Is this really happening? Is this really possible?
Is she finally going to get a trait, after all this time? Is she really no longer going to be the traitless one in the family?
And what does she want? Djinni’s open offer sets her mind afire, whirling at the myriad of possibilities. She could really have anything, from the sound of things. Anything she wants.
It’s staggering to think about.
Her mind slips to her own family, thinking of their own gifts. It would be nice to have something that ties into their gifts, something that seems to at least belong to the family. She thinks of her parents’ and Scholar’s cryokinetic abilities, Newton, Taiga and Elora’s shape shifting (or form shifting in Newton’s case) …
Shapeshifting. It would be nice to have another form to shape into … one more useful than Taiga’s own snowman shifting abilities. She can’t help but imagine the jealous look on her younger sister’s face. “Some sort of shapeshifting …” Yes, that would do nicely.
But what kind?
Her mind is suddenly drawn to home, that is, their original home, the Tundra. Despite it’s at times inhospitable nature, the old kingdom had teamed with life. Ptarmigan, caribou, lemmings, wolves …
“A hare, like her mother’s old spirit animal, ”Oh! Or a stoat!”
And then suddenly she hesitates. Old memories resurface, memories of stories told on cold nights, where she and mother and Taiga had huddled together to keep warm - tales of the damage “Wait.” Her amber eyes refocus, narrowing at the grullo mare. “What is your price?”
She enjoys the silence after her offer, and the way that Lumi's eyes seem to glaze over at the possibilities. It is a heady feeling, knowing that whatever you wish for will come true, and it never fails to disappoint Djinni. The wisher feels the elation of dreams coming true, and Djinni experiences the euphoria of magic as it rushes through her as a conduit.
Shapeshifting. It's not a surprise, but most of them want to be fierce animals: lions, tigers, bears. The little stoat that Lumi asks for speaks more to her personality than the entirety of their previous conversation, and Djinni finds herself infinitesimally fonder of the young girl.
"My price?" she repeats, making no attempt to seem surprised that Lumi had asked. She's not, not after the half-made wish for stoat-shifting; most of them don't even bother to ask. "I've never given anyone the ability to become a stoat before. What is that worth to you?"
D J I N N I
genie | rose gold tobiano dun | trickster
The mare seems surprised that she’d bother to ask after the price, but her mother’s stories of magician’s deals still linger in her mind. Not all magicians are cruel in their deals - some simply ask for a service - but she knows that some require unconscionable things … firstborn children, murder …
As much as she wants a trait, she is not willing to stoop to such depravity to gain one.
“It would be worth a lot.” She will admit that much. I would mean SO much to her, to not be the only ordinary one in the family any more, to not put up with Taiga’s teasing, to actually be able to make a difference … “But it depends on the price. No matter how much I would love to be able to shape shift into a stoat, there are some things I will not sacrifice. My family, for example. My principles.”
She takes a deep breath, and sets her mouth in a firm line. “So, I ask again. What is your price?”
ooc: i am so sorry i just saw that you'd replied this morning! i didn't mean to ignore lumi! also this post is sad and small.
"It's lucky for you then, that I have no interest in your family or your principles." The words are serious, but her smile and tone are benevolent. She watches the younger mare with a curiously intent gaze, the silence between them building as she seems to look for...something.
"Come with me to Nerine," she says after a pregnant pause, "And consider staying. That is my price. You don't need to, but in return for your gift I'd like you to at least think about it." From what Lumi has said, anywhere away from her sister will be a desirable home. The grullo mare has responsibilities of her own, and by at least having Lumi step hoof into the seaside realm she'll have fulfilled them. That is, for whatever reason, more desirable than actually doing what she's been tasked with.
D J I N N I
genie | rose gold tobiano dun | trickster
“It's lucky for you then, that I have no interest in your family or your principles.”
Lumi finally lets out the breath that she’s been holding. That’s really what she’d been most worried about, being asked to do something to her family or to someone else. And as for what the magician actually requests …
Lumi can’t help but let out a small laugh. Go to Nerine? That’s it?! She will agree to that, and agree gladly. She’d actually been considering visiting it based on Djinni’s description of the place anyway. As for considering staying … well, she’s an adult in her own right now. She needs to think about striking out on her own at some point. She smiles broadly at the grullo, her fears finally allayed. “You have a deal.”
She pauses then, “now what?” She has no idea how things like this work. Does Djinni need to wave her nose in the air? Touch her? Or is she just going to spontaneously turn into a stoat?
The relief in Lumi's light laugh in turn brings a smile to Djinni's face. She's no malicious forest witch, ensuring naive passersby for her own selfish gain. Still, there is a method to her whimsical ways, and she nods her head in acceptance as Lumi tells her that they have a deal.
The chestnut mare asks what she has to do now, and Djinni rolls her shoulders and then her neck in a casual stretch. "You need to wish for it," she says "Wish it aloud, and if you truly want it badly enough, it will come to you." It sounds simple enough, and she shifts her weight so that, when the wish is spoken, she'll be able to reach out and touch Lumi. When she does, the two of them will disappear in an instant and reappear on the coast of Nerine, both sides of the deal fulfilled.
ooc: maybe we can continue in nerine? Either with this thread or another one that starts a little later the timeline since we're in fall now :p
D J I N N I
genie | rose gold tobiano dun | trickster
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