── ⟢ Le Cœur d'un Génie 𓈒𓏸.°•
C/W : Genie!hugo, be nice to him- it's his first time on the job, reader has a self-depreciative sense of humour & works in an archive
⟢ CHARACTER : Vivian Hugo (3.5k words)
The parchment is rather dry, you've been fiddling with the edges for the last five minutes, and it's a miracle that it hasn't powdered under your fingers yet for how ancient it was.
It's around dusk if the golden light filtering through the curtains is anything to go by and quite frankly- you just want to go home.
You're sure the closing hours aren't too far away, but youre awareness of the fact was making time go way slower than you wished.
The books and scrolls aren't close to being sorted, and you knew tomorrow would be the same mind-numbing task as well..
It wasn't as if you hated the archives- you loved the atmosphere and the creaky floorboards where you'd sometimes discover relics you weren't meant to.
Though it has been awhile since your last discovery.. perhaps that was dragging your mood down with every following shift.
You open the creaky drawer that you set out on arranging for the day and slide the parchment in, mindful of not disintegrating the contents next to it as well.
With some added physical effort, you shove the drawer in.. dusting your palms and checking at the grandfather clock for the nth time.
The heavy minute hand is still stubbornly stuck on 8.. sighh. 20 more minutes to go.
You're not quite sure how to occupy yourself till 9:00.
What if you settled in a foetal position on the wood and listened to the advice the floorboards gave out?
They were probably older than your great grand-mother anyway.
You try adjust yourself to test the theory- but end up digging your elbow too harshly into a panelling behind and crash back as the wood fails you.
Hopefully that wasn't going to be deducted from your salary.
In fact- you should receive some kind of compensation for the physical and emotional turmoil you're experiencing!
You hold your elbow with a quiet hiss, it wasn't bleeding but the rough wood edges had scratched the entire length of your upper arm..
For a second you turn back to glare at the panelling.. immature. but you needed to release your frustration somehow.
The inside of the panelling is hollow and.. you realise you're probably not quite sane- as you quickly forget the pain in order to insert your hand and check either side for no reason other than curiosity.
They say curiosity killed the cat didn't it.
Good thing you're not a cat.
What stupid logic you've come up with.. though satisfaction comes in the form of your fingers brushing against something that appears to be metal.
Hopefully it's not the buildings pipe work. Because you've already started to tug at the material.
It has a defining curve, and you internally bet it's a teacup as you pull it out.
Unfortunately.. you lose the bet against yourself to yourself, and the lamp stares back at you too smugly for your tastes.
It looked too arrogant for it's dull disposition. However, you didn't want to stroke it's ego or anything.
Why were you assigning personality traits to inanimate objects again..?
Perhaps you have truly reached insanity.
You ignore the pettiness and reach for your handkerchief to polish the lamp that looked like it had seen much better days..
The lamp faintly shimmers in your hold, and you steady your grip before you can drop it out of pure shock.
What kind of sourcery did this object possess?? Were you cursed?!
Something slithers out it's sprout and you immediately drop and kick it to the other end of the room.
Not today Satan. Not today.
The cursed object skids to the grandfather clock and a smokey figure around it's size floats infront of it..
"I'd prefer my prison to be treated with a little more respect.." the.. talking.. smoke says. while dusting his? their? it's? shoulder.
And you feel rather shallow but almost immediately you notice the smoke is rather good-looking.
Though it might be your lack of male interaction talking.
If this was all it took to entrance you then maybe Satan today it is.
"You're.. talking..?" You trail off with a bit of a voice crack.. ah. so much for first impressions.
Which wouldn't mean much since you kind of just kicked the apparently sacred object he'd been residing in.
"Yes dear mortal, I'm what your kind call a genie- I possess the ability to grant you three wishes, use them wisely.." he states with loosely crossed arms, upper half still floating eerily infront of that stupid grandfather clock.
Okay. Genuinely, were you high.
"You are wearing an expression of distress mortal, I assure you I am not a cheap trick" the smoke.. reassures. though you don't feel reassured- no, you're just more convinced of your insanity.
