|
|
Post by DornKoon on Sept 26, 2024 17:53:47 GMT
"I don't see what's so special about this thing..."
"It's not our job to wonder, idiot; the boss wants it; that's all that matters"The two goons were walking down one of New York's many alleyways, dressed so as not to draw attention; one was carrying a shoulder bag. Inside was a very beautiful, if somewhat big, pendant, white gold and set with several diamonds, with a large ruby as centerpiece, which seemed to shine with an inner fire. It was on its way to one of New York's top criminals. The goons were kept unaware of the true nature of the object they carried, and sadly, this made them less discreet in their conversation. "But he could buy anything he wants; why this? How much did he pay for it?"
"A few million, or so I heard..."
"Seriously?! The criminal with the bag reached inside and pulled the pendant out; the faint light from the buildings caused it to glitter, and it was perfect, apart from one nasty blotch discolouring the centre gemstone. "I know it's gold and rubies, but that seems very steep, even for that..."
 "I don't know what to tell you. It is what it is; the boss can do what he wants with his money and put that back, you moron; what if someone sees us?" He paused when he noticed his friend was not walking next to him and turned to find him staring at the pendant. "You coming?!""Maybe we should clean it before we hand it to the boss?""You thick or something? He explicitly said not to do anything with it."
|
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Sept 26, 2024 23:47:35 GMT
Another boring night finds Felicia perched on the edge of a rooftop. Her only heist for the night had ended early on when she realized that her target was under the protection of STS, and by extension, Matias Jacinto. There are many people she is happy to pick a fight with, and he is not one of them.
Lucky him.
She also hasn't been able to track down that damnable Scarlet Spider and she had managed to avoid Ghost-Spider. Honestly, the only thing that could make tonight worse would be to come across Peter himself. The only thing that could make it better would be-
The voices of two goons echo up to where she sits, head tilting to the side to hear better. Excitement and curiosity bloom in her chest as she realizes that a heist may have just walked into her hands. There is a sense of danger in not knowing who exactly she is stealing from or what she's even stealing.
Felicia pulls free a smoke bomb from her tool belt, rolling it between her fingers and activating it. It drops down into the alleyway between Goon Smaller Brain and Goon Bigger Brain. If she's quick enough, she can scale down to where they are and try to slip the pendant from Goon Smaller Brain's meaty fingers.
If not, she's not afraid of fighting two men for something so beautiful.
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Sept 27, 2024 19:13:57 GMT
"What..." the goon, not holding the pendant, managed to say before a smoke bomb detonated in the alley. A lot of coughing followed as both goons were caught in the smoke. "What did you do?!"
"I did nothing! Wasn't me!"
Much to Felicia's luck, the goon had accidentally dropped the pendant in the fits of his coughing and hacking, making her attempt to swipe it all the easier. The moment she held the object, she felt it was somewhat heavy, and the almost firelike glow from the ruby was mesmerising. If not for that black splotch marring its beauty.
It would not take long for the goons to notice that the pendant was gone, and they began to scream at each other before looking around to find the culprit. The boss would have their hides if they lost the bling, and neither wanted that.
Still, for Felicia, the pendant would seem all the more enticing; the longer she held it, the more it needed a nice polish, and it would look just like new again.
Perfection of gold, set with brilliant gems, a work of art...
|
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Sept 29, 2024 2:12:38 GMT
Felicia smirks to herself as she gathers the pendant off of the ground, both happy for and disappointed that such a theft was so easy. She feels the weight of the item in her palm before tucking it close to her chest and extending her other hand. Her grapple makes contact with the roof and the thief is on the rooftops before the smoke clears.
Ever the professional, she begins making her way across the rooftop and another even as the screams of the thugs rise from the alleyway. Her eyes keep glancing down at the pendant clutched to her chest. It really is a shame that it has that smudge across its face. Leave it to a goon to drop something so beautiful.
Cat nearly misses the gap between two buildings and twists midair to catch herself with a new swing. Years of scaling New York both with and against Spider-Man have baked such reflexes into her bones. Felicia heaves a breath as she tucks herself around the edge of the next roof access door, brick scraping against her suit.
She doesn't seem to notice. No, the only thing that has her attention is the white gold and ruby pendant. Felicia pulls a microfiber cloth from her tool belt and gently cleans that awful, dirty smudge.
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Sept 29, 2024 9:20:55 GMT
At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the pendant grew warmer, and the fire inside the ruby began to flicker. The ruby began to glow... and then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. "Greetings, Mistress," a gorgeous woman dressed in oriental garbs had appeared before her. She was floating in the air with clothing moving unaffected by gravity and wind. Her skin was tanned with specks of gold, and her thick hair flowed around her like a river. But most striking was her eyes; they seemed to contain what looked like molten gold mixed with fire. Beautiful and radiant, she looked like a queen from a fairy tale. "Be not alarmed, Mistress, I am a djinn summoned to grant you three wishes." Aladdin liked to spice things up sometimes and appear as a woman, and there was nothing like a bit of theatrics to make things enjoyable for everyone! The djinn had been inside the lamp all along, so was very aware of how this woman got her hands on the... pendant. Aladdin had long ago stopped asking how the lamp decided shapes. |
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Oct 1, 2024 19:45:24 GMT
It takes Felicia about 10 seconds too long to piece together what just happened. Big, grey eyes blink up at the beautiful, mystical woman floating a little bit in front of her.
