crystarium | Time Can Be A Tyrant And I Used To Serve It Well

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genie,
urd

Time Can Be A Tyrant And I Used To Serve It Well

April 13th, 1988. It was a Wednesday, ‘hump day’ for most who yearned for the weekend. The Italian government of De Mita had just formed and Brazilian footballer Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira was born. He would begin his career with Grêmio, joining the youth team before rising through the ranks. His big debut would be in the 2007 Copa América, during which his team would go on to win. The paper in the man’s hands said nothing of such, of course. However, he knew regardless of this just as he knew many things. Some would dare say he knew everything but were that true he would not have been seated at the lone bench he found himself at that evening, nor the one before or after it.

Nekomi greeted a stranger with many wondrous sights and sounds. Between a casual game of mah-jong in the park and watching the odd motor race he had not spoken with many but those he had proved hospitable and kind. He had claimed to be a traveler, which had not been far from the truth. Though he had long abandon his trademark blue, everything about him cried different. Perhaps it was the appallingly loud shirts that he wore, the strange and foreign hats, or on that day the pineapple in his front coat pocket. If the Doctor could travel through time with a stick of celery in his pocket, well darn it he could do so with a pineapple. After all, it was a tribute and if he crossed paths again with Time Lord he surely would have been flattered.

Time…

He glanced down at his watch and drew a sigh. It seemed as though this was not the day he had been searching for. Neatly folding his newspaper closed, Genie reached for his hat. If he left now he could still make it to April 13th, 1989 before six Agrabah time. Then it was off to April 13th, 1990, 1991, 1992… Twenty four years, one hour in each, all compressed into one day. Were neither of those it, he would move to April 14th and repeat.

Rising to his feet, Genie marked his first visit to the Tariki-hoganji temple in 1988 as Gene Sidney. Or maybe Sidney Marks. He hadn’t decided on a name for his appearance yet, they were so rarely needed. Sidney was a nice name though, one he had yet to use. He had a good feeling about it. Once he reached the temple however was another story.

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"STUPID URRRRRD!" came the shrill shriek of a perpetually teased little sister. An explosion from within the temple courtyard startled the usual crows from the trees, stirring cherry blossoms into air. A slam of a door and things quieted down.

Urd stood over the wreckage of one of Skuld's inventions, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. How was she supposed to know the thing wasn't water-proof? Skuld usually covered all her bases...but then, she wouldn't come into her own until years from now, right? The goddess crouched down and picked at the shattered glass of her sake bottle, a small, bemused smile on her face. Keeping track of the flow of time would get easier eventually...once her memories of Paixao faded.

When she returned to Earth, she'd somehow gone back further than when she'd left. As the Norn of the Past and an accomplished liar to boot, it wasn't hard to get back into the flow of things and act surprised at certain events. Only the little things would catch her off guard, as well as the desire to disrupt the timeline to prevent her sisters from pain and struggle that would, ultimately, prove necessary for them. And she knew as she integrated back into this original timeline, her alternate memories would disappear.

No matter how much I try to hold on to them, Urd thought, running her thumb along the bright blue brand stamped on the shard of glass in her hand. Lost in thought, she didn't notice Belldandy watching with a pensive expression from the kitchen window...nor the arrival of a new visitor.

Somewhere between the sound of the explosion and young girls cry had Genie broken into a run toward the temple. Much to his dismay, smoke seldom lead to as many weenie roasts as he hoped for. This was sure to be no exception from that, especially after such a resentful shriek. His mind raced faster than his feet could carry him down the stone path, panic having spread greater than the scattered pages from his newspaper.

Bright blue eyes peered up at Urd through glass in her hand, the reflection belonging to the man who had joined her side. He showed no sign of exhaustion for the distance he had ran nor fear for invading her space. If there was anything he revealed it was concern. Gently, he placed his hands on hers to retrieve the shard from her hold.

“Let me see. Let me look. You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked, his voice an echo of one the goddess used to know. “Don’t worry you’ve got a professional here. I was a doctor, you know. Well, you don’t know but I was. Not to be confused as the Doctor.” As gentle a touch the man had, there was no mistaking the energy trapped inside him. “Doctor Who, you ask? Well, that’s exactly it. Ah-! Would you look at that, not a single cut.”

"Gah!" Urd nearly toppled over from surprise, turning around and taking a step backwards before freezing entirely at his touch. How had she not sensed him coming? Momentarily befuddled at all this energy radiating out from him and the casual familiarity of his touch, she simply stared at him while he spoke.

Wait...something in his voice. Something in the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, the way he moved. Urd shook her head, clearing away such useless fantasies. There was no way...

"What can I say, I have thick skin," she replied smoothly, sliding her hand out from under his. She brushed her hair off her shoulders in a classic Urd display of breezy confidence. "Sorry if the noise disturbed you...we have a teenager in the house."

