Wishing for the Best (closed)

[DrStein]

Sam Crane. A born Romantic. He watched every Robert Flaherty documentary, read every piece of Byronic literature he could find, and listened to every band that conjured up images of a world of wonder and magic. Yet it all seemed to elude him in his own life. All concrete buildings and boring days that seemed to blur together, one after another.

Today, he was heading down to the storage room of the museum where he was to catalog the new arrivals from Turkey. Supposed to be a load of relics, some predating the Ottoman empire. Sam had been passionate about archeology as a student, and he still was. But this rut was killing him. There was very little to differentiate one day from another, and his heart was growing heavier every time he got out of bed these days.

It wasn't that Sam didn't like his job. He was just disappointed to find that moving to a new city meant that he really was leaving behind his old life, and this new one had not yet fulfilled its promises of adventure that he imagined were there.

Sam went through one artifact after another, cataloging and indexing them almost mechanically as if he were in a trance. Perhaps it was the sleepy atmosphere of the room, musty and claustrophobic and surrounded on all sides by shelf after shelf of similar relics and antiques. He would have gone through the whole task this way were it not for a stirring in his heart as he came across a silver ring with a single emerald set in it. The craftwork was difficult to place. It clearly had roots in Middle Eastern art, but seemed to eclectic to pinpoint to a specific region or time period.

Something about this ring greatly intrigued him. He experimentally rubbed the emerald with his thumb to remove some of the dust from it, knowing this was ineffectual as the restoration team would clean it far better than he could.

Without warning, Sam felt a rush of wind sweep through the room and the ring glowed of its own light. His eyes widened and his heart raced. The wind and light seemed to take shape, forming the apparition of... a woman? The features were indistinct, but it seemed to be forming a humanoid shape. The face was only inches from his before it withdrew and before his eyes the wind and light coalesced into the form of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen dressed as a harem girl and sitting cross-legged on the table in front of him.

As she smiled at him, Sam somehow found his voice. "...I must be hallucinating," he blurted out in a very stunned tone.

 

[caela]

Innara sighed softly and paced quietly around her room. Humans had no idea what true bordom was. Being trapped in a ring with nothing to was for countless years...it was enough to make a poor genie go mad. Luckily she could conjure small things to keep her entertained, books, newspapers, small games but nothing that could hold her attention for long. What she wouldn't have given to be able to conjure some of the more interactive things she'd read the world now had.

Her deepest wish for the past few years had been to see - and use - a computer, they sounded amazing from what she'd read. Nearly as amazing as her own powers and yet they were considered commonplace if her reading was correct. She felt it good to try and keep up with the changes taking place outside her ring so that it wasn't such a culture shock when she was at last let free to serve a new Master.

Ahhhhh, freedom...

Almost as if her thought had conjured it she felt the tug of magic that meant someone had found her ring and a smile lit her face. Raising her arms she let the magic sweep her from her jeweled cell and into the room beyond. Entering and leaving the ring was such an odd feeling! She was intangible for a moment she knew, swept along on a wave of magic that had to free and reshape her to the proper size for the real world or for her ring.

"...I must be hallucinating,"

A smile curved full lips at the human's announcement that she wasn't real. Clearing her throat she glanced down, running graceful fingers slowly down her arms and then across her thighs, almost as if dusting herself off, before shaking a mane of red hair. Violet eyes, with the slightest up upward slants to them sparkled with mischief as she looked at the human male before her moment longer before speaking.

"No you're not hallucinating Master," she said in a voice that was smooth as velvet and just as inviting. "You've freed me from the ring and I am yours until you choose to get rid of me or it is taken from you. Barring a few cosmic rules your wish is my command Master."

Finishing her little speech she glanced around her wondering where she was. It seemed to be a warehouse of some sort...could all of this be his? And if so what would he need with a genie? Still trying to get her bearings she looked back to the man before her and realized he was rather handsome. The thought pleased her, in her experience ugly men were a bit of a pain to serve as they seemed to always thing they had something to prove.

 

[DrStein]

Sam reached his hands up to push his slightly overgrown sandy hair from his eyes. His co-workers had been jokingly referring to him as Cobain for some time now since he decided to try for a small ponytail. Though Sam thought he really looked nothing like Kurt Cobain, the nickname got stuck.

