An Oasis for Djinns

Characters

 * Hama of the Lamp
 * Naylee the Hypnodjinn
 * Bacca

Synopsis
Naylee sat at the counter.

The current master, or mistress if she was to be more precise, was not a very demanding or particularly decisive person. Full of doubts, questions yet with a rather friendly and easygoing attitude, she was her kind of gal as she'd get quite a lot out of her encounter with the famous, or infamous in some circles, Hypnodjinn. People like her could see their life turning around after a chance meeting with her, though this could be applied to any djinns or “genies” as some like to call them. Both nomenclature didn't really bother her, but tonight was not the time to think of masters, of wishes, obligations and what-not, but to relax and be among her kind for a little while. There was a haven, a safeplace, a rest stop as some would call it that had opened a short time ago, though for mortals it was a lengthy affair, a matter of years. Ever since she discovered that place, she had been a regular there, or as regular as a wish-granting, on-duty djinn could be. So she sat down on a classy stool and looked at the fine selection of drinks, a mere fraction of the real menu available to a select clientele. Then, the bartender appeared out of thin air, a djinn quite like her, a pink-skinned, rose-haired lady of magic dressed in a mixture of high-end maid and belly dancer aesthetic. She bowed and looked at her.

“Welcome to the VIP section of Club Oasis. I'm your host, Becca. What can I get you?” she said, her lips moving just a touch too fast to sound and look natural as her calm and reserved expression, with the faintest hint of a smile, broke down in a little sigh. “Sorry, the owner made it so I'll automatically greet everyone this way. What can I get you, Naylee?”

“I'm feeling a little bold. There's a master I served back then who went on to own a vineyard and I'd like to try their product at its peak...So a Chateau Boustifaille 78 years of age, from the year 2067 if you please,” Naylee ordered, placing her hand in a position so as to receive her order as a wine glass, flawless in its appearance, the very conceptual design imagined by all, appeared and placed itself between her fingers.

“Oh, excellent year. Some future wines ends up really good and this one, I feel, is very much made with passion and care. It's your handiwork, isn't it?” Becca asked with a little wink, her more playful side being more apparent as two hands puffed in the air, created from nothing but magic as one held a piece of cloth under a tall and dark bottle, presenting the vintage while the other made some highlights before both were used to pour some of its content in the glass. “I bet you've hypnotized him into doing that, though.”

“Of course I did. The man wanted to have the very best wine in the world, or at least top-tier in terms of vintage, lean yet leathery, the kind that would go well with choice meals. He had no confidence, no technique and nothing...but I knew he wouldn't be satisfied with me just granting him that, so I got him to work,” Naylee said, checking the scent of the content in her glass, the aroma being quite enticing as she made the liquid turn a few times without touching her glass before then sipping it softly, going for its taste. “I stayed with that person for a year, ever-cementing his ideal and how to reach it. He got dedication, a vineyard with perfect conditions and people devoted to winecraft to work alongside him...and judging by what I've just sipped between my lips, none of it was wasted.”

Another sip and Naylee this time savored it. Her own keen djinn senses permitted her to taste every molecules, feel the raw emotion behind the product and she felt proud. Another happy master who got what he wanted, she thought, silence filling the room as Becca summoned a cheese platter, a gesture that was very much appreciated, as Naylee looked at the bottle placed beside her, there for refill should she want it. She looked around and the place was somewhat empty. No Rin, no Nikita, no Aliyah, no one that she knew save for Becca as it seemed like djinns were either quite busy with their owner or they hadn't been summoned yet. They would eventually come, however, that much was certain.

“Welcome to the VIP section of Club Oasis. I'm your host, Becca. What can I get you?

Hearing this, Naylee turned around and recognized this little introduction, along with the expression the person saying it gave way to afterward, yet one thing she certainly did not recall was this new person. Unmistakably a djinn, this one was purple...no, blue...no, lavender-colored on her skin. Womanly, yet not in a mature way for the moment. Young adult, barely by the looks of it. Pink garments, the belly dancer kind. Golden cuffs, curved and pointed slippers, a ponytail, a very classic look. She seemed a little lost, uncertain of where she was and what this place represented, in need of some help. Thankfully for her, Naylee was ever-generous with her time and skills as she looked at this new arrival and spoke. “Leave her to me, Becca. I'm always eager to give a tip or two to new blood,” she said with a wink as she motioned for the young genie to come to her, a stool walking toward the lavender-skinned young woman in the process. “Let us drink together, then. It's been quite a while since I ever met a debutante in this tight world of djinnhood.”

