Another Year in Eternity

With her adrenaline settling down, Loralei focused back on what was to come out of the rest of the night. Already she had gotten revenge on a man that’s caused her nothing but trouble for a very long time in a way that was well-deserved. And that was material enough to make for an excellent birthday. The day wasn’t over yet, though. She had to formulate the rest of her list for things to do and exes to punish. What else was there?

Her mind traced from her thoughts over to Carl again, which bought her time to think. Though she didn’t desire to unfurl her entire life story to him, she supposed a bit of explanation was due. Lori shrugged, looking ahead blankly. ”He was one of those guys that put up an act to get me lured in. He knew of my power this whole time, and yet played dumb when I showed it to him myself. Bad idea, because ever since then he’s been hounding me over catering to his every need and gettin’ real pissed off if I didn’t deliver. He knew I had rules, but did he listen? Course not.” The genie sighed before lifting up a faint smirk again. ”I knew I was being used though. He’s a terrible liar, and it only took me till the third woman that he had on the side to figure out he was garbage. It got to the point that he’d only come back to me to ask for something before having to run ‘errands’. But I still stayed. Only because it was my duty, plus at least he pretended to be friendly and whatever. As soon as he made his third wish though I was out of there. And only today did he get the memo that he was never gonna see me again.” Surely, the message would stick with him for a lifetime. So upon the resolution of everything she smiled back up, knowing all too well that it was all over. She inadvertently squeezed his hand gently before glancing back up at him. ”But enough of that dumb shit. He’s done for, and that’s what matters. Thanks..Uh, for the help.” For some reason she had a bit of difficulty forming the last bit of her words. Even though the last bit of their little scene back at the bar was for a vendetta it still was genuine. Though extreme, his contribution in eradicating him from her life still was plenty enough to make her happy, at least for what she had to look forward to in the future.

Back to the question she had posed herself mentally. She paused for a second before chuckling. ”Well, nobody as bad as him. They’re all still back at the school, and that’s sort of a hike from here. Could probably use my magic to get us there, but at that point I might not be able to use it for much else.” It was unpredictable at times, and with him being the technical holder of her magic there was only so much she could do before he wished for it. ”To be honest though, I’m just stoked that guy’s out of the way. I haven’t done the usual birthday stuff in a while though. Like presents and cake and shit. I usually spent it making other ungrateful cretins average day’s top notch. So you’ve helped make this pretty damn good for what I’m used to.” And honestly? That’s all she asked for.​

She wouldn’t say that she did, lest she be reprimanded, but she noticed. He had reacted to her in a way she didn’t think would happen a few weeks ago. Yet, she hadn’t the right of say anything. After all, she was the one who was questioning herself even before all of this began. Far before him, anyway. So it would be a secret with her until one of them spoke first. But that, knowing them, would be something they just might take to the grave.

Nevertheless Loralei did show her mutual satisfaction through touch rather than words. Besides, it was already getting chilly this time of year and it was nice to be close to someone. Yeah. That’s totally it. She looked away as he did and only returned his gaze when he touched her cheek. It was then he proposed something.

Well, it certainly was a good present.

As soon as his offer was uttered, a grin soon showed at the corner of her mouth. She looked a bit skeptical, and with a brow raised she asked ”You serious?”. Sure, he’d proposed to show her the best of anything before on a past date, but directly asking for her desires was something that took her completely off guard. ”Uh yeah… Sounds good to me, but...” She chuckled a bit, running a hand through her black hair as if mustering a thought. ”Damn, that’s hard.” What could she ask for? Well, she couldn’t grant her own wishes, but with her power over illusion combined with what she already received from him there left little she desired. he was her master anyway, and as such it was supposed to be her fulfilling any wants going around. But… That wasn’t to say there was nothing she didn’t want.

”I mean, I could use a new phone because the ex pissed me off to the point of breaking my old one earlier… Really he should be paying me back for that but...” Was that something she really wanted? Well, honestly she wanted to think of something that wasn’t totally a paid object. Sure he was rich, but it wasn’t something she wanted to ask for. Besides… Maybe out of him, she’d get something more meaningful. It then hit her.

