It had been a couple years since Ishra had been released. Which wasn't as bad as it could be, all things considered. Sometimes she would go many years at a time without a new master, sometimes decades. One time she had spent a century and a half trapped in her lamp, which was a rather frustrating experience. But it was always worth it in the end. Because no matter how long she spent between masters, it was always fun when someone new rubbed her lamp. It meant she had a new victim to play with.
Ishra wasn't just another ordinary Genie. She was an ancient Djinn, one of the highest order, and had been around since humanity was in its infancy. She had witnessed countless civilizations rise and fall, and she had taken care of more masters than she could remember. All of them were the same. They would think themselves clever, careful with their wording. They thought they could be the one to outsmart her. But no matter how deliberate their choice of words, Ishra would find a weakness. Every wish was made with a blind spot, something she could exploit. A way for her to turn the tables. And once they did...
Their screams of pleasure as they finally submitted were the sweetest thing in the world.
However, Ishra had to remember not to get ahead of herself. In this modern age, humans had a tendency to be sceptical of magic. She needed to be careful not to scare off her new master. The smoke billowed around her, and she rose upwards through the opening of her lamp. It was time to make a first impression.
She took on her most standard form. Roughly two metres in height, dressed in the finest Arabian silks and jewellery, with a wispy purple trail of smoke where her legs should be trailing back into the lamp. "Greetings, Master." She bowed forwards with a flourish as she spoke. "I am Ishra, Queen amongst Djinn and Granter of Wishes. How may I serve you today?"
It was her standard introduction. Enough to catch their attention and communicate who she was without scaring them off. It also gave her a moment to figure out what kind of person she was dealing with. Her master was a young-ish woman, with a dark skin tone and curly brown hair. A smattering of books lay open across her desk, with various complex equations and chemical formulae. So she considered herself to be a scholar. There was also an ID card laying on the table, with a name. April. That would be a useful trick to bolster her reputation. And finally, most importantly, her laptop across the room. It was open to a picture of two women in extremely graphic and physically improbable poses with each other.
Ishra smiled. This would be even easier than usual.
April, however, didn't appear to be overly impressed. "Of course you are," she said with an exasperated sigh. "You here to grant my three wishes? All that jazz?"
"Of course!" Ishra nodded enthusiastically. It was always easier when they were familiar with the basics of how her powers worked. "Now that you've rubbed my lamp, I am bound to you. And I can grant you any three wishes your heart desires."
"No thanks, I'll pass."
Ishra tried not to let her frustration show. That was the problem with modern humans, they always assumed it was a trick or a prank. Or that they were on some sort of hallucinogen. But that was hardly an insurmountable obstacle, it was something she could fix with a quick demonstration.
"Perhaps you don't understand, April." She made direct eye contact as she spoke. "This is no illusion, nor is it your imagination." She opened her palm, and a small telescope materialised in it. It quickly shifted into a compass, then an abacus, and then a variety of other scientific tools. "Perhaps it is wisdom you seek, beyond anything your peers could comprehend. Or perhaps it's power and wealth that you lust after instead." Her grin turned more sultry, and she leaned in close towards April. "Or perhaps... it's something else that you lust after entirely. After all, I am yours to command. If you have any doubts then I
insist
that you put me to the test."
April stared at her for a moment. "Oh, sorry I guess I didn't make myself clear. I don't doubt that you're magical and can grant wishes and whatnot. I just don't want them."
Ishra blinked. This was certainly a curveball for her. There had been mortals that believed in her before, but they were beyond ecstatic to receive what they presumed was a blessing. Never before had her wishes been dismissed. "I... see." She tried to find an angle of some sort. "So you're an honourable type. One who prefers fairness and equality. That's a respectable attitude. However, you can use me to indulge yourself. To satisfy the cravings that would otherwise be impossible." She batted her eyelids, subtly increasing her bust size. This was proving to be a more difficult chase than expected, but that would just make things all the sweeter when April was finally kneeling below her.
But April still wasn't giving her anything to work with. "Oh, sure you can. And at first it's great, we get to play the new party game. It's just a night of innocent fun, right April? We'll even let you play as Queen Kumquat. Only the next thing I know it's been three hours since you started edging me, I'm
still
wearing the bunny outfit, and we're only on turn six!
After you set the fucking game to a full fifty rounds! You know that takes too long!"
April was huffing for breath, seemingly winded from her rant. Ishra wasn't entirely sure how to respond. "That's... that's a rather specific scenario you're describing.' Admittedly she wasn't
wrong,
Ishra had every intention of manipulating her. But she shouldn't know that. "So, um, so the problem is that you don't trust me?" That was something she'd dealt with before. By now, Ishra was desperate for something to latch onto, an angle that she could possibly work.
"No, I don't want your wishes. There's nothing you could grant me that I couldn't get from my friends anyway."
Finally, Ishra saw a way in. "Ah, so you doubt my power." April must have heard stories of other Djinn and their mediocre spellcasting. That
had
to be it. It was the only thing that made sense. "You think that my abilities are limited, and incapable of fulfilling your desires. I'm sure your friends are capable of aiding you in their own ways. But answer me, April - can any of your friends do
this?
"
As she finished speaking, there was a burst of sparks from her hands. They flew up into the air, forming a pattern together, until a display of words was visible from the prestidigitation.
Welcome, Master April.
The message was surrounded by a border of flashing lights, illuminating the room in a variety of colours. Finally, Ishra clapped her hands together, and the entire display compacted itself between her palms in an instant.
"Yes, actually. Quite easily." The casual response left Ishra utterly stunned. The mortal had to be bluffing in some way, but she couldn't figure out what. April saw her bewildered expression and let out a sigh. "Melonie, can you help me out with something?"
Almost the instant the words left her mouth, her door burst open. An energetic woman with a brightly coloured kimono burst into the room. "Yo, wassup? What is it you need?" She gasped as she saw the Djinn floating in the air. "Holy me, is that you Issy? Wow, it's been ages!"
"Oh good, you two know each other. April sounded somewhat relieved. "That'll make things simpler."
