Okay, that one isn't funny!" At first he had been worried about the apartment but when she had grown huge, he'd noticed she at least wasn't doing anything to harm him. Even if she was pissed...and clearly dangerous, was she dangerous to him? Again the cobra vanished as she transformed once more, now a hawk flying around his head gracefully, majestically even while he watched in awe. Honestly, if he could put on even half as impressive a show as this he would be famous around the world already as an illusionist. Another transformation, a panther, and he grinned as she bared her teeth at him, leaning backwards as she roared and glared at him before transforming back to her human looking form. "Pretty kitty..." The words were mumbled as he stared at her for a few moments, processing what he had seen, what it could mean.

"You proved it then...wow, a genie. Like, a real genie? Granting wishes and all that?" It was clear that while shocked at first, he wasn't actually scared of her, she hadn't harmed him despite the impressive, scary transformations, she had glared at him, but that didn't actually bother him, it was kind of amusing to him that she would spring up in his home and be angry at him? He smiled, stepping back a little closer, close enough to offer his hand to her. "Didn't answer me though, so tell me what a genie does in this day and age. Least you did turn blue for a minute there, that was cool...but really, does this make me your master? Do you have to call me Sir? Or Master? My name is Noah, though...but it has a nice ring to it."

 

[stealthpanther]

Throughout her transformations, Nasrin paid no heed to the human's protests. She fully intended to make sure he knew just what he was dealing with, and all but dare him to mock her. Stupid, ignorant man!

At first, her display seemed to be having the desired effect, his shouts of alarm and shock admittedly satisfying. However, as she finished off with a roar in his face, that insufferable grin was back sure as before. Did he have rocks for brains? She heard the low mutter as she switched back to her usual appearance. Her eye twitched at the words, glaring daggers at the man even as she felt her face color in fury.

'Pretty kitty'?!

He had to be a blubbering idiot. There was no other reasonable explanation.

Nasrin hissed through clenched teeth, eyes narrow slits as she glared venomously at her newest master. She was truly cursed to have fallen into the hands of the local idiot.

"Yes you imbecile. A real djinni." She all but spat, her enchantment requiring her to comply, even if she could temporarily resist. Any direct question, order, or other manner of instruction had to be answered. Her spell tugged at her until she fulfilled whatever nonsence was requested of her. The only saving grace was that humans were often not specific enough. Like fae folk, her kind could not lie, but the could interpret human words and twist them to their own advantage. Beings like djinn were exceptionally clever.

Despite pretending to have some choice in the matter by acting as if she would not reply, Nasrin soon felt a searing headache as she fought the curse. At last, she began to answer, the headache vanishing almost immediately upon doing so.

"If you desire for me to address you in a particular manner, you need only say as much and it shall be as requested." She managed to admit through clenched teeth. Her eyes still didn't settle fully on violet or amber, but bit by bit the overwhelming rage was fading, the amber hue along with it. What remained was utter annoyance and contempt.
"What I did before you summoned me was be locked in that damned ring!" She snarled, having to answer each inquiry in some way.

Arms folded over her chest, the djinni sat cross legged, floating in midair. "You guess correctly, human. As long as that ring remains in your possession, I am bound to you and whatever foolish whims you have." Her violet glare met his eyes again, clearly less than enthused at the prospect.

 

[Staine]

Noah wasn't scared of the Djinn, or genie, or whatever she was...at first things had been scary and he had backed away but far from being an idiot, it hadn't taken long for him to notice that she wasn't actually trying to harm him. If she'd wanted to, surely she could have done some real damage as a panther or when flames licked at the walls and ceiling of his home but she hadn't...it was all a show, and Noah knew a little something about putting on a show. Laughing as she called him an imbecile, he raised an eyebrow, looking back down at his ring. "I see...you know I've been a magician for a while now and you're the first sign of real magic that I've ever seen. Like, ever. This is really cool." He was managing to ignore the fact that she seemed rather annoyed with him, he was used to dealing with disdain as a rather unsuccessful showman anyway, getting it from one more person wasn't the end of the world for him. Offering a warm smile to counter her aggressiveness, he cheerfully pressed his finger to her nose. "Boop. Does being a Djinni make you this angry all the time? Probably being trapped in that ring for so long huh?" Still, she had confirmed his theory anyway, starting to at least talk with him with more respect even if her demeanour hadn't really changed much at all.