She held up a hand as if to cut off that thought. ”Scratch that. I’ll get that on my own time.” With that she looked up calmly and straightly, as if she really had something in mind. ”No. I know what I want. For my first wish...” She smirked. "I want you to show me something you haven't shown me before. Hell, anyone for that matter. It could be anything, I just... Well, I bet you'd imagine that all I'm used to is one predictable guy after another. You keep me on my toes. Think you can do it again?" Well, it was the first reason she'd stick around him so often in the first place. Even when meet-ups were accidental. Still he kept things interesting, and didn't end up disappointing her like so many others did. Leaning in a bit closer, she tilted her head in curiosity. "Guess I'll have to get a rain check on those other two... I can't even think of what else I want."​

She had made her request, and to her honest surprise he had no hesitation in meeting in. In fact, he almost seemed pleased with the thought. Good thing too. She was intrigued with this guy, and that much was evident the day she met him. It was a wish well spent to try to figure him out, or at least get a glimpse of something about him not shared with anyone.

It must have been her lucky day then, because it appeared she was being gifted both.

As he grazed across her body, she shook her head no silently once he proposed a question.He had leaned into her, and in turn she glanced up to him to better hear what he was about to say. And from that, it only took a few seconds of disbelief followed by a hot flush to her face for her to truly grasp what he’d said. He… Wait, what? ”Um… I… Thanks...” Was just about the only thing Lori could mutter out, for her mind was more on the fact she was blushing like hell. Maybe if she slapped herself hard enough it would go away. Nevertheless she was acting ridiculous. But beautiful… Huh, that was something she didn’t think she’d hear in a million years from him.

Holding in her breath for a moment she somehow managed to regain herself, going completely back to normal as the next part of his plan began to unfold. She took his hand, saying a simple ”Can do.” before leaving with him to the library. What was there? She’s been around to see the place was huge. Possibilities began to float around her curious mind, and God knows what sort of information lined the shelves. Whatever it was, it was something he’d never revealed to anyone before.

Perhaps she should feel honored.

Once their little trek back was over Loralei followed him pensively back into the library. There was a plethora of information about them, but it seemed Carl would be honed in on one book in particular. The purpose of the ancient text though was foreign to her, as, well, she couldn’t make out a word of it. Fortunately her ability to decipher wasn’t the focus of her understanding. From what it appeared she was in for a story, to which she became solely attentive on him to learn something far before her time.

The first thing revealed to her was something that equally shocked as did amuse her. Kael’thias was his real name, and though she figured the name Carl wouldn’t carry over five millennia she hadn’t figured what his true identity would be. But hey, it did suit him. What was most important though was his tale that followed soon after, one shrouded in magic even she didn’t know.

And so came out tales of his doings, demonstrated before her in reenactments through the dust. Her eyes were transfixed on the scene as she both attempted to piece together what he was saying through visuals she was beholding. He partook in this ritual, a war that seemed to never end. It was so much to take in, but what was most difficult to decipher was where Carl lied in terms of moral alignment. So many famous figures took part and there were two sides to be on. Clearly, Carl played a big role. And what it all meant for him was still an intriguing mystery for her to try to decipher.

When he was finished Loralei stood silent for a second, still observing what was displayed before her. It took a few seconds for it all to register, to which she turned around with a swift ”Huh?”. Soon after though the genie cracked a smile, this one being more genuine than most of the snide remarks she usually gives. ”This is all pretty damn cool. You’ve been hiding something this big for all your life?” She chuckled then, mumbling to herself ”I should be flattered.” in a tone that may have been heard by him. Approaching him slowly from the space in which she observed at, Lori had just a few lingering curiosities on her mind. ”So, where do you stand in all of this? Or rather what do you believe in?” There seemed to be far more in her mind going on, to which she honestly wanted to know. Far more interesting than any history her species presented, that was the truth. She still had one more major question thus far, and with this she pulled on a little smirk. ”I can still call you Carl, right?”​

With the magic of tale gone Loralei fell silent once more for a few moments as if to process everything that just occurred. He had spoke of a bit of his history in the past, but it was only done today that she had the opportunity to see everything in motion. Once everything returned though she became aloof once more as if to compensate the intrigue she held earlier. Still, it all was something she did like to know about. It just made her remember just how long he's been around.

