Bottles Ch. 02

"Yeah, I feel like the language and slang are falling into place," said Eric.

"And the attitude," Amber chuckled.

"Ooh, is that likely to get me punished?"

"Lyric?" said Eric. "I'm really enjoying you."

She leaned in, stroked his chin, and kissed him. "Always. So. You had questions."

"Yeah." Eric stood, rubbing his face. The table caught his eye. He had no doubt everything was still perfectly warm and fresh and lavish. "Okay, first off: that's real, right? Are those lobster tails from actual lobsters? Did animals die for this? Was the fruit taken from an orchard somewhere?"

"Yes and no," said Eve. "It is all real, in the sense that there is no physical difference. You would find exactly the same thing at a chef's table. It would stand up to any scrutiny, because it is the real thing. But no, it is not taken from anywhere, nor did any animal die for it. It's conjured from magic."

"So I can go full-time carnivore and have all the peace of mind of being vegan?" he joked.

The vocabulary caught up to Amber with a grin. "Probably, since we can keep you in perfect health, too. You don't even have to worry about clogging your arteries. Wow, I've never had to think about anything like that before. Mortal life is so complicated."

"You can do that as long as you only ever eat conjured food," Eve corrected. "We're happy to provide, but if you sat at someone else's table in the mortal world, it would be everything you are used to. We can't give life back to a butcher's wares."

"So that's one of the rules," Amber carried on. "We can't bring anything back to life. Well, plants, but not animals or people. Also, like Eve said earlier, we can't make anyone fall in love—why is that funny?"

"I have to show you a cartoon," Eric laughed. "Wait. If I tell you about the movie 'Aladdin,' does your language magic spoil it for you?"

"No," Amber answered after considering. "I know what you mean by movie and spoilers, but not that one in particular."

"Okay, sorry. Back to the other thing: you said you can't use your magic to do harm or change the world? Even if it's for the better? I'd like to do some good for the world. Seems selfish to keep all this to myself. I don't know if you've caught on yet, but the world is a mess."

"Yes," said Eve. "You may do such work, but we cannot do it with our magic. I am sorry, but our restrictions are meant to guard against even worse problems. Occasional magical kindnesses are acceptable. A life of magical philanthropy is a graver danger than you would expect. I truly wish it were otherwise."

"Fair," he shrugged. "I see your point, and I don't want to put you in a bad spot, either. I should know where the boundaries are, is all. So it's: no making anyone fall in love, no bringing anyone back from the dead, no hurting anyone, and no influencing the world at large through magic?"

"Some of those restrictions are related," said Lyric. "Being forced to love someone isn't love, and more than that, it's harmful. That's why we can't do it."

Eric thought he saw an amused grin from Eve. Whatever was on her mind, she kept it to herself, perhaps to help him stay on track. "But I can wish for you to be sexually attracted to each other and that's cool?"

"We're genies, and we're bound to you. Also, we were probably all kind of there or close to it already." For once, Lyric's amusement sank into something more sincere. A note of vulnerability and hunger crept into her voice. "I'm going to be such a slut for all of you."

"You're not the only one," said Amber.

"Not at all," said Eve. She returned to Eric and the topic at hand. "The guiding principles are that we do no harm with our magic and that our magic must not influence or change the world. This is also why our lavish luxuries must remain private, as Amber said earlier. A few other things are simply beyond our power, like resurrection. We can slow or speed time in small, private bubbles, but we cannot control it beyond that."

"This is a small bubble?" he asked, gesturing to the room and the bedroom beyond it.

"As far as the outside world is concerned, yes. We could create a far greater space within this, but the world beyond still knows only the dimensions of your original home."

"And you can keep me healthy and young," he said. "For how long?"

"Indefinitely, as far as we know."

"So there are other people running around with genies who've been alive for hundreds of years?"

"Yes. I could not name any of them. Secrecy, remember," Eve smiled. "Hopefully there are many, especially considering how much time has passed. Though as our stories have shown, it can be difficult to find a worthy mortal for the bond."

"I guess so. It seems weird to have found your all your bottles together, and the other one, doesn't it?" he wondered.

"It is, yes. Very much so."

"Probably shouldn't get side tracked on that yet. So, you said you could alter yourselves or me physically," Eric considered, looking to Amber. She nodded. "And you can make me healthy. Presumably you, too, right? How healthy? Super powers, like super strength?"

"In private, yes," said Amber. "In public? We could make you as strong as conceivably possible for mortals of the same size, at least."

"Super powers," Eve mused, thinking about the term. "I was almost always at Azim's side, but only rarely did we let anyone see me. Many times, I served as his secret eyes, ears, and hands. Much of that is perfectly fine. It is natural and expected."

"What if I used that strength to hurt someone?" he wondered. "Does that violate your rules?"

"Ah. We are not pacifists," said Eve. "The restrictions of harm and influencing the world are a matter of preventing magical chaos. We may well see good reason to fight, or act out of charity to help someone else. Our elders saw too great a danger for pushing boundaries, because once that starts, where does it end? A vague rule seemed dangerous. Thus, we are left with our rules."

"You're supposed to protect me, too, right? How would that work in a case of violence?"