It was a far cry from how he had intended to greet the goddess. With all the excitement he had lost himself and abandoned all he had rehearsed. How stupid of him. Of course she would be uncomfortable with him touching her: he was a stranger. And though it had been the most he had ever truly been himself around her, Genie could only see confusion. It was why he knew to go by what he felt. There had been a spark, a distant memory woken in her heart – a heart that he shared.

He smiled in return, amused by Urd’s response. “We have a monkey back home. Slightly less fleas but more or less the same hygiene.” With a chuckle, Genie removed his hat and turned to look at the temple. “Just glad no one’s hurt or throwing… well, you know.”

“I should really be apologizing.” The man continued on, knelt down to collect the bits of broken glass around them. He used a small brush that he had removed from the inside of his coat. “I didn’t know there were people living here. I'm not from around here.”

She couldn't help but smirk at the joke, watching him kneel down. The line of his shoulders and the way he expertly tended to the glass stirred up another memory -- Genie busying himself with housework despite all the times she insisted it wasn't necessary, strength and kindness in everything he did. Urd opened her mouth and then closed it, turning away from the sight of this strange man. Something in her heart was ringing loudly. Placing her fingertips to her chest, she turned away, her voice thick. "...oh."

The breeze kicked up, scattering leaves and blossoms. Her voice was low and soft. "How long are you going to keep up this act, Genie?"

That one spark had been all that was needed to ignite a long since lit flame. The stir of feelings he felt alone from its glow were enough to overwhelm him. He had spent years chasing after it, chasing after her. And just like that, there she was; memories and all. All she had needed was to say his name. And she did. Genie could not recall the last time he had heard her say it, but the joy it brought him was one which he could not describe without breaking into song, dance, and the use of lot of fireworks.

Strong blue arms found themselves around the goddess, pulling her into Genie’s familiar embrace. “As long as it takes for you to remember me.” he said. After all, he had eternity to wait.

Edited 2012-11-20 12:52 (UTC)

She gasped out a sob, the tears she'd been struggling against breaking free. The feel of his embrace, after so long, was too much for her pride to withstand. Tilting her head back, she leaned back into him, feeling the world fade away around them until it was only him. She was afraid to turn around and face him, to see for sure if it was all real and not just a desperate hope, but her heart sang true. His power in her heart resonated so strongly that it couldn't be anything but real.

"Genie...!" She turned in his arms to face him, cupping his face, tears glittering in her eyes. "I never forgot you..." She rained soft kisses over his face, as if by doing so she could keep this moment forever. "I waited so long for you to find me...I..."

Edited 2012-11-20 17:40 (UTC)

The things he longed to say seemed endless yet not a single word could escape the genie while showered in Urd’s kisses. Could it have been that there was truly nothing to say, that the moment was to be embraced by the union of their hearts alone? He could feel the strength of their bond, the awoken power having left him stunned. It was only then could he too tell that it had been real and the one wish he never thought he could grant became true: his own.

Gently, he placed his hand atop hers and reached to brush the tears from her face. There was no ignoring the unfamiliar tears that streamed down his own face but in that instance nothing mattered more than the goddess in front of him. His face inched closer to hers until suddenly their lips met and the rest of the world seemed to disappear.

Had anyone ever made her feel this way? She'd had a few lovers in her time. And it was true that Urd, much like her sisters, loved with all her might when she decided someone was worth it. But this...this was something felt on a cosmic level. As she returned his kiss, oblivious to anything but him, she wondered distantly if this was what it felt like for Belldandy and Keiichi. If Heaven decided to test the strength of her heart right now, they'd be in for the match of a lifetime. She would fight with everything she had to keep this moment, this magical djinn. She'd --

Vrrrrr.

Though every nerve was tingling and her mind was a whirlwind, Urd still felt the presence of someone watching. And did she just hear something? She cracked open an eye and glanced to the side while she continued to kiss Genie...only to find the goofy robotic face of Banpei staring up at them.

"Crap," she muttered against his mouth. Leave it to Skuld to inadvertently cut into HER romantic action as well.

Taken aback, Genie’s eyes fluttered opened at Urd’s comment. What had she just said? He stared at the goddess in silence, unsure what to make of the remark. Either the Wicked Witch had cast her indignant monkey army over them or he had allowed himself to act too boldly, as a result having ruined the moment between them entirely. He really hoped it was monkeys, regardless of the mess they'd leave.