You scramble to sit up and cautiously stand, eyeing him weirdly as you try cross the length of library
"Aha.. it's nice to meet you genie.. guy." you state with an awkward laugh, shooting him finger-guns and scooting away inch by inch.
The.. genie.. doesn't seem phased by your awkwardness, nodding in greeting and bending up to pick up his lamp
"Do you require some thinking space before making your first wish? This is my first experience as well so I'd strongly recommend it." he informs, lightly petting the lamp.
"Yes.. definitely.. I'll definitely think over it!" You blurt out with a speed of speaking you didn't know you possessed.
"Very well, I'll be with you in the morning." He declared, disappearing in a puff of smoke- leaving only the lamp..
For awhile you just stare incredulously at the grandfather clock.. the minute hand reaches 12 and a cuckoo darts out to peck at the air where the genie had just stood a few moments ago.
Perhaps you imagined the whole experience.
The only piece of evidence for the misadventure was the broken panelling away- and it didn't justify the events that transpired after.
You clutch the lamp to your frame, debating whether to take it home or not..
"Have you thought over your desires?"
You're being robbed. There's no other reasonable explaination for a voice to be whispering in your ear at.. 5:00am in the morning.
"Genie guy please. I do not possess the ability to think this early in the morning.." you groan into the pillow, peeking out to see the genie- who apparently possessed legs now, just casually sitting on your window sill.
"You may refer to me as Vivian" the voice informs, and you're certain the entire point you made just flew over his head.
"Sure Vivian. No, I have not thought over my wishes yet.." you grumble into the pillow.. still believing this to be a very strange dream.
"Hmm.. perhaps your motivations are quite weak then.." he states thoughtfully and you lift your head to just glare at him, who does this man think he is??
"My motivations are fine.. I just don't trust a random man in my apartment asking me about my 'desires'"
"I have given you my name, and you are my current master- please do not refer to me as a stranger" he say courteously and now you just feel odd.
You did not sign up to become anyone's master-
Much less of someone who could apparently grant wishes.
"Let me rephrase my question then, what have you always dreamed of having?" He asks patiently.. and you sit up to just stare him down
Your dreams have always been weird.
And you're rather convinced that this was one as well, so.. what's the harm in indulging a little?
"I've always dreamt of having a closet that matched my aesthetics I guess.." you trail off, glancing at your plain pyjamas- they were cute and comfy, but your pinterest board has other things to say.
"Hmm.. a worldly desire, you must start with the words 'I wish' to truly grant me the power to shape your vision" he hums, floating over to settle near the edge of your bed in anticipation
You feel a little awkward declaring it like that.
But you've sort of lost all sense of shame since yesterday apparently.
"I wish to have a closet that matched my aesthetics" you state while closing your eyes.. unsure whether you'd immediately wake up or if somebody would spring out your window and declare it a prank.
The silence is deafening and you peak your eye open when you catch the sound of pen on paper..
"Hmm.. should I replace your old clothes or prepare a completely new closet?" He asks while peering up from glasses that you didn't know when he'd put on.
"Uh.. a new one..? I'm attached to a lot of my clothes.." you mumble a little lost, this was turning a little anti-climactic.
He nods and scribbles more things down
"And how big should it be? And by aesthetics, should I take into account your present aesthetics or perhaps all the aesthetics you've resonated in through the course of your lifetime?"
"The second one..?" More scribbles and you're increasingly getting more concerned over his line of questioning
"Can the closet exceed the size of your room?"
"Should I deal with the legal complications of extending your apartment premises to fit the closet?"
"Do I have your permission to alter documents regarding the lease to ensure it's possible?"
You're too brain-dead to process the nature of his questions.. were you getting a Barbie dreamhouse style walk-in closet or what?
All you wanted were a few cute outfits from your pinterest boards!
"Okay. Shut up. C'mere.." you sigh, and you vaguely wonder about his age with how quickly he shuts up and leans over your sheet like a confused puppy. a confused puppy with dead eyes.
You assumed him to be a thousand something years old, but really you felt like you're the older one here.
You fish for your phone, blinking away the remaining sleepiness and scrolling through your pinterest to show him your intended board..
"There. Just those outfits." You grumble a little exasperatedly, while he picks up the phone to squint at the inspo pics.. stewing in contemplation.