"This is something they spent time on as we were selected and taught," said Amber. The teacher in Eric recognized her joy of something from school actually coming up in life. She seemed just as amused by her own enthusiasm. "Mostly, we would remove you from the danger in ways that look like chance or coincidence, and maybe a little illusion. If you wanted to fight, we'd have some limits to helping you, but...well, even if we can't hurt anyone, with one of us at your side, you'd have a better chance than the other guys."

"If you made a habit of it or went looking for fights, that'd be a problem," said Lyric. "If you were a warrior, we would probably ask you to retire, or we'd have to leave you to deal with that part of life on your own."

"Huh. Good thing that part of my life's over," said Eric. "Not like I did a whole lot of 'warrior-ing' there, anyway."

"In general, you are free to act as you will," Eve explained. "If that leverages some benefit of our magic that does not seem at all magical to the rest of the world, so be it. As Amber told you there is some tolerance and even embrace of finding ways around these rules. But there is also a point where we would have to withdraw our aid...or even withdraw from you, if it became abusive of our powers."

"Would you tell me ahead of time?" asked Eric.

"Clearly, and at length, and with time and space to correct, yes," said Eve. "We love you, and we want to be with you. We will never stumble into a break-up."

"We can make your life much easier and happier through all sorts of magic," Lyric continued. "If it makes other people happy along the way, that's great as long as they never know the magic." Eric listened, noting that little grin from Eve again, but Lyric went on. "I was told when I came here that anyone worthy of a genie would probably be generous and selfless, and would think of others before themselves. They told me to remind you it's okay to make yourself happy, and to ask you to take care of us, too."

"They told me the same," said Amber. "Eric, I didn't think of it this way before, but maybe this is the catch you were looking for, or the price. If there's a cost or a responsibility in all this luxury and pleasure, it's us. We're asking you to live this life with us so we can stay."

"I guess that's not much different than putting family first, is it? Nothing wrong with that." He smiled softly, and then frowned with thought. "What about my mother? Friends?"

"Those closest to you may share in some benefits, including health," said Eve. "That is part of making you happy...but it cannot go as far as it does for you. One day, the world you know will be gone, except for us. I hope we will be enough."

"Y'know, the funny thing is, I'm used to change," said Eric. "Mom raised me that way. And she would want me to grab onto all this and hold on forever, so... no worries there. No looking back. I'm good with this."

"What else do you want to know?" asked Lyric.

He paused to think about it, half tempted to drop the whole topic in favor of tearing Lyric's clothes off and spending the rest of the weekend in an orgy until he had to go back to work on Monday...and that's when the rest came back to him. Eric sighed.

"Right. This place," he said, gesturing to the chamber. "I just got this apartment, and I think I'm about to lose my job. To tell you the truth, I busted my ass to get this job, I've busted my ass every day I've worked at it, and I'm not even sure I want it anymore. But Amber said you can't just magic up cash, right? Seems like your magic can cut my cost of living down while we live like we're rich as fuck, but I still need some income, right?"

"We're not supposed to take you from the mortal world altogether," said Amber. "We can do much to make all aspects of your life pleasant, and we can share more time together in private than in the world outside, but you need that, too."

"You don't have to have a job if you can think of some way we can get around that," said Lyric. "If you want to life a life of leisure with us, nothing would make us happier. All you need is to stay engaged with the mortal world. However we can help with that, we will."

"We can't conjure up money or pay your bills, but you're not limited to doing what you do now," said Amber. "We don't need to stay here, either. We can travel the world. I'm guessing we'd all like that very much. As long as we don't cause harm or influence the world with our magic, our restrictions are flexible with a little imagination."

"Indeed," said Eve.

"Okay, that smile again," said Eric. "I like that smile, but it's like you're holding something back. What's on your mind?"

"Only waiting for the appropriate moment, my love," she said, now surrendering to that smile. "You were concerned with restrictions and rules. We are here to give and share a life of boundless pleasures, and we'll always be focused on that. The things we've said here sparked such thoughts, but I didn't want to distract if you weren't ready."

"It's not like I don't enjoy that topic. Go on."

"Everything we have told you is true: we cannot use our magic to harm, which also means we cannot use magic to control anyone, or influence the world...but we can encourage things that would happen naturally. We already have altered your body to make it more attractive and... functional." Eve looked him up and down with unfiltered appreciation. "Some pleasures should be shared and enjoyed in the mortal world."

"What do you mean?" Eric asked, though a tremor in his desires told him he already knew.

"We spoke of my first master, but only of our end. We did not speak of the pleasures we shared." Eve's smile grew naughty. "Again, we cannot control people, but we can encourage and enable what is already desired. Like you, my first master was a rather attractive man. Would you like to know how many women he bedded with my secret aid, or with me in the flesh? More than a few were wives in the sultan's court."

Eric's breath caught with a mixture of forbidden desires and reaction to the hands slipping around his waist. Lyric's hands slid into Eric's pants, grasping his rock-hard erection to stroke him with indulgence. "Tell us more," she hissed to Eve.

"Yes," said Amber. She slid against Eve, caressing her legs longingly. "Tell us more."

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