Disclaimer: I don't own Aladdin.
Another plot bunny that came out of watching the TV series. Probably won't be the last, though I can't say I'd mind. There are a lot of different ideas that could be explored a bit more in there if one cares to look for them. After all, it isn't everyday that Genie meets up with something that can eat him.
Behind the Scenes:
Something had been bothering Genie ever since they had returned from the Land of the Black Sand. The others may not have realized it, but Carpet did. He had known Genie the longest, knew when he was genuinely happy and when he was pretending so no one would be worried. Now it seemed to be leaning more towards the latter, and Carpet finally put his tassel down when the being was suddenly missing from the rest of the group. He might not have known what was wrong, but he knew there were better things to do than stew about it. Deciding not to get the others involved [no need to put Genie on the spot, though he would go for help if this seemed too big for him to handle], Carpet flitted about the palace, finally finding the azure entity in one of the rooms. Already there were a few things that the rug knew he didn't like about this; Genie, for once, was near silent, eyes fixated on his hands, which were busily jerking about a toy, a kendama, trying to get the ball on the spike at the top. Apparently it wasn't going very well. Of course, the next time he missed, Carpet had grown curious and mildly worried [Genie being quiet was almost always a reason to be worried, in his book] enough to zip into the room, hovering for a moment at his friend's side. Genie, while he was more used to Carpet's stealth, still did jump, his nerves already frayed from the day's events.
"Whoa, Rugman, been working on those ninja skills I see." The normal enthusiasm was dulled, though. Genie then refocused on the toy, though Carpet stayed put. The jinni then seemed to notice that his friend had not left. "Sorry, did you need something? I'm kinda, not really on my game at the moment."
This was offered with an apologetic grin, something that Carpet was mildly bolstered by seeing, though he still intended to get to the bottom of this. Letting a problem fester, especially in the case of one of his friends, was something that his helpful nature did not allow for. Genie, however, was especially good at letting little problems fester, given that before the pair had met Aladdin, the entity's feelings had not mattered much. Carpet almost hated to think of the many years the jinni had spent inside his lamp mulling on his imprisonment, among other things. The little discussion he had had with Aladdin on wishes only reinforced that deep-seated worry. It had been a welcome relief on Carpet's mind when the boy had set him free. And it was even better that the both of them had gained some friends. However, while old worries were gone, they seemed to have been traded in for new ones, ones that while Carpet was not as familiar with, it did not make him uneager to help.
Gesturing mildly with his tassels, Carpet managed to convey his question to the jinni.
What's wrong?
Flinching a bit, though a somewhat wavering grin was still in place, Genie tried to deflect the query.
"Nothing's wrong, Carpet. I'm fit as a fiddle!"
The transformation into a musical instrument was ignored, as Carpet crossed a set of tassels and tapped the floor with one, radiating a very skeptical aura.
I'm not buying it. What're you hiding?
"Well, I guess, I'm a little off. Not every day you find a magic-devouring creature that nearly has you as a main course, after all."
Oh. Well, that was understandable. When it came to the possibility of malleability, Carpet was far more likely to be in physical danger than Genie was. One of the perks of being a jinni was endurance, something that Carpet, being composed out of all-too fragile weaving, lacked at times. Being suddenly introduced to something that could eat everything you could throw at it, as well as you, was probably very unsettling. Carpet on the other hand, didn't find this to be as troubling as Genie did. He was always in some danger of being destroyed whenever they went out on these adventures, as he had been reminded in rips, tears, and sometimes burns.
"Also," Genie suddenly blurted out, still staring at his hands and bringing the rug's attention back to him. ", sorry about, well, you nearly being eaten back there. Didn't look too fun."
Was that the problem here? He was feeling guilty? The rug paused, not entirely understanding why he would think that his actions deserved such a sentiment.
He probably thinks that he should have prevented it from happening, seeing as he had already dealt with the Thirdack, and you hadn't. Carpet's common sense thought out, though he was at a bit of a loss when it came to telling the jinni that he was fine, and the other needn't worry or feel accountable for it. Pondering it for a moment, Carpet patted Genie on his shoulder, then lightly tugged at the sides of the other's face, trying to get him to at least smile.
The efforts did get a few flickers of amusement out of the jinni, who tried to at least hide his grin somewhat while waving the rug off.
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Genie reassured, giving the rug a familiar, humorous look. "You sure know how to ruin a good sulk."
And Carpet made sure to look as proud of that fact as possible, sending Genie into a fit of sniggers at the sight.
Yeah, this was one of my middle-of-the-night projects, so it may be a little bit out there. Either way, reviews will be greatly appreciated.