"Master. I like the sound of being called Master, or Sir. Either of those will do, umm...what's your name?" Absent-mindedly his fingers were playing with the ring on his hand as he considered his options. What would he even wish for? "What would you wish for, if you had your own ring? I think some advice here would be nice. Also, do I need to say anything specific? I say abra-cadabra a lot in my show." He glanced up at the clock, he had a couple of hours until his show today. "Hey, you could be my beautiful assistant! You are quite pretty when you're not angry. Doesn't that sound fun? I'm sure you want to stretch your legs a little, right?"

 

[stealthpanther]

The djinni continued to glare at the human, fists clenched and feeling an almost unbearable frustration at the dark haired man. Her enchantment prevented her from harming her master, and with good reason. Had she the power to act freely as an enslaved djinni, she was confident that infuriatingly confident grin would be wiped instantly off his face. While her kind were neither inherently good or bad, messing with one was foolish at best.

And she wanted to at least slap the idiot, though even that was denied her. Her eyes narrowed as he laughed at her, silently seething.

Nasrin chose not to comment on his awe of seeing real magic. It was no surprise to her he hadn't seen true magic before; most people never did. His good mood was a stark contrast with her own, the female trying to ignore her new master as best she could.

Her efforts didn't last long, the human in question invading her personal space and daring to poke her on the nose. The gesture was in no way harmful or malicious, clearly playful in nature, but it was no less unexpected. Her incredulity at the bold action would have been comical, save for the fierce glare she affixed Noah with.

"Don't...touch me!" She snapped tersely, tensing at his close proximity. She didn't say as much, but Noah was doing a fair job in hypothesizing the reason for her animosity. It was indeed the long captivity; and yet, it was so much more. Aside from her imprisonment, she had no freedom to oppose whomever possessed her vessel. She had no ability to refuse any direct order, question, or instruction. She couldn't even choose who owned her! His question thudded against her skull even as she fumed, finally unable to not at least grant him some answer. "It certainly makes me angry now!"

If she was upset before, it paled significantly to how she felt once Noah spoke next. Her face immediately twisted into an expression of utter loathing and disgust, violet once more making way for a burning amber. A venomous hiss escaped her lips, and the djinni silently cursed the human in her mind. Her gut was a boiling pool of fury and nausea, an expression bordering on hatred in her golden gaze. He wanted her to call him 'master' or 'sir'. The request was as demeaning as they came in terms of controlling her speech, and Nasrin wished dearly to have the power to hit the man. But she would either not address him directly or stick to calling him 'sir'. There wasn't a chance in hell that she'd lower herself to calling the fool 'master' unless she was left with no other choice. She was just glad he had liked 'sir', and that he hadn't required her to address him each time she spoke.

"Nasrin...my name is Nasrin." She hissed through clenched teeth, eyes all but burning holes into the human. 'Wild Rose' was certainly a fitting name for the flame haired entity standing before the human. Though it was likely that he did not, however, know the meaning of her name. Nasrin didn't particularly care one way or another, so long as he didn't decide to call her something demeaning.

Her face began to burn a furious red as he dared to ask her opinion of a good wish.

Was he insane? Did he have nothing but sawdust for brains?! Surely he could not be this stupid? No, he had to be rubbing salt in the wound, humiliating her further! Nasrin was dangerously close to shedding hot tears of anger and frustration. By force of will and her boiling indignation, she reeled the urge back before any signs of that distress could manifest themselves visually. All that her face held now was unrestrained fury.