A look of surprise, then one of slight indignation and curiosity proceeded as this djinn went on to get closer, sitting down while she inspected Naylee as if she was an opponent more than a friend for the moment. “What makes you think I'm new?” she said, staring at her in a way that she clearly wished and thought was intimidating, yet it seemed just a little clumsy in a way. “I'm just as much of a genie as you are. Filled with awesome power and potential, attuned to the universe and cosmos and all of that.”

“A very fair question. Let me answer it to you then,” Naylee said, a light smirk beneath her veil as she liked the spunk of that one. The vigor of youth, as some called it, though such concepts weren't very easy to attach to being such as themselves. “You chose the role of a young woman, first and foremost. Those with experience carefully select their appearance to tailor either with what is expected, or to create an atmosphere. Some will go with a child-like form to give way to innocence and potential, moving away from the more sexual and sensual vibes of a mature and fully-formed adult. Some will go with sheer power and muscle, creating might and strength, confidence in fact, intimidation. Some will go with beauty, temptation, the appeal of the flesh and curves. Your form is between cute and sexy, I'd say, selecting neither and I have a feeling it's because this is the first form your lamp, or bottle, gave to you, as if you didn't quite know or realize that you could in fact shape yourself up however you want to be.”

A little moment of silence, the newcomer looking and listening with various reactions, being both praised and criticized all at once did not seem to sit all that well with her and she went on to pick a piece of cheese from Naylee's platter, with her hand in fact. “This doesn't prove much of anything, though. What if I wanted to spring confusion and to select my individuality instead?”

“This would seem quite possible, but then two more things actually went on to tell me straight away you're brand new...and even that you weren't born a djinn like me, but you became one,” Naylee continued, finding this to be very stimulating so far, chuckling as she took another sip of wine before resuming. “First of all, you're using the English deformation of the word djinn, genie, to categorize yourself, something that any djinn with some experience would never do. Second, you just used your hand right here and went on to rebel against such categorization, which speaks of human traits and mannerism as opposed to servitude, manipulation or the calmness of an experienced djinn. I'd go as far as say that you're in your first year...am I right?”

A little moment of silence, followed by a vast plethora of emotions carried on by the new girl. Stupefaction, analysis, hesitation, further doubts, annoyance and then rebellion, all of it which told that Naylee was right as she smirked beneath her veil, pushing her wine glass in it, making it so there would be no obstruction for her to drink this tasty alcoholic beverage. “That...that...” the lavender-colored djinn said, trying to come up with a response to this accusation, most obviously flustered as if she was found out and tested against her will.

“Relax. There's absolutely no shame in it. As a matter of fact, I think you have a distinct advantage,” Naylee went on to say, trying to disarm this situation which she had admittedly created. Mortals were always so interesting, but one turning into an immortal and all-powerful djinn could indeed prove to be even more so. “You have experience in domains that very few of us djinns will ever have, seeing the other side and possessing concepts and perceptions that will undoubtedly really help out in your, I certainly hope, long career as a wish-granting djinn. Allow me to present myself, I am Naylee...May I be granted the pleasure of getting to know your name, young one?”

Confusion, a little amount of relief with a dash of surprise tinted the lavender-skinned djinn as she sighed, taking yet another piece of cheese, yet this time by pointing a finger at it and making it float toward her mouth, as if she had learned a lesson. Becca, right there, went on to arrive with a colorful drink, one topped with an orange slice and a little umbrella, giving it to the new customer. “If you think she's playing mind games, wait until you find out her nickname...Isn't that right, Hypnodjinn?” the djinn bartender said, winking at Naylee playfully, a little smile on her face as she looked back at the new arrival. “A greeting present, on the house. It's not often that we get new blood around here, especially the more magical and cosmically-attuned kind. Enjoy, Ms...?”

“Hama,” the young djinn revealed, feeling a little out-of-place now, as if she was the ignorant one being played for a fool, a little anxious at just everything that was happening so rapidly. “So...Uh...What is this place? And what did she mean by that title...Hypnodjinn?”