Doubting herself that she's come across anything like this in her eternal life span, she was just satisfied enough with the wish to see more of him. It broke another sort of barrier between them from before, another one down in the wake of what seemed like many. But the tale he told wasn't some casual story. It was all very serious by the sound of it, and to that she reacted solemnly. "Sounds like you've got a reputation hanging over your head no matter where you go." And she wasn't kidding. Not even on another plane of existence did he seem anything less than mighty. Or at least, to the way he described it.

Still, from what he was telling her he was powerless against some aspects of this war. Even so much as that he was just entertainment for the side he was fighting for. She frowned grimly. It wasn't fun being a servant for someone. At least she predicted just who he was fighting for. But she kept this comment and everything else to herself as he explained the horrors of what he faced. It made her wonder how much of a choice everything was for him.

When all was said and done, she looked down. "That's a lot to take in." She muttered, that frown still faintly there. Her tone was pensive, as if she was still digesting it all. She then looked back up, gazing into his eyes as he approached her. From the corner of her mouth, a smile twitched. "I gotta say though, that takes dedication to keep going at it for so long. And at least I learned something new. Certainly got my wished fulfilled." It was true that a large part of his backstory gave her an insight on why he did certain things or behaved a certain way. And hopefully, if she could piece together more, her insight would only increase further. After all, understanding was often key in making whatever they had work.

His question to her brought forth a shake of her head after a few seconds of thinking. "I pretty much got what I wanted out of this birthday. Well, at least I can't think of anything specific that I'm hoping for. There's a douchebag in a bar frozen solid and I was given a history lesson on something I hadn't known of until today. So yeah, I'd say that's pretty good." Among other things, she felt the cumulative occurrences made everything the best it had been in awhile. "I can't even think of any other wishes right now. I'm just... Not used to it I guess. The only thing I can think of right now is that I've been wishing for since I came here was some goddamn peace of mind. But... You already gave that to me, now that I don't have to grant anyone's wishes anymore." Lori responded in a reassuring tone. Just then, she returned her gratitude when placing a palm on his chest, reaching up to plant a gentle kiss back. She chuckled a bit. "So thanks." It was simple, and yet sincere. An odd combination for her really. But that soft smile suddenly turned devious.

"Unless there's something you too want, of course."​

And just as she was certain about the success of the day, confusion once more hit her as she attempted to decipher just what everything meant. Not just what Carl had told her a few moments ago, but... Everything else, pretty much. As Carl embraced the genie she returned all of his affection almost dutifully, a hand behind his head as he was pressed against her. Through all of this though her stomach was in knots, which was met with ignorance as she focused on the guy before her. Whatever would keep her overthinking would have to be held out for later. For now... Well, she'd have to see where her actions would take her just as they unfolded.

Loralei chuckled as he confirmed his request, and immediately went out to ask for her permission. There was hint dropping left and right, and through all of this she laughed. She pulled herself closer to him, looking him dead in his eyes. After being taken in for a deep kiss, she released and pulled a grin. "I dunno Mr. Subtle, you want to take this upstairs and figure out if there is?" She asked lowly, raising a brow. For a second she pulled back, holding onto his hands as if to invite him forth. She tilted her head. "Don't worry, I'll make sure I won't forget. If you keep showing me reasons not to, that is." Loralei laughed, hoping the invitation was mutual. In all seriousness though she was more than pleased with how the day turned out. With past birthdays being filled with nothing but selfishness on another's part and rotten treatment, it was nice to say that she had a change of pace. And whatever was happening between them she felt was an improvement from what had happened to her with previous relationships.