"A djinn," she asks slowly, trying to regain her bearings, and tucking some of her hair over her shoulder. Felicia cocks her head at the woman and there are faint traces of skepticism in her expression. "Do you have a name, mystical djinn?"
"And what are the terms and conditions of those wishes? Do I have to sell my soul for them?" Her fingers tighten just a fraction over the pendant tucked into her palm, mindful not to let it slip away. Part of her wonders if she hadn't caught herself when she fell and was now delirious at the bottom of an alleyway. "I can already guess there's one on not wishing for more wishes, correct?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Oct 1, 2024 20:07:18 GMT
"I have several; some earned and others taken. But, only one was given to me freely, so yes, I suppose I have a name in that sense." The djinn replied, ignoring her look of scepticism; it was not the first time Aladdin had seen it. "What I'm currently wearing is the shape and appearance of Queen Scheherazade. I could be a man too if you'd prefer me as one?" She had not asked what the name was, just if the djinn had one.
"Very perceptive; there are indeed some rules," the djinn replied. " And yes, wishes for more wishes is a no; furthermore, I cannot kill, nor can I manipulate the heart, and returning someone from the dead is possible, but messy, and I'd rather not make my Aunt angry with me."
The djinn curiously examined Felicia, watching how she reacted to the news and the nature of this arrangement.
"No, I do not want your soul; do not mistake me for a demon. The arrangement is simple, three wishes from you, which I will grant within the rules."
|
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Oct 4, 2024 3:51:48 GMT
Felicia taps her fingertips across her lips as she listens, taking notes on the dialogue as it pours from the djinn's stolen mouth. Her eyes are narrowed as finally speaks.
"What is your name? The one you would prefer I call you above all others?" Cat, while greedy in her own right, can never quite let a mystery lie. "Who is your aunt and what happened the last time you raised the dead?"
The part of her that should be questioning just how legit this whole situation is oddly silent. There is something about a beautiful woman being summoned from a pendant that silences the rational part of her mind.
"What did the last person wish for?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Oct 4, 2024 22:41:00 GMT
"Aladdin is as good as any", the djinn replied, running a hand through the long hair and adjusting one of the decorative shawls. "So, you may call me that."
At the question, the djinn smiled.
"Death," she replied. "My Aunt is the personification of Death, and she is the one you will meet when you drop your mortal coil, which is not such a bad thing; Auntie is a charming sort of person. Still, not the kind of person you'd want to mess with." Aladdin shivered, thinking back on the disappointment in Death's eyes; angry would have been better. "Well, stealing souls from eternal damnation tends to be something people frown at, and sometimes they come back... broken. I'm sure you've seen zombie movies. It's not the prettiest return, let me put it that way."
The djinn laughed a pearly laugh at the last question. Now, that was something few people asked; so far, this young woman had proven most amusing, and she was taking all this in stride. Aladdin could appreciate that!
"She wished for a decanter of endless apple cider made from Taliaferro apples. Thomas Jefferson grew them and made some of the world's best cider from the fruit; sadly, the apple in question has died out." The djinn saw no reason to hide that. "It was a charming little wish." This was not a lie at all; Aladdin was used to most people wishing for one of three things: money, power, and money.
|
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Oct 6, 2024 1:55:31 GMT
Felicia catches the tips of her gloves in her teeth, tugging her hand free and tucking the glove into her belt. She raises her hand out to the djinn for a handshake with a small smile, "I'm Felicia. It is nice to meet you, Aladdin."
"When my time comes, I will be sure to let her know that you were a pleasure to know," she says with a wink. "I can assure you right away, I do not plan on trying to raise anyone from the dead. The last thing I want to do is upset your Auntie."
Cat decides that she quite enjoys the djinn's laughter, unable to help the amused little grin she wears in response. She still isn't too sure how much weight to put into all of this, but she simply must understand as much as she can. Besides, seeing is believing.
"That sounds like a sweet wish," she murmurs to herself, ideas already populating her mind. "What would you wish for, Aladdin? Do you think a wish for someone to have a moment of happiness would come with too much backlash?" It is clear from her tone that she already has a person in mind, but she does not wish to bring harm or misfortune upon him. "Would asking for what they think the ideal day would be too much?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Oct 6, 2024 19:30:22 GMT
Aladdin smiled and accepted the handshake, always curious about these mortal costumes. Felicia found the hand oddly warm—not hot enough to burn, but much warmer than a regular person would be. "Pleasure is mine, Miss Felicia." The djinn replied, smiling slightly at the wink and comment. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear it."
