A chat with Emilia

"Interesting results. Not what I expected for you two, I'd hoped you would have been able to cooperate, given the stakes." Emilia stood at the opened doorway, with one of her assistants propping her up by her back. She'd been in a wheelchair until recently, and she was still in need of some assistance in order to maintain balance. "This isn't the best place to talk. Let's retire to my estate, where it's more comfortable. We will return here when there's work to be done. Are you fully in control, Taylor?"

You nodded. "She can't so much as twitch on her own, her body's basically mine. Outside of reflexes and such."

"Good. You're the one I want to talk to the most, but I do want Safiya to hear it as well, maybe it will make her cooperative enough to do the job. We'll save it for someplace more relaxing, however."

You followed after Emilia, although it was more like you were mentally harnessing Safiya's body to follow her, a massive mount compared to your tiny body seated just above the apex of Safiya's nose. Her body was perfectly obedient, following your every command flawlessly, able to maneuver without any issues despite the fact that you couldn't feel the ground you were stepping on. You wouldn't have known that the beautiful tan body under your control was anything more than a machine that follows your every order if you had been introduced to the Jinn in this state.

As you entered the car, or spoke with Emilia about small things, or adjusted your attire, you realized that all of that was really still Safiya's doing--it was her mannerisms, transplanted onto your motives and words. You couldn't have even felt the discomfort of the jacket being slightly off-kilter in your current state, but her subconscious seemed to handle it. That was something you wanted to keep an eye on--especially if a subconscious motion were to remove you from her face. That might put you in a precarious position...

Back at the estate, Emilia called for some of her staff to help get you dressed in something more casual for now, finding a simple long-sleeve shirt with the King Enterprises logo on the bust and some jeans laid out on a bed in one of the guest rooms. After you slipped out of the genie-librarian attire, you were **** to pose for yourself in the mirror, taking care to tease the body your bespectacled form rested upon, tweaking the nipples and shimmying your naked hips in delight. Being merely glasses, you lacked the sexual thrill you'd have had as your normal self, but you could still feel satisfied staring at Safiya's naked form all day. She was mesmerizingly beautiful, not to mention graceful, and when her face was relaxed enough to smile, her loveliness only enhanced. With the mood you were in, it felt like you made a better Safiya than the stern original!

Even better, to you, was the fact that Safiya was within, probably screaming loudly within her own head, able to do and say nothing to stop you. She was a true spectator in all of this, and you wanted to spend all afternoon proving it to her.

However, Emilia operated on a schedule, so you couldn't toy for long. You slipped into the casual attire--still looking fairly exotic, given the golden-tinged skin and the massive braided hair--and met Emilia in her greenhouse on the far end of the mansion, to walk amongst the exotic plant life.

"No change in your control over her?" Emilia asked as you arrived.

You shook your head. "Still fully in charge. Though, there are still some bodily functions that I likely should listen to. I heard her stomach growl earlier. Do Jinn eat?"

Emilia laughed, and walked slowly past some strange purple flowers. "They can, though from what I understand it's not necessary. Hungry Jinn are happy Jinn, however. So, we can treat Safiya to something tasty later. At least, I hope you would allow it? Just because you are in control doesn't mean she can't be afforded some comforts herself. As far as I'm concerned, you're defusing a tense situation, just by how you are maintaining your control on her."

"What do you mean? Between you and Safiya? I thought she worked for your grandfather and your father, is it because she was **** to do that, so you think she holds a grudge?" You recalled back to earlier, where Safiya didn't seem so thrilled to talk about Emilia either.

Emilia paused by a pitcher plant, and sat down next to it. "She loved being with them. I mean that quite literally, as well. My grandfather summoned her, she finished two tasks for him, and then asked him to not ask anything more of her, so she would remain in his presence as long as she could. She was possessing my grandmother when my father was born, in fact--and later, when she was summoned by my father, she had grown infatuated with the heir to the King fortune that she asked the same of him, and likewise had possessed my mother in order to have a child. Jinn and humans aren't very compatible in that way. In all technicality, she's like my mother as well, though that was more to fulfill a role to make dad happy."

You frowned, taking a seat across from her. "But, you two had some sort of falling out?" You tried to put the puzzle pieces together for this strange family. Archibald King and his wife seemed so normal, from pictures you recall seeing of them in newspapers. His son, Reginald, likewise seemed to have the perfect marriage. All of it was because a Jinn had taken a human for a host? Still, to you, it seemed like that sort of love would last.

"There was... an accident, some years ago. You likely heard about it in the news, it's what resulted in me inheriting my family's money and legacy." Emilia shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to look you--more specifically, Safiya--in the eye. "She could have protected my father, grandfather as well, from their demise. But my father used his first and only wish on her to instruct her to save me, instead."

You could feel the rise and fall of Safiya's breathing quickening, noting that your vision was bobbing more steadily than before. Your eyes locked onto the tear running down Emilia's face, which you assumed was over the loss of her father rather than the opinions of the Jinn concerning her. "Despite the burden I placed on the family by my mere existence, my father cared for my safety with all his heart. Safiya loved my father with all of hers, though, and the fact that he chose my well-being over their continued love..."

Emilia took a deep breath, glancing back. "Let's just say she wasn't thrilled. So, once my safety was assured, she returned to her talisman without as much as a goodbye. I'd considered summoning her myself, just to talk, but in my position, I have to take every opportunity I can afford to better my situation. To waste her talents for a chat, that's not very strategic. Now, the Phase Binder offers new opportunities, where your usefulness comes into play, Taylor. And I would appreciate Safiya's cooperation as well, though it won't be fully necessary for what I will ask of you--I would just need you to be human for the duration. Since it's to recover something of my father's, I would hope she would agree to help at least that much."

As heartbreaking as the story had been, your existence as eyewear afforded you little emotional response. The only sign of anything was Safiya's hands reflexively balled up into fists throughout the discussion. Your face never flinched from the somewhat distant expression you'd worn all evening.

"What is it you want me to do, then? I'm confused what exactly I'd be able to do as just a talisman, Safiya's the real talent of the two of us, given her magic."

"That's the thing," Emilia said, as she wiped her tear away and returned to business as usual. "As a walking talisman, you don't just set the rules, you can basically choose who will be in a prime position to summon Safiya. I want you to get her summoned by someone, and while she's performing her feats, you'll be free to retrieve something for me."

This was starting to sound like some sort of strange spy games. Was Emilia really expecting you to do something illegal on her behalf? Were you to be human, hopefully Safiya would be kind enough after all this to let you be some other human for a while, just so you could get away with theft and it wouldn't be a blemish on your actual record if caught. You were too far in to say no even if she didn't do that, though...

You shifted in the seat, despite feeling no discomfort--it was simply a subconscious reaction to the bit of nervousness you had about the idea of stealing from one of Emilia's rivals.

"Who's the target?"