He reached a tentative hand out and touched the woman's arm. She was real, alright. Trying to stay cool, he pushed his chair back and stood up. "Let me see if I got this straight... I'm guessing you're some sort of djinn or genie, and I released you..."

He shook his head once and muttered aloud, "I'm still not sure how to react to this."

 

[caela]

"Let me see if I got this straight... I'm guessing you're some sort of djinn or genie, and I released you..."

Innara smiled softly and simply nodded her head. He was taking it all very well so far. She had many Mistresses and Masters that had been utterly terrified and simply thrown the ring away without even really talking to her or making a wish first. While nervous he seemed calm enough at the moment and didn't look like he was going to throw the ring away which made her happy for the moment. It mean she would have time outside in the real world again and she was looking forward to it.

"I'm still not sure how to react to this."

That made a soft laugh fill her throat, the sound gentle and warm as a lovers caress.

"If I might make a suggestion Master we could start with basic introductions and perhaps you could ask some questions if you'd like. Or you could simply make your first wish. However you choose."

 

[DrStein]

Sam looked up at the woman. He really wanted to believe something magical and extraordinary had just happened. But at the same time, there was that demonic voice of doubt gnawing on the back of his mind and chalking this all up to a dream.

"Well, for starters you can call me Sam if you want. My name is Sam Crane, and I'm a museum curator.

"And as for questions, I'd really like to know you're name."

 

[caela]

"Well, for starters you can call me Sam if you want. My name is Sam Crane, and I'm a museum curator.

A museum! That made much more sense than the idea that all the items around her had been his. It wouldn't have been likely that a man that owned such treasures would also have been catalouging them. She had to think for a moment before she could remember what a curator was but when she did she smiled and nodded her understanding.

"And as for questions, I'd really like to know you're name."

"My name Mas...er Sam, is Innara and you were correct in the assumption that I am a genie. Would you mind my asking what year it is now? I try to keep up but it's easy to lose track when you're stuck inside a ring."

 

[DrStein]

Sam blinked once and scratched his head. "It's 2006 A.D. Coming up on the summer... Jesus Christ, it's already summer." The months seemed to have blurred together. It was almost depressing.

"Uh... listen Innara, I'm going to ask my supervisor if I can leave work early today. Lay low and we'll continue this conversation back at my apartment, okay? I don't like the idea of a co-worker wandering in and seeing this, as I don't think they'll take it too well."

 

[caela]

2006? Could it have truly been so long since she'd last been freed? Yes she supposed it could. It would mean she'd been trapped for nearly a millenia but that wasn't really surprising. She'd often gone a few hundred years between Masters.

"Uh... listen Innara, I'm going to ask my supervisor if I can leave work early today. Lay low and we'll continue this conversation back at my apartment, okay? I don't like the idea of a co-worker wandering in and seeing this, as I don't think they'll take it too well."

Tipping her head slightly she looked at Sam curiously not quite sure just what he'd told her to do. It was clear she was going to have to do some studying to pick up the local differences in language and meanings but that would come with time if she was out long enough...for now she had to ask.

"What's this 'lay low'? Does it mean you wish me to return to the ring until we are elsewhere?"

 

[DrStein]

Sam mentally slapped his forehead at the revelation that she wouldn't understand the idioms he was using. "Yes. To lay low means to try not to draw attention to yourself. You want to avoid trouble, so you lay low to keep people from noticing you or your actions."

Fortunately, she seemed to understand. Once she was back in the ring, Sam pocketed it quickly and finished shelving the last of the relics. His thoughts were racing as he tried to put everything together. This was something he'd have to take his time and think about.

Working up a fake headache and acting as if he had picked up a bug (which wasn't too hard as he had been looking under the weather that day), Sam went up to Randall Murphy, the administrator whom Sam reported to. He asked if he could take off a couple hours early and get some rest, which the old man agreed to. Randall was a very understanding, grandfatherly individual. He had a strong work ethic, but he hated keeping people cooped up in the museum when they were sick.

Once he was back in his apartment, Sam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and rubbed the ring in his pocket with his thumb.

 

[caela]

"Yes. To lay low means to try not to draw attention to yourself. You want to avoid trouble, so you lay low to keep people from noticing you or your actions."