“Ah, the hunt for knowledge, the drive to sate's one curiosity...Something that I will always find appealing in mortals,” Naylee said, moving the cheese plate a little closer to the one she now knew as Hama, this new guest apparently eating it up rather hungrily by that point. “The answer to your first question is simple: you are in Oasis, a privately-owned club which has been built by a duo of genie who just so happen to be friends of mine. An unique predicament of half-owned genies, a lovely couple really, two once-mortals just like you. This place is a beacon for lost genies or for those needing a break in their servitude. It's a magnet for people like us, one could say.”

“So...Djinns comes out of their bottle, lamp or whatever and appear here on occasion to...drink, dance or do what they feel like? That sounds pretty cool,” Hama said, sipping her drink as her eyes widened as she gulped it down. “Oh my god, this is lovely! What is-”

“Juice made with the extinct Ansault pear, the equally gone Taliaferro apple, carbonated water and a touch of lemon juice,” Becca answered immediately, answering the question as if she had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to explain her new creation. “Magic djinn powers, baby! I can do anything with them~”

“You technically could make one of those at home when you get back,” Naylee said, enjoying the full emotional range and the capacity for enthusiasm, surprise and genuine care that this Hama still possessed. “But no, only unleashed or free djinns come here...Or those attached to the place like Becca. Whenever your master or mistress goes on to sleep, or doesn't need you, you can travel here for some quiet time. Some need it desperately, while others do it to meet others of their kind.”

“And why are you here, then, Naylee?” Hama said, sipping her drink down in almost one gulp, looking at her empty glass with a slight pout until she had the bright idea to snap her fingers and fill it completely as if it was brand new, much to her delight. “Do you need some off-time...Or did you hypnotize your master to let you come here?”

“Ah, my reputation precedes me, it seems,” Naylee said, taking a piece of cheese and taking a nibble out of it, not actually needing to nourish herself, but enjoying the finer nuances of these dairy products nevertheless. “Yes and no. I do have an affinity for entrancing people, bending them to my will, it is true...But always in the prospect of granting them true wishes, what they really desire and not what they expect or are lead to believe they want. I am not a trickster like Aliyah or some other djinns, though on occasion I've seen the necessity to play the role of one.”

“What do you mean with true desires?” Hama said, puzzled about this, ever-seeing either words being twisted in genie stories, or the more literal interpretations leading to either horror or comedy. “Does that mean you downright refuse wishes because you don't think them to be true?”

“What I believe is that a lot of expectations are thrown everyone's way and that getting wishes might lay down very much into these at a crucial moment,” Naylee said, putting her wine glass down as she turned to really look at Hama. “A good example would be for someone to wish for wealth. Wealth, in many ways, is power, economical power. The ability to be able to buy anything, or at least something costly, whenever you want. Now, if someone were to want to buy a house or to be able to spend it on something specific, why not just ask for it directly? If they want a luxurious house, why not go ahead and wish for it? If they want power, why not just ask me? Some people wish for immortality because they fear death, but what some truly fear is a meaningless existence, to be unable to leave their mark. I've seen some people become truly happy by just asking for simple, direct goals as opposed to general and uninspired ones.”

“But with money, you could indeed get the house, the power and other things all at once, you know?” Hama said, making a good point yet Naylee lost a little of her calm and collected cheer, not enthusiastic about the idea. “I mean, if that is what they want, why not?”

“Let me be blunt about it...Anyone with a scheme, or hard work, or a little luck can get some money. However, a very select few goes on to meet a djinn in their life. We are capable of miracles, of bending reality and making the impossible seem possible...So to be asked for money seems to be, I don't know, especially boring,” Naylee explained, finishing her glass of wine as she filled it up by poking at it with her finger. “Ah, sorry, I did not mean to sound so down about it. Really, there's no wrong way to grant a wish and it takes adaptation...It's just that I'm this gig to change lives, to make people feel genuinely better and happy after seeing me, you understand?”

Hama could actually catch on what Naylee meant, with her life essentially changing for the better, as well that of her first mistress, greatest friend in the whole world, Zain. Their lives had changed for the better, with her not being the little shy wallflower and with Zain's existence now filled with wonder now thanks to her. Wishes could and perhaps should be special, though necessity did not always make that seem possible to just about anyone. Pensive for a moment, Hama felt a little weight in the air, a certain heaviness which she felt could be made lighter, more fun. “So...you hypnotize them into going for their true wishes?” she asked, looking at Naylee to restart the conversation. “How does that work?”

