Your Wish is My Command Part 2
Haru gaped in complete shock as Machida hurriedly got out of his chair and took several steps back, almost ready to flee the scene.
The shy brunette wanted to think that he looked like the half-cat, half-human depictions she had seen in her Egyptology books, but that wasn't completely accurate. Instead of black, his fur was cream and gold. Instead of a loincloth or even a robe, he was dressed in a sharp suit of pearl grey, complete with top hat. He had both of his elbows on the table, and his gloved fingers were laced together to catch his furry chin as he stared straight at Haru.
"I will forgive the mangling of the pronunciation, since I am well-aware that no reliable records were kept on how to properly speak Egyptian. It really is an honor to meet you, Miss Haru," he greeted her formally with a nod of the head. "Thank you for the chance to finally stretch my legs." He was at least discreet enough to stretch them in a way that didn't disturb the girl.
Haru could only stare blankly at him as she slowly set down the sugar bowl. It was one thing to see something like this on a wall or a tapestry, but… this was right in front of her! If she were brave enough, she could reach over and poke him on the arm!
Not that she would, but she could. But it was strange to hear such a proper British accent from him as well as the formal British dress in contrast to everything Haru was used to when it came to half-cat, half-humans.
Though for decency's sake, she was perfectly happy not to see him in nothing but a loincloth and sandals like all the artwork she had studied.
A sudden metallic clash was heard, making the two look over to where Machida had tried to run, but had instead made a face plant against an invisible wall that briefly glowed with an iridescent sheen.
"Did you really think you were going to get away so easily, Machida?" the cat man snarled, twisting a single finger in a 'come here' motion.
As if on the end of an invisible rope, Machida was dragged back to the table where his chair pushed itself back in to pin the boy in place. He tried desperately to escape, but just couldn't manage it as he began to hyperventilate from terror.
"Now then," the cat man continued in a tone that felt like calling a meeting to order, "Before we get to business, I feel it is an obligation to tell you, Miss Haru, that you really should put your feelings for Machida aside."
Haru blinked stupidly even as she blushed in embarrassment. "How…?"
"I may have been locked inside my little prison, but that doesn't prevent me from hearing everything that happens inside the place of my current residence." He then gave Machida such a death glare, that the poor boy nearly fainted in fear. "I hear everything."
Machida flinched before sneaking a side glance at Haru, looking guilty. She could only cock her head in confusion, even as something sick began turning in her stomach, despite skipping breakfast.
"I will not expect a false apology for everything you said against Miss Haru," the cat man snarled again. "Especially since there's so many other things I find in poor taste about you and your family." He gently pulled the tea kettle closer to him in order to fondly run his fingers over it, making the dust from all the pieces rise up and turn into tiny flecks of pure light.
"I am especially offended by your obvious delusion of ownership," the cat man added coldly as he twirled a finger over the box once before taking out two perfectly intact cups instead of broken porcelain. He was even cradling them in his bare hands!
"Your great-grandfather stole all this from the only place I ever liked enough to call home. Even if I was unoffended by ending up in your attic, I should think your bad-tempered father has more right to this than you. So sorry to disappoint you, but your little 'get rich quick' scheme was just as doomed to failure as your horrible ancestor's."
Haru didn't know what to think about some cat man coming in out of nowhere and acting like he knew both of them. She put her hands on her lap to hide the fact that she was viciously pinching her own hands and wrists in case this was a wild dream.
"I can hear you doing that, Miss Haru," the cat man told her gently. "I assure you that I am completely real, and this is not a dream." With a single gesture, both the set and the box they came in vanished in a bigger flash of light.
Only the sugar bowl in front of Haru remained.
Haru held her hands to her eyes to rub at them as Machida yelped from the pain to his own eyes, rubbing them in a similar manner.
"Now, I fully understand it isn't my place, but may I advise you concerning your first order?" he asked with exquisite courtesy.
Haru blinked at him, still seeing stars from the flash of light. "Order?" she croaked, not able to formulate her thoughts into complete sentences yet.
"I am thy servant," he recited, reaching over to tap the sugar bowl still sitting in front of her.
Her large brown eyes trailed down as she suddenly realized what he was trying to say. "You're a genie?!" she gasped.
"I prefer djinn," he corrected with a feline smile. "But if you would care to hear out my suggestion?"
She nodded dumbly, unable to take her eyes off him.
"It really would be a bad idea to let Machida just wander off, knowing that you have someone like me at your beck and call." He made a slightly disgusted face at the end of that sentence but carried on. "As such, I highly advise that you allow me to erase his memory of finding the tea set, of contacting you, and anything associated with my little prison. He only found it this morning, so it wouldn't be much for him to lose. I promise that he will be completely unharmed by the process."