It sounded rather sneeky to Innara but it made sense at the same time so nodding her understanding she held her hands together in front of her and closed her eyes while her image shimmered and simply faded out. The same magic that had freed her once more returning her to the ring.

Inside she paced once more. It was hard going back and forth between the outer world and the tiny chambers she had in here. Oh granted they were lush and comfortable but a cage was still a cage and she longed to be able to be out once more. She hoped this Master would keep her for a good long while and wouldn't be of the type to keep her locked up when he didn't need her.

Feeling the same pull of magic calling her once more she gave herself up to it and let it carry her outside only to find herself somewhere new that she assumed was the apartment he'd mentioned. Looking around her she noticed that the place was a bit messy, nothing major just some scattered clothes and dishes in the sink. Clucking her tongue softly she closed her eyes and pressed her palms together once more.

When her eyes opened again a fresh smile curved her lips. Everything was clean and where it belonged. Much better. Realizing she'd used her magic without his requesting anything - a thing she could only do when that magic served to increase her Master's comfort such as keeping his home clean - she blushed slightly and bit her lower lip worrying he might be angry.

"I'm sorry Sam. I should have asked before I did that. I could put it back if you'd like. Or did you maybe have more questions now?"

 

[DrStein]

Sam laughed lightly and marvelled at the display of magic. "Actually, that saved me the trouble. Thanks."

The apartment was rather modest as Sam hadn't gotten a chance to go househunting. He just let his depression lapse in and didn't bother to try and affect any change. Of course, that didn't mean the apartment was bare. The kitchen had large poster prints of Thomas Cole paintings and a chianti candle at the center of the table. The refrigerator magnets seemed to have been collected from various anime conventions and concerts.

The living room had a large cloth tapestry hanging on one wall with a print of a yin-yang. The TV sat on a small cabinet with a coffee table and blue sofa in front of it. Several movie and band posters adorned the other walls, and a bookshelf and DVD library was packed to the brim.

"Have a seat. I'll have dinner delivered and we'll talk over a little entertainment, okay?"

 

[caela]

"Have a seat. I'll have dinner delivered and we'll talk over a little entertainment, okay?"

Innara tipped her head and looked at Sam quizically for a moment as if he'd spoken in a language she didn't understand. She'd heard him of course but she'd never had a Master treat her as an equal before and offer both a place sit and dinner...offering her entertainment was utterly unheard of. It confused her and she wondered if it was some sort of test.

Carefully she sat on the end of the sofa though her body was tensed, ready to spring up at any moment if he seemed anger at such impertenance.

"What would you like to talk about Ma...er, um sorry, Sam?"

 

[DrStein]

Sam picked up his cordless phone and looked through one of the various take-out menus he had amassed over the last few months. "Mostly I just want to get to know you. Do you like chicken?"

 

[caela]

"Mostly I just want to get to know you. Do you like chicken?"

Good lord he wanted her opinion! Biting her lower lip she tried to remember the last time she'd actually eaten. Being a genie she didn't need to eat, oh she could of course and rather enjoyed it actually but the opprotunity was rare and she hadn't been offered food in at least 4 Masters.

"I'm not sure. I've been in my ring a long time, I wouldn't know how they'd fix it now. Please order whatever you'd like to eat and I will try it...if that's acceptable," she said honestly.

 

[DrStein]

Sam shrugged and dialed Argento's Pizza, a family-run pizza parlor and Italian restaurant that he had become very familiar with.

He placed an order for a large peperroni pizza and a chicken steak sub to be delivered to the apartment. Once he hung up the phone, he went to the kitchen and got a six-pack of bottles of beer from the fridge. He had been saving it for the weekend, but this was an occassion.

He brought the bottles back to the couch and sat beside Innara. He placed the bottles on the coffee table and handed one to her as he picked up the remote. "First marvel of the 21st century: TV." He turned it on along with the DVD player and started up an episode of his favorite show: Mystery Science Theater 3000.

 

[caela]

Innara watched intrigued as he spoke into a contraption that obviously connected him to someone else. She'd read of phones of course but it was interesting to actually see one in use. She'd have to look at it later if he let her. She heard him order something called a "pizza" and a "sub" and tried to remember what those were but drew a blank. She'd find out soon enough she supposed.

When he came and sat next to her she thought for certain that he was ready to start asking questions but it seemed instead that he was going to show her more of the new time she'd come out into.