Not like she would say anything, as per usual.​

And just like that, the request had been fulfilled. A flurry of seconds is the only time it took for her to be rushed upstairs, pressed upon the interior of the bedroom. It was at that point she could rely on the day ending as most good days here did- with intimacy. Her heated response to everything he supplied was second nature, her own body sliding against the wall as she embraced his touch against her lips. But there was something off, as if her mind was drifting in between her physical actions and her condiluted mind.. And though she had tried to put off everything a few moments before it was all rushing back to her, filling her head with doubts and contradictions. Just as it always was, it seemed.

But the passion that seeped in causing her pleasure, and the mutual feeling of what she could only determine as lust would always fight with her greatest fear in all of this. That fear? Losing herself. And with each passing day in this manor she felt that more and more of that reared its ugly head. Especially after today. Initially all of this seemed to begin out of gaining something almost superficial for her, as she had tried to make up in sensuality where others had dropped the ball. But now… As she was led to being positioned on his lap, she couldn’t help but to think after all he’d done for her. What was he trying to do? What was happening to her as a result of this influx of good deeds towards her? She didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t want to admit anything. Why? Weakness. It was the only thing the prideful young genie could interpret in her mind. Everything she was experiencing, all that she was feeling was weakness. Was it ridiculous? Well, in her mind, everything was perfectly reasonable. Being screwed over was the only thing she knew of, and she wasn’t ready to relinquish her distrustful barrier quite yet. But even that wasn’t true. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to admit herself being this way, all pride aside.

She was afraid.

Add in the fact that the guy she was slowly revealing herself to had a track record for genocide and previous attempts at breaking her down, and she certainly had a brew of doubt welling in her system.

All of these reasons cummulate to the pulsing in her chest, her heart practically about to burst from her rib cage. It was too much to bear through concentration, so in efforts to steal her attention off of this she focused back on Carl, who had pulled her on his lap. Face tilted against his. Trying to block out everything else. Her tongue kept within its lock only to break up when he slid off her top. Her hands laid on top of his as to guide them wherever they would hunt for. She craned her neck to the side, allowing him to place a kiss as he pleased there. Best not to say anything. Best to keep the moment going, without breaking up due to her own condition. She’d let him grip her clothes, make his mark, and offer back a kiss every now and then. Everything would be fine, so long as he…

It was obvious. His hands traced across her exposed chest, only to stop where the red flag for her distress was located. He had even pointed it out, and by luck she was faced away from him as for him to not see the blush splattered across her face as he pointed it out that something was wrong. She looked down, muttering a small ‘dammit’ under her breath. And to make things worse he asserted his desire to inquire, and thus initiating a small rule that she didn’t clue him in on. She wasn’t to lie to her master if he was asking a direct question. Besides, he hated liars, and it wasn’t practical to make him upset at this point. Not after everything he’s done, anyhow.

So with that she pivoted herself around on his lap, facing him as she crossed her legs behind his back for support. Her arms draped themselves around his shoulders, as she shook her head in defiance. ”Nah. Why would I be nervous?” That was true, at least in terms of what was going on physically. But she couldn’t leave out the crucial part of her mind. ”At least, not for whatever you’re gonna do with me.”

With that she placed her hands to his clothes, helping to work off his as well. Once they were both bare-chested, Loralei lifted her hand to spread her palm just where he had with her. ”You’re not so laid-back yourself there.” She pointed out in a whisper, before lowering her hand to trace down the front of body. But just as she reached his lower abs, she dropped her hand completely and sighed with a defeated huff of her shoulders. So maybe he was in the same boat. That was… a comforting thought. Nothing to relieve that sensation though. So after only looking down for a few moments, she glanced back up to meet him dead in his eyes. Only to ask a one word question.

”Why?”

To clarify herself more, she shook her head as if to dispel any sort of needless confusion she was causing. ”I just..Can’t believe that a few weeks ago I couldn’t stand to be in the same room as you, let alone fucking each other. And yet that’s not just all this is, is it?” She asked, looking back up again as if trying to search for answers. In efforts not to break the rhythm that they were building, she kept herself to gingerly stroking the side of his face with the back of her hand. She closed her eyes, smirking just a bit. ”Dammit. i don’t even know anymore. You’ve done more for me than whatever those tools did combined in one month than they have in all their years. I handed my freedom over to you because you’ve done these things for me. And yet here we are, supposedly doing this for nothing but physical gain.” She then paused, realizing how stupid she sounded. It was embarrassing, that was for sure. She ran through her hair, before sliding the free hand to her shoulder. ”Sorry, it’s just...”