Haru snuck a glance at Machida, who seemed absolutely terrified by the idea. He was shaking his head in a silent plea, but…
She would have been a fool to let him leave.
"Do what you think is best," she sighed, resting her face in her hands.
"Haru!" Machida yelped in dismay, but the djinn was already moving.
There was a swift sound of the cat man leaping out of the white metal chair to pounce on Machida. A small, one-sided scuffle, and then another flash of light that she could see through her fingers and eyelids.
"There," her cat man exclaimed in satisfaction as he took back his seat. "I've longed to do more than that for years, but this will do. He will wake up in his attic, thinking that he only dozed off. Are you all right?"
Haru took in a deep breath through her nostrils before answering. "I… was… that is… You don't have to tell me what he said, but…"
"I would rather not repeat what I heard but suffice it to say that you are much better off without him," he assured her gently. "If it makes you feel better, men in that family may date nice girls, but they always marry harpies. The fact that he didn't want anything to do with you is why I'm forcing myself to remain calm about having you as a mistress-"
Haru's head snapped up with a dangerous glare. "Don't you ever call me that again," she snarled at him angrily, but stopped herself short as he instinctually raised his arms over his head while shutting his eyes tightly in preparation for a blow. "Sorry. I'm… just… disappointed. I thought Machida was better than this."
The cat man opened one eye experimentally to gauge her, and slowly lowered his arms. "I could have told you otherwise a long time ago."
Haru noticed how nervous he still looked and felt guilty. 'There's no telling what other people used to do to him.' "Sorry, this is probably the wrong foot to start on." She gave him a formal sitting bow. "Nice to meet you, I'm Haru Yoshioka."
He was surprised at the greeting but didn't seem upset by it. "A pleasure. I'm…" He stopped, his slanted green eyes growing wide with shock.
"Something wrong?" Haru asked worriedly.
"I… seem to have forgotten my name," he admitted with a strange numbness. "I remember not being fond of it, but… I didn't think I'd actually forget it."
Haru narrowed her eyes at the sugar bowl before pointing to it. "Just how long were you in there?"
"Approximately three thousand years," he reported, looking lost. "It's felt thrice as long."
Haru suddenly wanted to give him a hug but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate. Her djinn or not, he obviously had his own soul, and she was determined to respect that fact. "I guess you need a new name," she offered instead. "Would you like me to come up with something, or do you know something you could live with?"
He gave her a strange look. "You are definitely too good for Machida. Every other master I've had only referred to me as 'slave', 'boy', or 'djinn'. They almost never bother learning names."
Haru winced at those options. "Yeah, you're going to need your own name if you're going to be stuck with me."
"Sorry for the wait, Haru," Toto chirped cheerfully, seeming to appear out of nowhere while setting her raspberry limeade in front of her and a plate with a tuna fish sandwich artistically cut by the white cat's chair. "Wake up, you lard ball. Lunch time."
The fat feline opened one eye like he wanted to murder the waiter, but still sat up in the chair enough to enjoy his sandwich.
Haru was inwardly shrieking inside, fully expecting for Toto to look at the cat man any second and react like Machida had done.
Toto did look at the new table companion, but only offered a smug smirk to Haru before leaning over the table slightly to speak directly to the djinn. "This is your only warning, sir. Haru is a good girl. Don't mess this up."
"Toto, this isn't a date!" Haru exclaimed as her face turned bright red.
The cat man gave her a quick glance from the side of his eye, and actually seemed amused by her reaction! "I give you my word that I have zero intentions of disappointing her," he promised instead of siding with the teenage girl.
Haru glared daggers at him, but Toto relaxed and straightened to his normal stance. "Then what can I get to drink for you, sir?"
The djinn paused again, with that same lost look. Did he forget what food he liked? Could he even eat food?
"The mint tea here's pretty good," Haru managed to advise him, although she still felt like she could fry an egg on her face. "So is the angel food cake, but if you get the cake, you'll have to fight Muta here for it."
The fat cat in question perked his ears up again at the word 'cake'. As far as Haru could tell, he couldn't have cared less about the cat man sitting across from him.
"Those sound like excellent recommendations," he exclaimed with relief. "A mint tea and three of those cakes, please. That should keep Muta from nibbling on ours."
"You are definitely new here," Toto laughed, writing the order into his little notepad. "I'll have that right out, Mr. …"
"Gikkingen," the djinn pulled out of thin air with a confidant smile. "Baron Gikkingen at your service."