"What do you think?!?!" She hissed, going eerily still, just like a dog before it chose to bite. Glowing amber held his gaze, her eyes practically burning in rage. Were she a free djinni, Noah would be as good as dead for this brazen insensitivity.
"It is a disgrace to be caged like an animal!" Nasrin spat in obvious disgust. Her kind were supposed to be free entities! To her knowledge, only eight or so of her kind had successfully been captured in an enchanted item.

"I want my damn freedom back...you insipid, brainless, arrogant, bastard!" She finished, jerking away from the human and turning her back to him. No longer facing the man, Nasrin took several long, deep breaths, desperately trying to calm down. It was slow going, but her eyes had at least returned to their normal violet. Powerful emotions continued to swirl, though they slowly began to release their hold, leaving her simply upset and slightly drained.

Several minutes passed before she had to answer, voice cool and clipped when she finally spoke. "No. There is no special word or incantation necessary." Nasrin corrected, all but rolling her eyes at the man behind her.

It was then that Noah's enthusiasm demanded her attention once more, this time in a rather unexpected suggestion. He wanted her to go on stage and be his assistant? Nasrin parted her lips, ready to protest the idea when a sudden, delightful realization hit her.

Noah apparently had no idea what her being a djinni actually meant. Aside from the knowledge that she had to obey him, he knew absolutely nothing!

Nasrin's agitation quickly began to vanish, fighting back the urge to burst into laughter. While her entrapment limited her in many ways, she was thankfully still fully capable of screwing with humans at her leisure. 'Djinn' was a word that literally meant to conceal, or hidden.

Oh this was definitely what she needed to restore her mood! She wondered how long it would take her foolish master to realize that, aside from him, no one could see her unless she chose to be seen? She felt her lips begin to tug into an amused smirk. Might as well have fun when she got the chance.

"Your...assistant?" She questioned, back still to the man as she pretended to consider the proposal.

 

[Staine]

The Djinn...Nasrin, she called herself...was in no short supply of anger it seemed, fuming at every comment he made. He sighed, shaking his head. "You know I'm trying to be nice here, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Can you imagine it, Nasrin? Can you imagine what it feels like, learning that magic is real, finding somebody like yourself popping into existence before my very eyes?" He wasn't smiling anymore, but he didn't exactly look upset either, more...resigned. Watching her eyes as they changed colour, he didn't back away from her no matter how scary she appeared to be. "I'm sure it is a disgrace, but I'm not the one who caged you, am I? Do you need to take it out on me? Think I deserve your ire, Nasrin?" She said something interesting to him then, something that had caught him off guard, that she wanted her freedom back. Not that she wanted it, like the genie in the Disney movie he had watched as a child, no, she wanted it back, like she had already been free once upon a time. As far as Noah knew, and admittedly he knew very little about Djinn in general, they were born like that, weren't they? Now that he actually put his mind to it that wouldn't make much sense. Created? If a whole form of life could be just created out of thin air though, surely somebody else would have learned how by now, it would be all over the news and they were barely learning anything with the unethical cloning that had been in all the newspapers years ago. "Back? You want your freedom back? How long ago were you captured?" His voice was soft, and again he offered her a smile, one that didn't seem to be reciprocated. Oh well...walking away from her and looking down at the ring, he wondered just how did one even capture a being like her?

Looking back at her, his cloak billowing as he span even when he wasn't trying to be dramatic, he held his hand up, displaying the ring to her again. "Fine, no incantation needed, explain to me what happened. Show me how a being as powerful as you say you are gets captured in a ring and tell me, is there any way for you to be freed? I want to know everything there is to know about Djinn before I go playing around with this thing." He raised an eyebrow at her, at least her last words didn't sound angry or derogatory, though they didn't have the title he had told her to use. Since she had been nothing but rude so far, as sorry as he felt for her Noah didn't want to just let her off with that. "Every time you address me, please. Master, or Sir, your choice, pet." He smirked at her. "Tell me all the rules a Djinn must follow, don't leave a single one of them out or else I won't even consider freeing you once I'm done with you...if that's even a possibility." He paused to let what he had said sink in a little as he looked her over. She was pretty, she would make a fantastic assistant for sure, certain to draw the eye of the crowds and if she could perform real magic she should have no problems with his tricks. "Yes, my assistant. I'm a stage magician, I make people think I'm performing magic, fool them with illusions and sleight of hand and they pay me to come see my shows. You'll be my beautiful assistant, you get to distract them while I perform and are there for the perverts to look at, so you'll need to wear something revealing."