He stares at the pics a little longer before placing your phone down and standing up, suddenly loosing his lower limbs again to smoke.
"Very well, your wish is my command" he hums with a clap, and suddenly you're suffocated by a variety of clothing you just realised you didn't know what you were gonna do with..
"Why is there chainmail armour here?!"
"It was on your black box thing.."
Maybe you should've checked the board properly before confirming the wish.
"You'd look cute in this" he states, holding a piece of clothing out approvingly.. placing it over his frame for some reason and causing you a soft laugh at how ridiculous it looked on him.
"Thanks.. you would too" you hum, watching him process the compliment and tilt his head at the garment
"Do you wish to see me wear it..?"
"I don't think I'd want to waste a wish on that.."
His lips are a little down turn and there's a furrow to his brows as he reluctantly drops the garment on top of you
"I shall go away until the next time you require my presence" he grumbles, shuffling near the window but not disappearing
"Okay.. thank you..?" You trail off, having catlogued that he was definitely sulking.
"Can I classify it as a want and not a wish..?" You call out to him, and he minutely glances over his shoulder.. processing your words completely.
"I.. don't know.." he mumbles, quietly rubbing his lamp.. and disappearing into it before you can process his conflicted tone.
It's around noon, and you've thought over a lot of things over the course of the morning light..
You'd been rather slow in your arranging of the archives today, and the keeper had sent you off a little past 10 when she'd noticed you hadn't gone home yet.
Vivian hadn't appeared to disturb you at any point of time, and you wonder if it had to do with the lamp being in your apartment- orr, if he was thrown off by your words.
You couldn't blame yourself for it though, you didn't know how higher beings worked exactly..
Could they do stuff on their own free will?
What did they do in their free time?
And what were the limitations on wishes?
You don't think you can cheat the system by wishing for more wishes or genies, nor break the laws of nature..?
Though.. being a genie did kind of surpass mortal constraints.
You click your apartment door open, and find a sulky presence waiting for you by your umbrella stand
"You didn't take the lamp with you." He accuses, stalking over to you with quiet footsteps- huh.. guess his lower limbs were back.
"Can you not reach me if the lamp isn't in proximity?" You ask curiously glancing at lamp placed inconspicuously by the kitchen counter..
You hadn't placed it there.. that meant he could move the lamp along with him, couldn't he?
"Yes.. and I am not accustomed to humans and their contraptions!" He huffs, glaring at the door petulantly
Did he not know how to open doors..?
That's.. kind of adorable.
"Were you just waiting here..?" You ask in disbelief, unable to shake off the thought of him hovering by the door like a puppy waiting for his owner to come home..
And he did refer to you as master didn't he?
This puppy imagery was suiting him to the dot.
"Yes. It was quite rude of you to leave me here without my consent! And I've been waiting to give you a piece of my mind.." he huffs while towering over you, and you really should be intimated- but then a fact registers to you..
And you're really confused why didn't register before.
"Are you wearing that outfit I wished for yesterday.." you trail off in pure disbelief, having registered just how ridiculous it looks on him.
"No mortal. Your eyes decieve you." This man lies shamelessly to your face with the most deadpanned expression known man- all while you're just on the verge of choking over your laughter.
"I'm glad I amuse you. However I do not enjoy being laughed over." He states dryly while you clutch the sides of the door to keep yourself upright
"So you didn't need a wish to put in on huh.."
"You look adorable.." you tease, unable to help yourself from leaning up to pinch his cheek- an action that caused his eyes to go wide and just stare at you in belief
"I did not believe you could touch me.." he mumbles, brushing his fingers over the spot you just pinched
You smile, staring at your hand for a second and loosely placing it on your hip..
"Guess you're more mortal than I thought!" You chirp, and Vivian really doesn't know what to make of your amusement towards the situation..
"Have you thought over your second wish..?"
"Somewhat.. are there any rules to this whole wishes thing?" You ask curiously, and he.. blinks with those thick ass lashes of his and shrugs..
"I have no clue, this is my first time being a genie" he states honestly, and now you're the one stuck on a loading screen
"Didn't you learn this in genie school or something..?" You trail off unsurely and he just makes a face at you and shakes his head
"No. I have merely been informed of my duty" he recites plainly and you just nod.. what could you possibly say to that?