"First marvel of the 21st century: TV."

She gave a delighted laugh as the show started and actually relaxed back into the couch, curling her legs up under her to enjoy the show. There was much about it that she didn't understand but overall she enjoyed it. It was like having their own private theatre there in that tiny box!

"Amazing," was all she could think of to say.

 

[DrStein]

Sam tried his best to explain the premise of the show. He was having an interesting time of it, explaining movies, robots, sattelites, and so on. The movie in particular was one of his favorite episodes: Werewolf.

They had gotten as far as the first transformation scene when the delivery arrived.

Sam paid the delivery boy, thanked him, and went back to the couch. He opened up the pizza box first and offered Innara a slice. "Care for a piece?"

 

[caela]

She liked listening to Sam talk almost as much as she was enjoying the show. It was odd and she was certain it'd make more sense when she saw a few more of them but it was still fun. She started slightly when she heard the knock of the delivery man but only because she hadn't been expecting it.

Smiling when Sam returned she had to admit that whatever was in the box smelled good at least and when he opened it she laughed softly as she suddenly remembered reading about pizza in her books. It was supposed to be quite good if prepared properly and a common meal if she remembered correctly.

"Care for a piece?"

Reaching for the slice offered to her she held it gingerly, sniffing at it and turning it, looking it over carefully before taking a small bite. After the first taste a smile curved her lips once more. It was wonderful!

"Thank you!" she said and enthusiastically dug in enjoying her first meal in ages.

 

[DrStein]

Sam smiled and for the first time in months felt like things were starting to turn around for him. He took a slice of pizza for himself and leaned back into the couch to continue watching the show and talking to Innara. "You know, it seems you have at least some idea of the state of the world today. Do you have some kind precognitive powers or clairvoyance?"

 

[caela]

"You know, it seems you have at least some idea of the state of the world today. Do you have some kind precognitive powers or clairvoyance?"

Innara had to fight the urge to giggle at his question but it would have made her choke on her food and she was fighting with the cheese on her pizza. No matter how she bit down the stuff seemed to want to stretch on her! It was almost as amizing to her as the idea of her having precognition.

"No, no psychic abilities," she said at last as she finished off her first slice and grabbed another. " However while in the ring I can conjure books, magazines, newspapers. It's gets rather dull in there after a few hundred years and they help pass the time."

 

[DrStein]

Sam turned some of the information over in his head a moment. "Well, if you want, you can stay out here as long as you want." The idea of being confined to the ring and being conscious the whole time was a discomforting thought. Just trying to picture it made Sam feel claustrophobic and he took a swig of beer to try and shift his thoughts away from the prospect.

 

[caela]

"Well, if you want, you can stay out here as long as you want."

A grin of pure pleasure lit up Innara's face at being told she didn't have to return to the ring anytime soon. What bliss! Without thought she leaned over and dropped a grateful kiss to Sam's cheek.

"Thank you! It's the rare Master that lets a genie have her freedom to roam while he owns her. And just so you know even if I'm outside it if you rub the ring it'll call to me no matter where I am."

She added the last quickly so that he wouldn't think better of his kind offer. She'd had more than one Master that kept her locked in the ring so that they could keep her at their beck and call without realizing that they didn't need to. Or simply not caring if they bothered letting her get far enough to explain it to them.

 

[DrStein]

Sam smiled again and gently put his arm around her shoulders. "I don't believe in keeping people like property. Even if you're a genie, you seem real enough to me."

Her body was warm, her skin soft, her smile bright. Definately real enough for him.

 

[caela]

"I don't believe in keeping people like property. Even if you're a genie, you seem real enough to me."

Looking at Sam a puzzled expression crossed her face. She was a genie...she was property. It was nice of him to treat her well certainly but what did his treating her well have to do with her being real or not?

Finally she just laughed and relaxed against him, "Of course I'm real Sam...but well as a genie I am property - a tool perhaps - as well. It's your right to keep me in the ring if you choose though I'll admit to being grateful for the chance to be outside it in the rest of the world. "

 

[DrStein]

"You're a genie, but to me you may as well be a human."

Feeling somewhat impulsive, Sam took up one of her hands and softly kissed it. He smiled at her gently, wanting her to know that just being here as long as she was had already made a huge difference in his life.