About to enquire about a certain pair of ruby slippers, he suddenly noticed her gaze had in fact never been cast on him at all. Instead, she had been looking down. Had this meant monkeys were out of the equation too? Lips still pursed, Genie slowly followed her gaze to find a stout little robot smiling up at him. A similar sound as that which had interrupted them before escaped the mechanical contraption when their eyes met. It had almost been as though it were zooming in on him…

“Uhhh…”

Edited 2012-11-21 05:16 (UTC)

Still holding on to Genie, Urd glanced quickly around in alarm. Luckily, neither of her sisters or Keiichi seemed to be watching at the moment -- just the temple's loyal guardsman. She was willing to bet he didn't have any information on Genie in his databanks, and therefore was considered a threat. Her suspicions were confirmed as the robot slid into battle stance, pointing his staff at the djinn.

Of course, she wasn't worried about Genie. It'd take more than this little guy to do anything to big ol' blue. But there'd certainly be a commotion and that would draw out the rest of them and...oi.

"Genie!" Urd called out, cupping his face again and pulling his gaze back to her. Flushed slightly from the previous kiss, her expression was one of desperate need. "Take me! Take me now!"

Then she moved him bodily, as if they were dancing, out of the way of Banpei's attack. Scowling, she continued to pull him away. "Take me away from here! There's no time!"

Even after Banpei had assumed battle stance, Genie failed to see the threat the robot posed. Its actions had proved amusing to the djinn, regardless of the weapon it pointed at him. “Well, hey there little guy.” He greeted cheerfully. A curious collection of soldered bits and bytes led to an equally as curious genie. “What are you doing out here?”

He reached out to experimentally poke Banpei’s staff but failed to make contact before Urd had pulled him away. With no choice but to look at her, Genie abandon all thought of the robot and concentrated once again on the goddess. He could not understand why but face showed sign of distress while her words proved even more confusion. Take her? Take her where? To the moon, the stars, where?

In step with Urd, Genie looked back at the robot and found himself just short its attack. Was that why she had been so eager to leave, a renegade robot? Pulled along by the goddess, he decided it was a likely cause. Who knew, maybe it would pull a chainsaw on them next. Or maybe even turn into a unicorn and smash stars to the music of Erasure. He looked back at Urd to share the thought only to find her scowling.

Er, right. No time. Best he press ‘z’ and make her wish come true. Pulling the goddess close, he brought them to the first place he could think of: Venus.

She gasped at the feel of space bending around them and clung close to Genie for balance and security. Then she slowly opened her eyes, slipping out of his arms to take in the view around them.

The sky was a swirling vortex of otherworldly yellow, wild lightening breaking through the dense cloud cover in flashes. Dust and thick, gaseous air billowed around them. It would be a fatal experience for any normal person, but for a goddess and a genie, it was simply a stunning view.

A short laugh escaped Urd, followed by more laughter until she was bent double with amusement. Regaining composure, she turned back to Genie and pushed her hair from her face.

"There are never any half measures with you, is there?" She smiled fondly.

“You were expecting Saturn?” he asked, worried he had made a mistake. “Mercury, Mars, Neptune, Jupiter?” Genie pointed out to each of the distant planets, needing not to see them to know where they were as he spoke. Had he overshot by a planet or had she meant an entirely different universe? He turned back to the goddess and continued. “Just don’t mention the seventh from the sun; I vowed never to penetrate the mysteries of Uranus.”

Ahem.

“Speaking of which, is Pluto still considered a planet in your time? It was for seventy three years, originally discovered in ninety thirty by Clyde Tombaugh. February eighteenth, I believe. It wasn’t until it was decided there were three conditions which an object must meet to be considered a 'planet' that it’s title came into question. Firstly, it must be in orbit around the sun. Second, it must be large enough to be a sphere by its own gravitational force.” Having counted out each condition out on his fingers, it was not until he had reached the third did he notice the smile Urd had worn between his fingers. “And… Uh.”

As stunning a view as he had of the planet, it was no comparison to that of the sight of the goddess. Her smile alone took him far elsewhere, Genie having long forgotten what he had been surely rambling about when he returned.

“Sorry?” He said, deciding she must have said something that he had misheard. Genie had long lost track of his mind and knew only where his heart had lain.

She laughed again and move close, resting her hands on his chest as if they belonged there. Gazing up at Genie, Urd blinked away the happy tears in her eyes. "Still ramble when you get nervous, I see. No, this is fine. We just needed to get away from Banpei before he brought the rest of the house out."

With a sigh, Urd ducked her head just under his chin and pressed close to him, her brow furrowed. "All this time, I didn't..." She shook her head. "I didn't prepare for you coming into my timeline like this, despite how much I wanted you to. We'll have to find a way to disguise you and, more importantly, your power."

She looked back up at him, smiling sheepishly. "...sorry, I'm getting all serious. I still can't believe you looked for me."