 

[stealthpanther]

Nice. The man dared to suggest he was being nice?!

Nasrin felt her body tense, trembling in barely controlled fury at the man before her. His smiles and good looks did not soothe her acrimony, and the more he spoke, the more upset she became.
Until finally, he hit a particularly sensitive nerve. Or two.

Her willpower was no longer enough to stop the moist pools forming in her eyes, the orbs practically burning embers now. Hot tears of fury and anguish slowly began to escape her eyes, try as she might to contain them. She had been angry before, but now her gaze held a measure of true hatred. Damn this human! His smirk, his demands of being addressed, and his degrading question of how she could be so powerful and yet enslaved. And despite her invisibility, the thought of him insisting she wear revealing attire in order to attract lewd stares was beyond insulting. Visible or not, it was the principle of the matter!

And he had dared to call her his pet! Yes, as far as she was concerned, Noah now deserved her ire indeed!

"Bastard...you are an utter bastard!" She spat, hating the fact that he had gotten her to cry. The djinni grew slightly, her emotions not entirely in her control anymore. As such, she risked not only becoming visible to all humans, but also shifting into her ifrit or marid shape.

"You ask me to imagine what this is like for you?!" She choked out, still refusing to address him. She would avoid calling him 'sir' or 'master' by not directly addressing him. He had yet to specify she address him every time she spoke, so she intended to take advantage of the loophole as long as possible. "I have been stuck in that ring for seven centuries! Can you imagine that?! Seven damn centuries!" She glared vehemently at her master, fists clenched at her sides. Flames licked her body twice during her outbursts, but she doubted it would be the last time.

"I am no one's pet! Djinn are supposed to be free entities! Yet you mock my imprisonment. It's only because of my shackles that you still live!" Nasrin knew in her heart she wasn't making him at all likely to even try to free her, but in her emotional state, she couldn't be bothered to care. Advancing so she was mere inches from Noah, she looked about ready to strike the man as he demanded to be taught, the curse forcing her to comply despite her feelings.

"How I could be captured... was because my own sister trapped me!" She blurted out, a flicker of pain in her otherwise furious gaze. She had never actually divulged such a fact, and saying it aloud hurt almost as much as the initial betrayal of her own kin. Tears forcing their way faster to the surface and flowing freely, she was no longer able to restrain them at all. "It takes an incredibly skilled magic user and a powerful enchantment to bind a djinni to an object...only eight have ever met that fate last I checked. And to my knowledge, I'm the only one to not be caught by a human." She admitted, glaring at the floor now lest he continue to see her tears.

Nasrin remained silent in defiance, but her enchantment would not allow her to avoid answering for long. Even without his threat of not trying to free her unless she talked, she would have to answer.

"Yes. All spells can be broken. Easiest means the original caster must undo it willingly. For djinn, I don't know the spell itself, but it can be done by whoever holds the vessel. Again, the owner of the item must willingly free the djinni." Shrinking back to normal size, the unhappy woman bit her lower lip as she fought some more against the orders.

"Djinn is multiple. I am a djinni. My kind are djinn." She corrected first, voice bitter even as her eyes went back and forth betwen violet and amber. Nasrin lifted her gaze from the floor once her tears were nothing more than remnants on her cheeks, dried trails and slightly reddened eyes.

