"Bow down to your king!"
"All hail the king!"
Penelope pinched the bridge of her nose, working to massage away the headache that was quickly developing. She was in the process of deciding which man she should kill first as Parker stood on the dining room chair, arms crossed over his chest as a very ornate and very important crown sat stop his head. Gordon was happily bowing down before him, obviously thrilled with how this wish had turned out.
"Gentlemen!" The curt shout had them both frozen, Parker aware enough to climb off his 'platform', St Edward's Crown quickly removed and placed on the table. Gordon just kept his same smug expression. He was enjoying this far too much.
"H'apologies, M'lady," the elder man offered. "Couldn't 'elp myself. I mean, when do you ever get to touch royalty much less wear it?"
Penelope's ire wasn't towards her friend. He hadn't actually believed enough to make a small wish and the consequences were currently sitting on her table. She would fix that first. "Gordon, I wish for the crown to be back in its vault without a trace of Parker."
The genie snapped his fingers and the priceless treasure was gone. "No harm, no foul, Lady P. And look, Parker believes now."
"That is not the point," her growl warned him not to argue. "Parker, as you can see, our guest is, as I've mentioned, a genie. He will be staying here until further notice."
"Understood," Parker may seem apologetic now, but Penelope could see the tick at the corner of his mouth. For a thief, the stories of genies and wishes were fantastical, only a thought or hope to ease their effort of growing rich or powerful. Parker was standing right next to one and the temptation must have been unbearable.
Centering herself once more, she moved on to more pressing matters. "Our plans for this evening, I trust they are still on schedule?"
"Yes, M'lady, I've confirmed with the 'ost that everything is prepared." His eyes flicked to Gordon. "H'I suppose there will need to be a plus one added to your itinerary?"
"Yes, please." Penelope collected her tea, intent to finish her breakfast in the lounge. "Gordon, you're welcome to explore before we leave for the benefit this evening."
"Oooh, a party - sounds like fun," but something in his tone caught against her perception of him. He seemed much less genuine than she expected and had Penelope questioning what life had been like before he appeared in her company.
"We'll see, but for now, I have some business to attend to. The day is yours until three." And with that, she left with the desire for some peace and quiet. And it was only just eight in the morning. A sudden hope flitted through her head that every day wouldn't be this stressful.
OoOoOoO
'Freedom to explore' was relatively limited for Gordon as he found himself standing at the end of the drive to the mansion. He could go further, but the pull of his curse was already alerting him that he'd strayed too far from his mistress.
It wasn't all terrible, though. They were in the countryside, which offered more natural scenery to take in verses the towering metropolises where his previous masters had lived. The air was clean and smelled of wildflowers and grass. He could appreciate that. Even the grey, clouded sky seemed ready to welcome him with a downpour, but was holding back. Maybe to protect his designer suit and restrictive loafers.
"Just one drop wouldn't hurt," Gordon reasoned, palm lifted to the sky. He didn't have to wait long as a solitary ball of water landed in the center. It sat against his skin, forming into a perfect sphere and he slowly rolled it carefully. Images of an expansive lake, moonlight dancing over the still surface bubbled up from the droplet and he let out a gratified sigh. "You've travelled pretty far haven't you."
The drop didn't answer - not that it could - and he gently placed it atop a blade of grass. It clung to it like a jewel resting in its facet. A soft breeze sent it bobbing, the wind almost seeming to urge him back towards the house. How long had he been out here?
Gordon glanced at the watch Penelope had given him, noting that he still had about an hour left before he needed to be back. They had a party to attend, after all and she seemed the type to need to be there right on time. Maybe fashionably late, but that would require a schedule as well. Every second outside of the spotlight could be devastating.
A groan escaped the genie as he realised he might just be acting a bit too judgmental. They'd only known each other less than a day. Sure, she had too much house for one person, but that didn't mean she was a terrible person. If he were honest, he hadn't made the best first impression. It came with the territory though - with great power came lots of weird consequences. His masters needed to understand that upfront. It kept people from getting hurt.
