#not sure whats going wrong here but hopefully itll just sort itself out by the time I wake up tomorrow because if it doesn't then ughhhh

[arolesbianism]

Besties help tumblr is completely broken for me I haven't been able to have anything load all day :(

[strawberryscentedsoap]

"can i.. save the wish? like for later. i dont want to use it now," asks kayce.

"i suppose you could. it is a lot to think about, i could see why youd want to save it. ill be here as long as the wish remains. whenever you decide, open the lamp. itll let me out," replies the genie.

and back into the lamp the genie went. kayce set the top back on it.

the lamp itself looked more like a teapot than your stereotypical "genie lamp". aladdins depiction wasnt very accurate. it was white ceramic, with gold detailing around the lid and around a printed image on one side. the image was of a forest. it was autumn, with half the leaves on the tree haven already fell. a faerie covered by a leaf sat on the ground, staring into her own reflection using a mirror she held. the spout of the pot was curled a bit downwards. the handle matched the gold detailing of the lid. gold brought together the whole autumn scene.

kayce stuffed the lamp/pot into her bag. it barely fit, with all the rope and knives and canned foods, and meds, and any other ridiculous item she would never have had it not been the apocalypse. she had been living this way for about a year now. laying low, finding safe people and sticking with them when she could. avoiding any military personel. staying far away from churches. not bothering to check if that person had a pulse anymore. raiding what was left of shops.

it was less apocalypse and more post-world war three. the only apocalyptic thing about the world now was the lack of civilisation. other than that, it was the same as before the bombings. there were still power-crazed politicians hiding out in the rich cities. still people who would hold you to gunpoint if you were different. still people who cared about the wrong things. she still didnt have a place to settle and breathe for a moment.

the only thing that was noticeably different to her was the lack of semi-sane people and she didnt have her apartment or job. she still "stole" things before the war.

it was all the same.

-

a couple months after the initial meeting of the genie, she was alone. she hadnt seen anyone for months. typically, this would be a good thing. no people trying to kill her. no one trying to convince her to turn to god (the religious freaks "sacrificed" people to try to stop the wars. it.. did not work. they just think it did or will or whatever). but there was also no one to tell her there was still a reaskn to not give up. no one to share her months old canned beans with. no one to look up at the sky with for a moment. no one to be a person with.

she opened the lamp.

the genie crawled out into her hand. it was a tiny little thing. looked like it could use an insect of some sort

to get around (but not an ant. probably something like a cicada or cricket or roach).

"i see youve decided. what is your wish?"

she hesitated. how do you tell a mythical being that you didnt actually follow their directions? at least it only had enough power for one more wish. surely it wouldnt waste its last little bit of magick on trying to curse her, if it could even do that.

"i, uh- i dont actually have one yet. i just needed a friend," she admitted. the genie quirked an eyebrow. "so, you wish for a friend?"

"no. i dont. i dont *want* a friend. i *need* a friend. its not a wish. not some extravagant item i could only have im my dreams. its a requirement."

it contemplated. "so, what do you want me to do?"

it was a long shot, but hopefully this worked. "is there a way you domt have to- yknow. go back in the teapot? couldnt you stay out here?"

the genie looked up at her. it had an extremely confused expression on its face.

"i mean. i suppose i could... do you wish for me to?"

kayce sighed, "no, i dont wish. if you dont want to or cant thats fine. it was a question and if youre not down, then you can go back."

it was quick to change its attitude. "no, no, no, no, no, no, no- i do- i want. i want to stay on the outside. outside is good."

she got it to break character. the genie really had no room to put the wall back up. the room was filled with rubble and couldnt be moved out of the way.

"great, then stay out here."

she reached into her jacket pocket, shuffling around a lighter and pocket knife to grab the bread she had been snacking on all day.

she offered some to the genie. "sorry, i dont really feel human pleasure. i get nothing from eating or drinking or drugs or falling from tall cliffs or stuff. my pleasure comes from playing with the magick. it settles.. things."

it showed no signs of wanting to elaborate. it was probably best not to ask anyways.

-

a year or two later, kayce didnt know. her sense of time has been screwed up since forever, the genie was sitting on top of the lamp staring at the stars. it didnt need sleep. it never got tired.

kayce had been having issues sleeping the past few nights. she thinks shes finally decided, but she doesnt known if itll work. she doesnt know if the genie can do it, or if itll even want to-

she turned over to face the lamp.

"is something bothering you?"

"no," she replied. it wasnt.. a lie. not the truth either, but it was all coming to light tonight anyways, she was sure of that much. she continued, "i just- i think i know what i want my wish to be."

the genie slouched into itself, dropping its chin into its hands. "what might that be?" its tone offered no information. no feeling, nothing to give away how it was feeling (she had learned that although it didnt feel pleasure, it could feel emotions, similar to humans, but less-so. there were some special genie-only emotions she had witnessed a couple times. that was a roller coaster. this time though, none of that was coming through).

"if its possible,

i wish,

for the two of us to be able to live together, happy, away from the harm. i want us to be able to be in a place completely free of the war and the suffering and all of it. im tired of it. its so draining, running all the time. but i still want you with me. i was terrified to ask this so hopefully its actually okay and you dont use all your magick and disappear.

please."

-

it turns out, the autumn setting on the lamp was a whole world. thats where the genie took them.

also turns out, the faerie was the genie. it was never a genie. it came out of the lamp (left its world for the human one) when humans opened the portal. the only reasom it granted wishes was it wanted to good for the world. it didnt realise how greedy and destructive and just- bad- humans were. until it met kayce.

or, until kayce found it.

thats why theyre here now. thats why, three years later, theyre happy.

kayce was the only human who wanted good for the both of them (no matter how many times she thought it was a bad idea because it felt selfish to ask that of the faerie).

when the last wish the faerie had enough power for was granted, the pot shattered. it was left in the field they were laying that night, under the stars. by now, maybe, it was washed away, or eroded, but layce never thought about it. she never thought about any of it.

maybe she shouldve.

but for once, she was happy, and so she didnt.

You’re living in a wasteland in a post-apocalyptic future when you stumble upon a magic lamp. The genie informs you there is only enough magic left for one wish. Choose wisely.