"Any direct order, request, or question must be followed and answered. Djinn were originally born of smokeless fire. There are many types and degrees of power among djinn. As a free djinni, I could choose how to live. Djinn are not inherently good or evil, though some types tend to lean more one way or another. However, djinn have free will to think, act, and believe as they wish and will be judged as humans are when the world is no more and our lives end. We can die or be killed, but not easily." Her voice was almost hollow, simply stating facts with noticeable reluctance. "But as for me, the rules of an enslaved djinni limit me far further. Either way, no djinni can change a person's true feelings, we cannot raise the dead, and we can not alter the sands of time." Daring to glance up, the flame haired female graced Noah with an almost empty look. "For me, I also can not kill or directly harm a human as I am now. And as long as you have that ring, I am bound by any order you give."

Hoping she was finally spared his probing, she couldn't contain herself as he explained his craft. "I know what it is you do! My master previous was the same, so don't patronize me!" Spinning on her heel to face him once more, flames licked her body a final time as she bestowed a last bit of knowledge of her kind. "And it won't matter what I wear or what you think, no one will see me anyways you blasted fool! The word djinn means to hide or conceal!" She snapped at last, face flush with shame and anger.

 

[Staine]

Noah was a little taken back by her response, though he had already taken to heart that this...genie, or whatever she was, had a fiery temper. It made sense, if he was honest with himself, she had been locked in this tiny ring for what he assumed to be centuries so it made perfect sense to him that she would be crotchety, but it was also a little disappointing too. This, as far as he was concerned, was a lucky break, a genie, a real live genie capable of granting wishes? He had a bad feeling he was going to wake up any second now, because good things like that simply didn't happen to Noah, no, he got the ass end of life, the bad luck, he wouldn't be surprised to wake up to find that he was now in debt because of something dumb he had gotten out of the storage locker instead but while he was having this dream he was going to enjoy it as best he could damn it! He also had to admit that his genie was pretty damn cute, even when she was glaring at him like she was now. Yelling at him like she was now. "Well I don't think I'm a bastard...I mean I'm a pretty good guy, I pay my taxes, I don't steal...and it's not my fault you've been locked away in a tacky piece of jewellery." He noted the lack of the honorific title he had requested when she spoke to him...was his genie trying to play around with the wording of his request? Interesting...

He listened to her as she told him the rules, as she told him how she could be freed, interrupting her. "Hold up, one second, I want to clarify this...are you saying I can free you whenever I like, by using a wish, or a spell I need in order to do so? Can I wish for the spell?" If it was something he would have to find, that would be a bother, because if this really wasn't a dream then eventually he would want to free her. Noah meant what he had said, he really wasn't a bastard, and while he would take advantage of his good fortune he wouldn't want to see her remain imprisoned forever. That seemed like a fate he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. He stepped closer to her, reaching out to touch her, feeling secure in the knowledge that she really couldn't do him any harm as her Master and he tilted her chin upwards to face him, seeing the shimmer in her eyes. Almost crying...still beautiful, but kind of sad really. "Okay, I get it. You've suffered...and you're taking it out on me, but you will address me as Master from now on, Sir is off the table. No evading it either...any time you talk to me, you address me as Master whether you are talking directly or indirectly." He smiled as he spoke, trying to show her that her anger was getting her nowhere, it was misdirected anyway. "I'm not a bad person...but I'm no pushover either. I'll free you, Nasrin, how does that sound? That's a promise, from me to you. I will set you free." He paused to let the words sink in, though he wasn't sure the touchy Djinni would believe him. "But I just went from believing all magic was fakery and sleight of hand to learning that geni...sorry, Djinni are real. Let me process, let me try a few of these commands, these wishes, is that really too much to ask when your freedom is imminent? It's what you want, is it not?" He smiled softly. "No need to cry...I know it must be a wonderful relief to know you'll be free soon."

Again she was being pouty at him, and flames danced around her as she displayed her annoyance in a very physical way. "Ahhh, well that's easy, while you assist me you'll make sure other people can see you! Anyway, I think we should have some test...you did say you obey any command?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning a little as he looked her up and down. He could...but he wouldn't. "Okay, Nasrin, as your Master I command you to grant me my wish...I want to be the most popular performer in the Vegas tonight, I want my own show and the bright lights....I want it all! No more children's parties or bars where nobody is paying attention...I want all eyes on me!" His eyes were alight with desire as he spoke, his fondest wish. Fame...to be recognised for what he was, a magnificent magician. "And don't forget to call me Master!"