Genie smiled, unable to deny the truth. “I do ramble, don’t I?” he said in agreement, holding the goddess close. The genie was certain he had left many minds unintentionally spinning, feeding them with such a vast amount information in such a short time, but Urd had never seemed to mind. Perhaps it was due to the amount of times she had made his head spin.

As for a disguise, that was never a problem. Were it not for Pistachio Disguisey, Genie would consider himself a master of it. Most saw with their eyes alone, making it easy to deceive even the most perceptive. After all, the existence of genies was said to be a mere myth. What human would believe a man wearing an outdated shirt and pineapple on his coat was a djinn? The answer: zero. All with the exception of children - which were far smarter than they were credited for, Genie was not worried.

He smiled down at the goddess in return. “How could I not? It was only one hour from where we left. Twenty hours, twenty days, and twenty years before that. Yesterday was twenty four hours in twenty four days through twenty four years.” His gaze became distant as it dawned on him the years he had passed through. Had it been fifty? A hundred? He had written it down somewhere… Time had easily passed as quickly as it had in the lamp.

But he had been there with her, even if it had been in mystery. Over the years Urd had never the chance to recognize him, unable to recognize someone she had never met. Genie had overshot her entirely at first, arriving twenty years early. However, he had seen her once in the eighties, sitting at a park in her younger form. Since, he had waited there to see her again. True, he could have introduced himself to her then but the act could easily have changed the events of the future entirely. She had yet to visit Paixao then, yet to meet him… He had always had to be careful, something that had always been the hardest part.

Genie chuckled, reminded there was no need to dread of the past. “One of us has to stop the other from drawing faces on the planets.” He replied at the mention of their mood. It was amusing to imagine the reaction of NASA were they to discover a smiley face that had appeared on the moon.

Genie might not have been worried, but Urd couldn't quiet the unease in her heart. He always seemed to underestimate just how special he really was...and that was dangerous. What would her people do once they were aware of his presence? Yggdrassil knew all dimensions, all pasts, all futures. Would the gods allow a being as powerful as them, but unrestrained by their laws, to run rampant over timelines and dimensions? She was never supposed to meet him. Never supposed to fall in love with him.

Urd looked up at him suddenly. "The best way to hide is in plain sight. We'll go back down to Earth and you can disguise yourself as human again." She smiled brightly for him, hoping now would be one of his more oblivious moments and he wouldn't notice the quiet fear that gripped her. "You'll finally be able to meet everyone! But whatever you do, no magic...alright?"

“No magic?” He pulled slightly away from the goddess and knit his brows. “You mean when we’re out?”

That much seemed obvious. But there had been something about the way she had said it, something that made him wonder if she had meant no magic at all. Did her concern extended further than she wanted to admit? Genie looked skeptical of the goddess but had by no means been about to make any assumptions. She would explain if it were important. Though, he would have liked her to even if it hadn’t.

Still, Genie could not shake the feeling that he would meet Urd’s family in anything but his trademark blue. It was one thing to tell them who he was but what he was could not be ignored, could it? “Just how exactly did you plan on me meeting everyone?”

"I..." Urd looked down, shame-faced. "...I didn't." Then she looked up once more, eager to soothe any hurt she might have caused. "It's not that I don't want them to meet you as yourself, though! It's just that the Belldandy of this world hasn't met you. She's obligated to report magical anomalies to Heaven."

She finally gave voice to her dread. "I-I don't want them to interfere. What if they decide you're too dangerous? What if they want to send you away, or worse, lock you up someplace?" Her voice started to shake slightly as she covered her face with her hands.

"I couldn't stand if they took away your freedom...I'm not worth that risk, Genie."

For a moment, only silence appeared his response as he drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Genie was seldom found serious but there were times when age seemed to have caught up with him, if not just for a second. He placed his hand on hers, his gaze fixed on the goddess.

“Urd,” he spoke both slow and deep. “I accepted an eternity of servitude. I may be free from granting wishes but there are things I will always be bound by. I may never be completely free but this is more than I could have ever asked for; to be my own master and choose for myself. And I choose to stay with you for as long that I can. You are worth it, Urd. Worth more than all the magic and all the treasures in all the worlds.”

She slowly lifted her head from her hands, eyes dark and full of worried tears. "...I'll do everything I can to make sure we have as much time as possible," she finally said, smiling as she rubbed away her tears. "The power of a genie and a goddess...If they try something, that should give them something to think about, right?"

Urd nodded, now determined. "Right! Let's get back to the temple. Belldandy's probably worried about me and Skuld's probably pitching a fit about Banpei again. Ah, and Keiichi's probably about to come home too."

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Time Can Be A Tyrant And I Used To Serve It Well

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I DON'T HAVE THE ICON FOR THIS DAMN IT

I ALWAYS GOTTA MAKE YOU DO SERIOUS RP