The wind kicked up, combining with the curses pull. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Yeesh." Gordon jammed his hands into the silk pockets and began the trek back to the mansion.
He found Parker first, his attire not nearly suited for a party, but the genie guessed black leather would be seen as appropriate for a driver.
The old man gave him a short nod, eyes still twinkling from the knowledge of just what Gordon was. "Good afternoon, Mister Gordon, sir. Her ladyship 'ad me acquire a few outfits for you in your room. You should find some of them a bit more comfortable than that getup." He gestured to the suit.
"Thanks," the blonde answered, a bit confused. "She could've just wished for that though."
"Tell me about it," Parker groused. "Woulda saved me a trip into town. Unfortunately, Lady Penelope has decided that wishes are to be for emergencies only."
Gordon chuckled, "I can't imagine what constitutes as an emergency for her. Bad hair day maybe?"
The chauffeur didn't laugh, but he did grin, eyeing the genie like he'd gotten something very wrong. Gordon didn't let it bother him, though. Instead, he set off for his room, curious to see what she considered 'comfortable'. The wool - though designer - was sandpaper compared to the loose cotton.
A scampering of paws made him turn as he passed an open door, smiling at the sight of the little pug as he came bounding out. Gordon bent down, taking the dogs nose into his palm before wriggling his fingers behind Sherbert's ear. He was about to question where their mistress was when her voice filtered into the hall.
"Sherbert? Come back," Penelope sounded a bit perturbed. "We still need to get you ready -" and the door opened the rest of the way, the woman standing frozen in just her plush robe, hair wound around curlers . Her eyes grew wide. "Were you -"
"What? No!" Gordon stood quickly, hands up in defense of the unspoken accusation. "Parker just told me about new clothes and then your dog found me - Your honor is quite intact."
Sapphire narrowed with suspicion and he wondered if she was waiting for him to squirm. She would have to wait a while.
Eventually, her throat cleared with a dainty sound and she changed the subject. "Yes, you should find some clothes to your liking. I'm afraid the event tonight will require more than just your Georgio. There will be a suit in the closet that should fit."
"Ah, so more stuffy, overpriced clothing. Sounds great." He spun on his heels, hopefully leaving her with the complete understanding that he wasn't thrilled. If she was annoyed by him, Penelope didn't voice it, but he could hear her pad back into her room, Sherbert following closely behind.
Gordon was halfway down the hall when he stopped. He hadn't meant to, had been fully prepared to go see what was waiting in his room, but there was no stopping the daggers of his conscience. He was being unreasonable. Selfish.
The truth was, deep down, he hurt. His curse was more than just servitude. It was a lifetime of being with a master until death, whether it be natural or not. Then he would be shoved back into his lamp, unaware of what they had ended their life - never to truly know. Getting close to a master meant pain, plain and simple.
But a lifetime of tormenting Penelope didn't seem right either.
With a glance back the way he'd come, Gordon debating going back to apologize. Would she even care, though? She hadn't seemed to worry if he'd appreciate the clothes or not. Maybe he was just another pet she could dress and show off? That thought had him returning to his previous goal. He would dress up, look the part, lay off some of the snarky remarks. Be a better servant. He could do that if it meant life with Penelope wouldn't be so bad.
His wishes didn't count, so focus on making hers better.
Gordon found the outfits already hung up in the closet and was pleasantly surprised to find some loose fitting cotton shirts and a pair of khakis and denim. The suit, black tie and gold vest, the fabric richly soft under his fingertips still didn't appease the restricting feel. Looking down at the glossy black shoes only made him groan and he exited the closet to collapse across the bed.
Penelope would be around soon to collect him and it would be at that point she would realize his inability to actually get dressed. She had wished this outfit on him and it was going to be her wish to change him into a new one. He should probably go tell her if leaving on time was so important.
"Eh, she'll figure it out," Gordon spoke to the ceiling, folding his hands over his chest.
"Figure what out, sir?" His head twisted to see Parker standing in the doorway.