“Very well, actually. I can only count on the fingers of a normal human hand the number of people who have the willpower and the sheer mental strength to resist the hypnotic allure of a powerful and experienced djinn such as me. My eyes, my body, my magic...Anything is good to put out a focus for them and to ask them to look deeply within themselves for what they truly want,” Naylee responded, seemingly getting back into her good mood, as if the subject was one that was truly passionate for her. She had swirls in her eyes, a little swirl in her hair, swirls on her top...It was kinda hard to miss out that she liked it, especially given her nickname. “Now, a few people go on to make life-changing decisions, big wishes, like the CEO who really just wanted to join a circus and went on to become a skilled acrobat, all to pursue a childhood dream. Others...well...I don't know if you'd be surprised if you knew how many of them wish for sex.”

Hama's eye widened as she blushed, not entirely expecting this talk to go in this direction. She swallowed something incorrectly, making her cough until she figured out that she could just skip that part, a touch of magic making everything better as she looked at the platter of cheese, as if unable to face Naylee after what she said. “You mean...like...actual sex?” Hama said, impossibly flustered and slightly uncomfortable by the topic.

“Yes, it's very common actually. Most of us dresses like harem boys and girls, complete with the body to go along with it. I'm frankly surprised that you're surprised...albeit someone young like you might actually...Well...in any case,” Naylee said, jumping over this specific subject as how Hama reacted told her all that she needed to know. “But yeah, hypnosis, wishes and sex goes along a lot better than one might expect. The ability to just ask about anything you could ever want without inhibitions, shame or whatever can make it a truly magical experience for all involved.”

“But what if you...don't wanna do it? What if they ask for something gross and inappropriate?” Hama replied, dozens of weird scenarios popping out, each more nightmarish than the other. “What if it's what they truly want and you have to grant it to them? What then?”

“You forget one key fact in this: they're hypnotized. At times, it's the spirit behind the wish that has to be respected, not always the literal interpretation. If someone asks me something that I'm uncomfortable with, I create a credible illusion, make them live it thoroughly, to their heart content and then I wait a couple of hours, perhaps days...Or even years in a few cases,” Naylee explained, a playful little smirk appearing anew under her veil, as if she had revealed one of her greatest tricks. “Though on occasion...it can lead to some wonderfully intimate, pleasurable and loving moments in a long-lived existence, believe me. The rush of passion, subservience, a nice trance and-”

Hama was thinking of too many little fantasies and terrors right now as Naylee ceased, her talent for being perceptive sometimes overshadowed by her gleeful approach to mind-control. “Anyway, yes, yes, hypnosis, uh?” Hama said, either not trying to be subtle or being the worst conversation-changer in all of history. “So, is that what makes it so you're here right now? Your master is hypnotized so you got some time to kill?”

“She is hypnotized, yes, but that is because she has trouble sleeping, what with the chemotherapy being absolutely dreadful to go through with,” Naylee said, revealing a bombshell like this without really changing her expression. “So I do have some time to spare and I am in need of some company and something to change my mood. Believe it or not, I'm actually waiting for a friend right now.”

This made Hama fall silent for a second. She was about to say the obvious, thinking of just curing her mistress with a wish, but someone who seemed as experienced as Naylee had most certainly suggested that. She opted instead to stay silent as she observed the one sitting right next to her, an awkward moment passing by, then another one. There was something alien, yet also very human in Naylee as she was enigmatic, strange, powerful but also somehow kind. She still didn't quite know what kind of genie, or djinn if Naylee was to be believed about nomenclature, she wanted to be. She still had Zain, who was sleeping soundly, unaware that Hama had followed a magical signature and beacon which led her to a genie bar. She couldn't quite wait to tell her all about it as she pondered just how long she'd be in Zain's care, what would happen next and so forth. It was actually a little scary, the more she thought about it.

“So, was I right?” Naylee asked, breaking the silence as Hama was lost in her own thoughts going miles-per-hour into different topics. She sipped her wine as she turned her seat around to be directly in front of Hama, doing the same with the other djinn's seat in the process. “Are you a young djinn? Are you still on with your first master?”

