The Magician

"Hey," Riley greets, leaning in the doorframe. They wrapped themself in a comfy white bathrobe that hints at the changes they made to their body without showing them outright.

Ali stares down at them, brow furrowed as they study their face. "Riley?"

"Ding ding ding!" they break into a smile. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"I'd say so," Ali says. "So you're a shapeshifter?"

"Guess so." They backpedal over to crash down onto the couch. "Not sure of the limits just yet. I'm not exactly falling over myself to try and turn into a dog."

"I'd imagine." Ali sits down on the chair across from them. "Although being able to transform like this could certainly assist you on your mission."

They absentmindedly run a hand over their completely smooth leg. "How's that?"

Ali leans forward, fingers pressed together. "Riley, to become powerful enough to face down The World, you'll need the power of every other card. Not all of them are friendly, some have sworn their allegiance to him. You may need to disguise yourself to appear inconspicuous in order to—"

Riley shakes their head, noticing how their hair no longer moves as they do. "No way."

He raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I'll get your mission done, but I'm gonna do it on my terms. I'm not gonna have sex with someone who thinks they're having sex with someone else. It's fucked up."

Ali's voice is low and serious, like thunder from a long distance away. "I admire your morals, but this is a serious fight we're having here. Sacrifices must be made to prevent The World from coming into power."

"What's he up to, anyway?"

"He's a politician."

"Yikes."

# # #

Dinner leaves Riley contentedly stuffed. After months of consistently ordinary food back at home, eating a meal from a completely different culture is a welcome change. They hadn't bothered to change out of the robe, it's deliciously soft against their skin, and they lie on their back on the couch in opulent relaxation.

Ali sits upright in the chair across from them. "How much do you remember about the history of tarot?"

Riley responds with a histrionic groan. "Are we really doing a history quiz right after dinner?"

Ali laughs a low and rich chuckle. "Just a short one. I believe it's important to know where we came from."

"People claim it's from Egypt, right? Even though it's not?"

Ali gives him half a smile, lifting up one corner of his mouth. "Partially true. The cards themselves did originate from Egypt, but only as a standard playing deck. The idea of using them as cartomancy didn't come into being until centuries later, in the 1700s."

"Right, right," Riley nods. Ali's slow, authoritative voice takes them back to their old classrooms, and they can tell their focus wants to wander up to the ceiling tiles or out the window.

"Next question. Which came first, the Ideal personifications of the cards, or the cards themselves?"

"The cards, I know all this stuff. The magical quality of the cards came into being from people's belief in them, and the ideas associated with them live on in people, trading hosts as needed." They recite it as if from a textbook, their voice shifting into a monotone.

"You don't sound very interested."

"History of magic isn't any more interesting than history just because it's magic."

Ali leans forward, a tired glint in his eye that Riley's seen on more than a few professors. "That," he says, "is a whole other thing that we don't need to get into."

"Agreed." Riley rolls over to be on their front, intentionally adjusting the robe to reveal their new cleavage. Ali either doesn't notice or is completely untempted. "What do you do?"

He raises an eyebrow. "What do I do?"

Riley nods. "This is kinda sorta a date, right? Tell me about yourself."

"I'm a self defense instructor. Mostly do group sessions, but sometimes people ask for private tutoring."

"I suppose that explains the muscles?" They bat their eyelashes.

"You don't need to flirt with me," Ali says, but his tone implies he's not exactly bothered by it. "We're here on business."

"But it's fun!"

Ali shrugs. "Go ahead then, but I hope you don't mind if I don't return the favor. I've never had a talent for it."

Riley shrugs. "No big deal."

"What about you? What do you do?"

"I pretty much just help my mom out with our farm. I studied plant magic at school so we wouldn't need to hire as much help. Probably gonna be going back to it when I'm done here."

"Seems like a quiet life. Do you enjoy it?"

"My family's done it for generations." Ali's raised eyebrow tells them that he sees through their empty answer, but he mercifully doesn't push it. "Being a self defense trainer seems a lot cooler, though."

"Indeed," he smiles. He gets a professor-esque look in his eyes again, but this time it's the twinkle of a passionate lecturer. "Making people stronger is nice on its own, but the best part is the confidence that comes with it. People come in nervous and walk out tall."

"That a Magician thing?"

"It might just be."

# # #

"I couldn't figure out how to make a vagina," Riley says as they walk towards the bed. "It seems very complicated."

"That's no matter," Ali waves his hand. "The High Priestess may be able to help if you're interested, but magic can transfer perfectly fine no matter what parts are involved." He pauses. "Unless it bothers you."

Riley shrugs. "Doesn't matter to me. I just thought it'd be fun." They tear their robe off and discard it carelessly on the floor, then jump up onto the bed. The sheets are soft and cool on their bare skin. "Okay, treat me nice."

Ali's eyes shine softly. "As you wish." He sits next to them on the bed and presses his lips to theirs. He's gentle at first, his kisses reminiscent of polite knocking on a door. They invite him in, parting their lips to allow him entry, and with a surge of confidence they nip at his bottom lip. His hands wrap around their waist, lifting them onto his lap with ease. Anticipation sparks inside when they think about what else he could do with strength like that.