She raised a brow and pulled of that distinguishable skeptical look of hers. She laid a kiss on his lips, before leaning back a bit to ask him yet another question. This time, it was direct. ”So just what does that make us, huh?”.​

Everything was out on the table now. Her sudden outburst had suddenly had her nervous, something rare for the genie. Putting up such a mask of pride and detachment had led her to be resentful of displaying how she truly felt, especially around someone who seemed to never deal with that issue.

And yet…

Slowly returning his gaze, she noticed that he too was cracking underneath the surface of what he’d been holding back on. What he had said next was something she hadn’t predicted, the polar opposite of what she thought would be mocking laughter. He wanted things to be real. Just like she did, just like she was scared to admit. For the night, at least, but perhaps something more. Watching his face slip from steadfast to tongue-tied was almost surreal. He even admitted hypocrisy, though through nothing she hadn’t done herself. He too had been holding back, and as she let her last remaining top drop to the floor she raised her hand to rub the side of his arm as if to reassure him it was alright. She hadn’t said this, but as her own duties he was supposed to feel safe around her. And slowly, she was starting to do the same. She watched silently when Carl took her hand, placing it on his chest. It was at that moment with those words did she truly register their synced mindset. Feeling his heartbeat beneath his chest, hearing just how human this all seemed. Did she feel it? Slowly, her head nodded a yes. Because she didn’t want past superficialities from past mistakes. She didn’t want to hold back to make herself flustered if the guy she contradicted herself over was feeling the same way. There didn’t need to be that wall, not here and not now.

So slowly she’d unwind herself from that tight constriction set in place by her own anxieties. She looked at him with an equally warm smile. She’d be his girlfriend, and he’d be her boyfriend. That sounded… Lovely, actually. To live in the present and not have little troublesome thoughts floating around each other’s head. It wasn’t as simple as loveless sex and yet.. It was simple in other respects. Easy in terms of letting go and letting things come as they were. Playing the role she wanted, the role she wanted for years. And the fact that it was for her birthday therefore made it a worthwhile gift. Something even a genie would wish for.

And as he was stating, she wouldn’t particularly mind if it were an eternity.

And as he continued his hushed assurances she allowed him to rid her of her last remaining clothes, though by the tremble in his hands it seemed he was nervous. Softly she placed her hands over his once more to quell this sort of anxiety, and kiss away the blush appearing on his face. when the time came for his final words to roll out, Loralei retrieved herself from this compliant state, and once more took action.

”Carl…”

She looked into his face raising her hands to cup both sides of it. She could hear it now. The sound of pulsing blood now in both hers and her partner’s ears. He had revealed himself, drawing whatever premonitions he had out before her. It was only due for her to follow the same path. So she helped him in what he couldn’t before, standing up for a second to remove her shorts and panties underneath. Tossing them to the side she once more sat on his lap, face-to face. She then did what she felt natural, in pressing her forehead against his to look into his eyes. Her arms than wrapped around his bare torso, her head shifting to rest against his shoulder. A kiss was placed as the base of his neck as her hands squeezed tight around his shoulders. She whispered in his ear one, simple thing.

”I’d like that very much.”

She pulled back to look into his face a genuine smile in place of the usual smirk she wore. Everything accompanied her statement. If tonight would last forever… Well, she certainly wouldn’t complain. She locked her lips with his for what seemed like ages as her chest leaned against his. It felt so natural, so right. Though she wanted her actions to speak for her, there were a few things that she wished to get off her chest and finally admit to him. No holding back.