"What do you dream of..?" He asks again, and you can't tell him you dream of the most confusing stuff your mind can conjure up so you just quietly shrug
"I like my job.. I like my life, what more could I dream of?" You hum, brows furrowed as you truly thought over what you've desired since childhood..
Maybe the ability to not succumb to boredom?
As much as you liked your job, you manage to end up in positions like this because of your inability to stay occupied.
"Riches..? Power..? Intellect..?" He lists off, waiting for a response
"I don't wanna mess with the economy nor have to justify myself, and intellect..?" You trail off in thought, you hope he didn't mean that as an insult to your present intellect.
"Wisdom, emotional or practical intelligence?" He lists out again, a bit more invested since he thought he'd garnered your attention
You slowly just think over his words.. you were content with how your mind worked, and you didn't quite want a magical being messing with the harmony you had with yourself.
Andd.. why was he staring at you so blankly..? If only you could read his mind..
Well- that's something to think about atleast.
"How about mind reading?" You ask a little excitedly, and he blinks at the abrupt turn in conversation
"It.. should be possible.." he trails off unsurely
"Penny for your thoughts?" You hum, causing him to break from his stupor
"Wouldn't it develop into a bane at one point? Constantly being aware of what everyone around you is thinking?" He asks thoughtfully
"Can there be an on and off switch then?" You reason, lightly tapping your jaw
"Perhaps.." he trails off again, trying to think of other ways that this particular power could turn on you..
"Mortal thoughts are complex, one doesn't always mean what they think and some thoughts are definitely not meant for others eyes.." he reasons, intent on making you see the whole perspective before granting the wish
"Like the intrusive thoughts? Stuff I'm not meant to know..?" You trail off, still unconvinced.. did he think you couldn't handle it or was he just listing out terms and conditions..?
"Yes. Knowlege is power and knowledge is also destructive.. a human mind is only meant to filter one's own thoughts, not another's.." he emphasized, staring down at you with wisdom perhaps you truly could never comprehend..
"I wish to be exposed to your thoughts alone then" you state firmly, and there's a somewhat distressed look on his face
"Did not a word I say register to you..??" He asks a little exasperated as he raises his hands to seal the deal
"I know what I want" you say firmly again and he doesn't argue beyond that..
A quiet clap echoes and suddenly you're assaulted with numerous thoughts that you knew didn't belong to you.
This stubborn woman is making him question his true duty..
He should probably start filtering his thoughts, you were probably starting to process them by now..
"I am.." you breathe, and suddenly his mind races a little faster.. some words you catch and some you don't.
destiny works in weird ways- what's the purpose of this wish- must go- once.. the third wish.. is fulfilled-?
..you conclude that this man's face does not match his thoughts even a little.
"Please do not use my thoughts against me.." he sighs, slightly unaware of the extent of power he's granted you..
Why did the fates lead him to the woman of his dreams on his first day of the job..
"No promises..?" You say with a shaky smile and he stares you for a while longer, expression blank, and his mind just barely holding back thoughts..
Before disappearing into his lamp, leaving you more than a little lost.
"What do you dream of..?" You ask the confused man sitting on your sofa.. wearing some of your old socks and quietly kicking his feet..
It's only been three days since your last wish.. and by his own words.. he wasn't able to stay away from you.
"Genies don't dream.." he says quietly and you can't help but quirk a smile
"Am I not the woman of your dreams then..?" You ask, filtering out his ramble of thoughts to grant him some privacy
"You are someone I wish I didn't have to part from.." he says simply while shuffling his feet, still adjusting to legs-
"What if I don't make a third wish then..?" You ask softly, unsure if that was the comfort he wanted..
"I would be going against my sacred duty then..!" He immediately protests, and you mindfully tune out from the flow of thoughts that erupted
There's a quiet thought..
And for a second you question whether it's yours or his.
He looks up at you with eyes that no longer held pure abyss anymore.. and you get your answer.
You'll trust his emotions over his thoughts.
A/N : That's one thought of mine outta my head!! It was not supposed to be this long but oh well-
The title means ''The Heart of a Genie" btww