A halfhearted wave as he answered. "She's gotta get me dressed."
The mix of emotions on the older man's face were comical as he fought between protecting her ladyship's honor and being confused as to why a capable young man couldn't get himself dressed. Gordon was deciding if he should let it continue, but his concerns from earlier weeded their way into his mind. Sitting up, he took hold of one of the shoes and tried to pry it off, but as soon as it came free, it flew back on.
"Magic. Can't fight a wish." Gordon shrugged.
"Guess not," Parker's voice betrayed the awe hidden behind the simple words. "Shall h'I inform her ladyship h'of your predicament."
His eyes met the chauffeur's and he smiled, appreciative of the offer. It wasn't often he found himself waited on. "Thanks, but I've got it." And Gordon stood, ready to make his way back down the hall. "I needed to apologize anyway."
"Oh?"
"Might've been a bit off an ass," he grinned as Parker chuckled.
And that's how they left it, an understanding between them both that being in servitude meant their own desires might not be at the forefront of their lord or lady. It left Gordon wondering what life would have been like had Parker rubbed the lamp. Probably a lot more fun considering the man's first wish.
Penelope's door was shut as he found himself in front of it and the rap of his knuckles on the door was gentle. This would just be a simple wish, nothing to annoy her and they could be on their way. All he needed to do was apologize. He'd done it countless times before. Today was no different.
The door opened and for once in his life Gordon didn't have words. No smart remark or smooth line. He simply let his hand fall back to his side as she watched him.
"Gordon?" She tilted her head just so. The blonde ringlets swaying behind her bare shoulders were perfectly placed to show the pale cream gown, gold interwoven by skillful hands to diffuse from the base to the top of the sweetheart neckline. Just at the center of her collar bones sat a simple gold disk. For a split second, he wondered at it's cost before he realized he needed to stop staring at her.
"Uh- um, sorry," he stammered to his own horror. Why was he having trouble now, of all times?
Penelope looked ready to question his dilemma, but went for what was probably more important to her at the moment. "Why aren't you dressed? We need to leave soon."
Right. Gordon nodded, taking a breath to deal with the unwelcome feelings. "Ah, so, I can't change since you wished this on me. You'll need to wish for the other suit in its place."
Deflating as though a great responsibility had been bestowed upon her, Penelope's shoulders fell. Worry didn't sit well on her neatly kept features and again, he realized his effects on her weren't ideal. He would try to help that as best he could.
"I'll try to not mess it up, promise." He offered. "Just wish for the suit in my closet to switch with this suit. Easy."
"And I should trust you?" There was a hint of venom in her question. "I understand there are rules, but it appears you have enough control of your magic to twist my wishes to your liking."
"Well, yeah, but -"
"No, if I can't trust you with something as simple as obtaining clothes or making a wish for a friend, then I'm not so certain this is going to work out." Her eyes bore into him with the intensity of a diplomat laying down the last amendment to a treaty she hadn't planned on creating.
Gordon's lips thinned with the finality of her statement. He didn't have anything to prove. He was the one with the curse. So what if she was inconvenienced or annoyed. She could still live her life.
With a little more contempt than was necessary, but definitely made him feel better, he lifted his hands to assuage her concerns. "Fine, do as you like." And he turned, holding back his own frustration in hopes they would snuff themselves out. Penelope would figure it out sooner or later. There was no way to leave him behind and it would be her own pride that would demand he change. He wasn't the one being unreasonable.
Gordon didn't head for his room. Instead, he went out, across the yard and to a flower garden lined with hedges. There was a small, stone bench, but he ignored it, choosing to sit on the green grass, still wet from a storm days ago. Good. Ruin the blue wool fabric, scuff the shoes against hard earth that didn't care what he looked like.
Eventually, he lay back, his hands resting under his head and turned his gaze to the clouds above. They rolled lazily above, still refusing to release the moisture that would only worsen his suit. Even as he wished it would, some part of him knew this was childish. He just couldn't find the energy to care.