”You don’t need to be nervous. I’ve… I’ve been wanting this for a very long time. So thank you. Thank you for everything.” She sighed, kissing him once more with a bit of a nuzzle before moving over to sit on the bed. Lori held out her hand again, inviting him to do as he said. Whatever would happen… Well, she’d leave up to fate to decide. And no mater what, in this moment…

”I promise I’ll stay.”​

As she equally believed with Carl, Loralei felt transfixed by the absolutely abstract feeling this was. Something so genuine like this was foreign to her, it was difficult for her to process. And she could see the same in her partner. But her mutual feeling met her with an understanding, indicated in the sporatic pulsing of her heart. It wasn’t this just sort of inability to grasp reality, either. For once the man in front of her wasn’t some deity-like magus who saw the world as his plaything. She was witnessing a different side to this coin of sorts, something she hadn’t expected at all. But through his blushing and stammering and soft words she could feel a sense of reassurance. Everything was going to be okay now. In this very moment she could say she had a boyfriend, one that had broken down that wall to reveal himself to her. And in that ancient wisdom he had possessed that she was previously unwilling to admit, he still fumbled with articulating this feeling.

Honestly, she did as well. But whatever it was, she most certainly shared it.

She kissed him deeply back while caressing the side of his face, running her fingers from his jaw to his hair. She complied silently as she was led back against the pillows. He was shaking, worse than before. Almost in puzzlement did she look up to him, but this troubling confusion soon faded into her own sense of tranquility. Looking back at him as he did with her allowed her to see past all of these fears, and in turn realizing how they held the both of them back. Carl in his words, and her in her actions. And as he assured that he wanted everything to be real, and once more marked her as something she not too often heard Loralei blushed, though this time not out of embarrassment. It was a warm feeling, something that had her look down a bit from almost what seemed to be shyness associated with the subject matter. But her face was taken from its shadow of self-doubt to stare back at him wistfully, with each kiss becoming more involved than the last. His warm touch against her skin managed to quell this sense of disbelief, and her body leaned against his to show her appreciation. ”I…” She didn’t know what to say. But soon enough, Carl stated his own wishes, not being too far from her own.

All of this was proving to be almost like a dream. Something at this point she didn’t want to wake up from. She began to recount everything he had done for her, even from the beginning when she had begun to stay with him. What was spite and rivalry seemed to evolve into something different, something wonderfully unfathomable. At this moment at least, where everything thus far had accumulated into. This role they were playing, which in itself was perfect. What he had said next, about this being something revolving purity of sorts… Well, she agreed. She hadn’t said anything yet, but… Yes. This wasn’t like anything she’d experienced before.

And with that did she sat up just a bit, meeting his eyes. From her lips she drew a gentle ”Shhh...”, leaning up to plant a kiss on his forehead. She wasn’t silencing him by any means. But this hesitation he had, and the premonitions of making this all perfect was not warranted. ”Don’t worry, I feel the same way...” She whispered, her cyan eyes looking down as she made her admittance. ”I’ve never really felt like this before, not with anyone else. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for you to be experiencing this all for the first time.” With that her hands ran down the sides of his body. She led to rubbing his back, slowly, softly, as if to ease off the shakiness he had possessed. She smiled a faint smile, brushing some hair from his face. ”So you don’t need to feel like you’re messing anything up, okay? You’re doing just fine, just...” Her hands traced down to grip at his pants. She unzipped them, slowly pulling them down a bit before tilting her head almost innocently.

”I want you to be you. I want this to be natural. At the end of the day we’re both supposed to be happy, and I don’t want you getting worried over what you feel you should do. Show me how you feel and I promise I’ll do the same.” A lot of promises tonight. Things she wanted to keep, to show him that he wasn’t alone in this brand new feeling. She looked up and down his body, her palm tracing it. Feeling it more than the rough contact they had in previous times. His touch made her feel welcome, and his assurances at home. For once it wasn’t about superficial desire. It was about them figuring each other out, opening shut doors, and unlocking something just for this night they hadn’t seen before. She laid back down, head pressing against the pillows. But not before placing another sweet kiss at the side of his neck alongside a quiet chuckle that resonated from her chest.

’It already has been. It just keeps getting more perfect.” She smiled then. ”I just want it to last forever.”​