 

[stealthpanther]

Noah's attempts to explain why he was, in fact, not a bastard were met with a cold indifference only slightly interrupted by derision. Those examples were pitifully weak methods of trying to exonerate himself. Were she less pissed off, the flame haired woman would be rolling her eyes.

The man's interruption was met with silence, then an irate scowl. Imbecile! Her voice came as a sharp, scathing retort, her gaze beginning to burn anew.
"An enslaved djinni can be freed at any time, though it's never been done. I hardly know the exact wording or how it can be done, not like any of us have had the luxury of being released!"
Despite the steadily rising hatred and dismay at being bound to serve the magician, Nasrin was powerless to keep him out of her personal space. The touch of his hand earned a flinch, but all other impulses couldn't be acted upon. Were she able, the tilt of her chin would've resulted in a slap or a bite at the very least.

She hadn't imagined he could upset her any more than he already had, but his next words proved her horribly wrong. The human had caught on far too quickly, realizing she could resist if the command wasn't specific. To make matters worse, he now demanded she verbally adddress him each time she spoke to him, and the only accepted title was 'master'.
Damn him!

Damn him, damn him, damn him!

More furious tears escaped, trailing down the humiliated djinni's cheeks as she affixed Noah with the most peircing glare yet. Not, sadly, that it did anything. His reassurance that he would, in fact, free her did nothing to console her. If anything, it only seemed to feed the flames of her smouldering anger.

"If I could believe such words...I'd be free three times over by now...master!" she hissed in rebuttal. Fine. She had to say it. But not a chance in hell would she say it how he wanted it heard. Anything but.

Each utterance was somehow worse than the last, the djinni cursing her misfortune to wind up with a human who wasn't a complete dimwit. Usually with such realizations of her power ended with the human being so blinded by their greedy desires that they neglected details. For Noah, this was clearly not the case. He even picked up on the fact that she never said her kind couldn't be seen, only that no one would normally. Even without elaboration, he had realized she could in fact be visible to humans, if she so chose. Damn. Him!


The anger was only interrupted once Noah began to muse aloud about the desire to test the newfound power at his disposal. Her reddened cheeks and firey eyes were swiftly wiped blank, only to almost immediately pale as she noticed his wandering and toughtful gaze. That look, paired with the grin as he considered the idea, was enough to make her blood run cold. It felt as if she'd swallowed a pound of lead, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she deciphered what kind of order was going through his mind. He wouldn't dare...!

She was secretly relieved at the wish he chose to try, unsure if she'd have been able to bear the shame had he decided to order her to serve him with her body. Any previous attempts were cleverly avoided by either making herself as unappealing as possible or by her ability to twist and interpret orders. This human was far too clever, and she feared he'd figure out how specific he needed to be.

His wish earned a roll of her eyes, but she could at least partially indulge the insufferable bastard. "I cannot change people's feelings, remember. They have to like your show on your own merit! All I can do is make it so anyone interested in such a show will be drawn to see yours. You will attract a crowd to be sure...master." She uttered the title loud enough to hear, but only just. She wouldn't call him a bastard after he chose not to humiliate her with an order. But she wasn't just going to gladly call him 'master' either!

Nasrin began to chant a strange incantation, violet eyes glowing slightly.