“Yeah...I'm with my first mistress... my roommate Zain,” Hama explained, all these talks of djinnhood, magic, sex, hypnosis and such subjects making her remember just how inexperienced, how much bigger her world got thanks to this power-up of hers, this change in species and abilities. “We've only known each other a few years, but she's the best friend I've ever had. She was the first person to reach out to me since I lost my parents, back when I was still human. Now that I'm more than human, I want to make her life better and show my thanks by being her servant, but she wants me to take things slow, to still see myself as her friend and I kinda...”

“Hey, it's quite okay. It's your literal first time. Consider yourself very lucky that it's not only someone you know, but a good-hearted person at that too. Not all djinns get so lucky,” Naylee said, snapping her fingers as she replenished the cheese platter now, taking a slice of smoked gouda. “Cherish those moments, make everything magical, try things out. Believe me, someone like you will make plenty of people happy in the long run. I can feel it in your bluster, your questions, your stance and your earnest emotions...You're gonna be a good djinn...or “genie”, however you wish to call it.”

“Thanks...I appreciate it,” Hama said, finding it strange how this hypnotic djinn seemed to be interested in her, full of advice right now. Somehow, she had learned a lot by pure accident. A genie bar and club named Oasis, how hypnosis could be used as self-defense against unsavory wishes, the proper name for what she was now, the number one thing that most people desired...She hadn't expected one iota of that, but she was indeed thankful for all those lessons.

“Your story is really just beginning, Hama. It's just that yours got quite a large amount of chapters added to it. You're gonna go to different worlds, change your shape a few times eventually, refine your approach, appearance, likes and dislikes. You'll mend hearts, break a few including yours a couple of times...But you've got heart,” Naylee said, feeling a little inspired as she saw a bit of herself in the young Hama, before she would gain a title and all that accompanied it. “Now go on and live it. I'm sure you'd rather be with that friend of yours, taking care of her, than sipping fancy extinct carbonated fruit juice and eating cheese with an old mesmerizing djinn like myself giving you lessons.”

“You've been very kind to me, Naylee,” Hama said, finishing her drink as she snapped the glass away with her magic. “I hope we'll see each other again soon.”

And with that Hama was gone, as rapidly as she had arrived. Had she been summoned? Had she been inspired by what the Hypnodjinn had said? Naylee couldn't know, yet she was happy to have made yet another positive impact and this time without any hypnosis involved. As she went on to perhaps think of a different drink to order, the sound of her friend arriving broke her from her daydream of just how Hama would evolve as a slippery and slithering customer arrived, which prompted for one Becca to arrive.

“Welcome to the VIP section of Club Oasis. I'm your host, Becca. What can I-” Becca went on to automatically say before her eyes getting wider, genuinely surprised this time around, a rare feat. “Hey, you're not a djinn or even a regular mortal customer. Shoo, shoo!”

“Relax, Becca. He's with me, he's a friend,” Naylee said, the sight of the djinn being flabbergasted by the apparition of the Cobra God being of great delight. “He's a divine being and I technically still owe him a wish. He's my guest, as it turns out...”

“SsssssSSssssss~”

“And he'll take four black russians and a couple of hard-boiled eggs,” Naylee concluded, thinking that perhaps all this wine would be enough and that a white russian, ever a good drink, might suit her palate a little better. She looked at the cheese platter, now empty as a lavender-colored hand went on to pick the last piece, and made it disappear in favor of the eggs in question, now placed in a basket in front of her friend. “So, my friend, done anything exciting recently?”

“SsssssssSSsssssssssS~”

“You don't say? That seems like an exciting and pretty sexy encounter to me.”

“SsssssS?”

“Me? Oh, I met a new friend, a young genie by the name of Hama. Young, innocent, slightly inexperienced and naive, kinda cute and full of heart. I think you'd like her very much.”

And with that, another evening at the Oasis continued, the place of a thousand and one hidden customers coming from all corners of the cosmos. Wish-granters of all strates of experience, young and old, gathered here, making this perhaps one of the most magical and mystical places in the Multiverse, perhaps even the Omniverse if one was to look rapidly. A place where everything possible could gather to kick in a drink, to dance, play perhaps a game of baby-foot before returning to changing lives for better or worse.

A true miracle in a desert of the mundane, aptly bearing the name Oasis.