"Yes, she was a very unusual mistress; most of the time, it's either money or power." Aladdin tilted her head to the side; once again, someone asked what she would wish for, and in such a short time, was this some new revelation among mankind? Followed by the question about happiness and the ideal day. It had captured the djinn's curiosity. "Those are nebulous terms that can mean any number of things; I could not force someone into happiness because that would be about the heart, as nice as happiness might be." Aladdin was not obligated to answer but saw no reason not to. "But-- I don't think such a wish would have too much of a backlash; it all depends on how you word it, what you wish for, and how I understand the wish, and if you're an asshole to me or not. You can come a long way with some politeness."
There was a pause...
"As for what I want, when you live for millennia, you end up with most things. Freedom would be nice, but sadly, that is something the lamp won't give me, no matter how many times it is asked." The djinn gestured to the pendant before sighing. "Believe me, Aladdin tried."
|
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Oct 7, 2024 15:41:05 GMT
The brick is still a bit warm from the day's sun as Felicia leans against it, folding her arms over her chest. The terms of the wishes were clear and unclear. She could say something, but if it is read with a different interpretation, then it could be all for nothing. Emotions are off of the table entirely if the heart cannot be changed by Aladdin's magics.
As the djinn mentions freedom, Cat's eyes find hers again. Of all the things that Felicia has never had to fight for, her freedom is at the top of the list. It is something she struggles not to take for granted.
"Aladdin sounds like a good person. Is that why you share the name?" It is a sentiment that she can understand and even stand by. That urge to keep some piece of a person's kindness close to the heart.
"What about a turn in luck? People who work against me often end up with a dash of bad luck. What if I wished for some good luck? I could be specific with the requirements for it to come into play if you think that would help? Nothing crazy like winning the lottery, though I am sure you could manage that." Felicia smiles despite herself, knowing very well that many would guess she would make such a wish for herself.
"What if the wish required that, when things are dire and a change in luck could swing the situation in a direction they favor, they would find that luck? Is that too...abstract?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Oct 7, 2024 16:21:36 GMT
"Partly, yes", the djinn replied with a melancholy smile, gracefully landing on the ground. "He was a lovely man and a great king; it is a pity his heirs squandered it all before three generations had passed. But, I'm afraid such is the greed of mortals. My mother did not help much either, but that is the nature of Desire."
Aladdin continued to listen as Felicia talked, asking her myriad of questions on the subject of luck.
"Curious questions," she replied, shaking her head. "I will say that many rich people in history had the fortune of rubbing the lamp. Others won wars, changed the world, or just themselves. Are you familiar with Siege of Yorktown? At the time, the Lamp was in the hand of Gilbert du Motier, or Marquis de Lafayette. With his wishes, Gilbert provided his forces with ammunition and a favourable wind, turning the tide of battle."
Aladdin paused, putting a finger to her chin.
"As for winning the lottery, who can say. But I'm sure you can be a little more creative than that. Good or bad, Luck is abstract, but abstract is still valid." Aladdin snapped a finger, summoning a floating golden coin of a make that would be unfamiliar to Felicia, but it appeared solid gold with a woman's face. "Luck is best applied to objects like coins or trinkets. If you want my suggestion, that is your safest bet to wish for. It is simple, elegant, and a classic as far as luck goes."
|
|
|
|
Post by Nomz on Oct 7, 2024 16:48:17 GMT
"Death is your aunt and Desire is your mother. It sounds like I am in the presence of someone far more powerful than I am," Felicia replies with a small smile as if this hadn't already been known. She listens as Aladdin speaks, finding her voice soothing even as they go over the finer details of the wishes.
"With great power comes great responsibility, but I was never too responsible. It never helped that I often find myself walking the line between good and bad." Silver strands move as she shakes her head. "I know there are countless things I could wish for that would be considered greater than this, but I know I am not smart enough to puzzle them out."
She eyes the golden coin as it floats between them, her thoughts spinning. Cat tips her head a bit, tapping her chin, and her voice grows soft. "What if it was a chain for a wrist? Unremarkable outside of its ability to not break. Would the luck be good? How long would it last? Does it come at a cost to them? Would asking for 3 count as all 3 wishes?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DornKoon on Oct 7, 2024 17:55:54 GMT
"Well-- yes," Aladdin replied; there was no hint of boastfulness in the voice, just a statement of facts. "I'm a cosmic being born before mankind even walked this world, so yes, that is a fair assessment. Not that it matters much these days; the days of mysticism are not what they used to be, and my relationship with my mother is, at best... complicated."
Aladdin continued to smile, a smile that said little and did not betray her view as Felicia talked. It did not matter to the djinn what she decided to wish, and she had no intention of handing her mistress everything on a platter.
"That would be your choice, Mistress," she replied, reaching out so that her finger almost touched her lips. "I've said what I can; what fun would it be if I gave you all the answers? Why don't you wish... and find out." She pulled back the finger, flipping her long hair.
|
|