 

[Staine]

Noah listened, noting that no matter what he did the Djinn still seemed angry with him, his attempts at humour falling flat, his attempts to make her feel better, his promise landing on deaf ears. It was like he was just going to have to live with being a victim of the sins of his ancestors and all those that had wronged her in the past. That was how he saw it at least...looking from the outside maybe one could say he hadn't made too much of an effort but the man had just discovered that magic, the thing he had been simulating to audiences for entertainment and shock for years, the thing he pretended to be able to do for his career, for his dreams, was actually real...he was going through a revelation he couldn't possibly have seen coming and somehow managing to remain composed on the outside while his heart pounded and his mind raced. Again he had tried to make that promise to her, Noah wasn't an uncompassionate man even with the promise of untold riches and power, the answer to all his problems at his fingertips, he felt sympathy for the strange, angry woman. "Well if you do want freedom we will have to learn those words eventually...you can be the first of your kind to be released, won't that feel nice? Have any plans for what you want to do once you have that freedom?" He'd tried with that, he really had but she was still pissed. Maybe it was because he insisted she call him Master, but honestly...she had been the one who started this, and he did kind of like it...so could he really be blamed? She was attractive, he definitely liked the idea of her calling him Master though in his mind he saw even less clothing and a smile rather than a scowl.

Shaking his head he had stepped closer as she told him she couldn't trust his promises of freedom, sighing softly, reaching for her. One hand had cupped her cheek while the other brushed away her tears with his sleeve. Maybe he could try being a little nicer, maybe she would even respond and not threaten to burn him or freeze him or any other the other things she seemed to be able to do. "I'm not those other people...I get it, I really do but Nasrin...I'm being serious. I'll set you free, just help me, please? It's within your power to do that, right? I know you can, now how about maybe a smile instead of all this anger?" He ignored how she used the title he had insisted on and again when she told him about the crowd he could attract, the way she had said it almost silently before starting to chant.

He watched her eyes glow, waited to see what she would come up with, waiting for his show, in Vegas...waited a little longer as nothing seemed to happen and the glow faded from her eyes, looking at her a little confused, then disappointed as he looked around the room. "We're still here..." Even his voice sounded a little hurt. He'd believed her, believed she was a real Djinn and yet his wish, which she had promised to grant had amounted to...nothing? "What is this? Why aren't we in Vegas?" Looking down as his phone started to vibrate he picked it up, reading the message that had just come through, reminding him that his show was about to start in a few hours and nobody had seen him all day. He raised an eyebrow, reading the details, checking through his calendar and there it was, in Vegas he had his own show, sold out in the most popular casino on the strip and only a few hours to get there and prepare, media coming to watch, cameramen ready to stream the show live on television...he just wasn't there to enjoy it. He looked back up at Nasrin. "Are you serious? You know I want to actually be there to enjoy this...fix it!"

 

[stealthpanther]

The young man's assurance that she would be the first enslaved djinn to go free did nothing to improve her spirits. Truly, she would love nothing more than to have faith in his promise of freedom. She wouldn't even be so against serving and helping him if it meant he would guarantee her release. However, she had learned very early on in her forced servitude not to get her hopes up- -not even a little bit. It hurt far more to have a hope crushed under someone's heel than to have no expectations from the start. Her eyes remained hard, only able to flinch as he wiped her tears.

Nasrin gave him no more answers as she chanted, having to utilize a little more power than normal to manipulate things without seeing or touching them. At last, she was satisfied her task was done, violet eyes no longer glowing. Instead of gratitude or amazement on the human's face, however, there appeared to be dismay. What in the hell was wrong with this man? The irritable entity watched her current master with an arched brow, not certain what he was suddenly all mopey about. He had been all but triumphantly stepping over her dignity mere minutes ago. As glad as she was that his insufferable grin was gone, this expression wasn't much better.

His complaint finally answered the question, the djinni finally feeling like things were working in her favor again. Nasrin tilted her head innocently, batting her lashes in a silent 'whatever do you mean?' before smirking at the flustered human. His foolishness was of no concern to her!

"Idiot master, why are you angry at me? How am I to know where we are? You never told me where this 'Vegas' is." She retorted, folding her arms over her chest and looking more than just slightly amused. "Fix it?" She continued, now grinning. Served him right! 'Fix it' could mean a good number of things, and be done many ways.

"I can certainly 'fix it' idiot master..." her eyes began to glow, parting her lips to begin chanting. Unless he was specific, she could 'fix' the situation any way she chose.