Their hands wander down to the hem of his shirt, a plain white tank he wore as an undershirt, and slip their fingers underneath. His body is firm, stomach firm under his warm skin. A hum of delight slips through their lips and they drag their nails up to his chest.

He detaches and leaves a lingering warmth on their lips, then disappears into their neck. They sigh as he trails down to their collarbone, shivering when his teeth nip against their skin. Heat rises in their lungs as his calloused hands dance up their side, rising to cup their breasts. Wishing to match his pace, they lift his shirt up his torso, tugging once they reach resistance. He pulls his body away and raises his arms to let them undress him, and a surge of excitement washes over them as they trace their eyes over his torso.

He's not built like a weightlifter, Riley can tell the muscles aren't for show. To Riley he seems more like a well-built machine, no flashy and no superfluous parts, only weight and muscle that serves a purpose. It's a body showcasing not vanity but dedication, a symptom of his drive rather than a goal of its own. They run their hands over his firm chest, savoring the feel of the power underneath the skin, then shift around to explore his back.

He lifts Riley up again, rising them so he's at chest level. The sudden movement makes them feel nearly weightless inside, secure in his strong hands. His lips close around their nipple and the sensation makes them gasp. It's completely new to them, a sharp, bright feeling that flows directly into their heart. They're content to let him remain at their breasts for a while, savoring the new sensation. "Harder," they urge. "

Harder

."

Along the way they feel themself starting to harden, their penis demanding attention. They remain patient at first, aware that teasing would make it all the more satisfying in the end, but soon enough they can't wait any longer. They're rock hard and ready to demand attention.

"Get naked," they command, but then another thought passes through their head. "Uh... does magic still transfer through condoms?"

Ali places them on the bed and stands to undress. "Of course. You can do magic through gloves, can't you?"

"Right." They watch him undress, eyes lingering when he removes his briefs. One of their hands rests on their thigh, and the temptation to start stroking is overwhelming. He reaches into a drawer and retrieves protection and lubricant.

"What position would you like?"

"Hmm..." they pretend to consider, but they already know what they want. "Against the wall."

"Pardon?"

"You know. Pick me up, support me by the hips, my shoulders are against the wall, and rail me."

He raises an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound safe."

"That's half the fun. Come on, give it a try. I bet I can even make myself lighter."

He lets out a slow breath. "Alright. Let's give it a try."

Riley breaks out into a grin, and sits up to get in an easy to carry position. Ali's strong arms wrap around them, lifting them off the mattress and carefully maneuvering them against a wall. It's cold and hard against their shoulders, promising a delightfully rough time that only strengthens their anticipation.

"Comfortable?" he asks.

"Very," they breathe. "Now do me."

Ali chuckles, then positions himself to enter Riley. They gasp as he presses inside, going slow as to not hurt them. They take one of their breasts in hand and squeeze, closing their eyes to let the hot sensation consume them. The empty air below them leaves them acutely aware that they're several feet off the ground, a heart-pumping sensation that leaves everything feeling stronger.

He's fully inside them now, and they let out a low moan as warmth spreads up into them. His thrusts start slow, each one grazing their g-spot and pumping more pleasure into their body. The sensation is akin to slowly stepping into a hot tub, their body getting warmer inch by inch.

"You can go faster," they say, and are met with a more exciting tempo. They moan contentedly, and they release their breast in favor of stroking their erection. Their eyelids fall half-shut, their entire body relaxing into Ali's grip. A feeling of perfect comfort overcomes them. They feel secure in his arms, content in their body, and each thrust sends a new wave of pleasure into them.

The sensations build, slowly and surely. Nothing moves especially fast, their strokes and his thrusts are in sync like a ballroom waltz where no one's in a rush to finish. Soon enough, though, they feel the dam start to break. Their moans become higher and louder. The hot sensation spreads backwards up their shaft, and their penis twitches in their grip.

"I'm so close, keep it going," they plead, desperate to fall over the edge. He continues dutifully, and they explode into a blazing orgasm. Their grip tightens as they come, a wave of pleasure washing over them and making their thighs quake. They paint their stomach with their fluids, and their head tilts back against the wall as a content fatigue washes over them.

Ali finishes shortly after, a satisfied grunt leaving his lips. Riley notices he was much quieter than they were, and wonders if there was something else he'd rather have done or if he's just like that. He carries them over to the bed and places them gently down on the mattress, where they lie in quiet contentment. Ali drapes a washcloth over them, which they use gratefully.

"Let's get you cleaned up, once you're ready," he says. He sounds relaxed, Riley thinks. "You must make haste tomorrow."

Riley sits up. "Am I going to see you again?"

Ali smiles. "Part of me will be with you throughout your journey." He chuckles. "But yes. I may not be able to join you until your work is done, but we're hardly strangers. You may rely on me whenever you need."