The limits of magic

The flight of fifty miles takes about twenty minutes, and Jasmine just silently enjoys the view. Unpacking one of the dresses at home takes five, and putting it on (plus the bracelet and a little makeup) takes twenty (the ring apparently has had a little practice), and once again, the ghost breezes invisibly past the bouncer at The Local Dive, and walks out of the women's restroom, this time in a tight-fitting low cut emerald green sequined dress that shows a lot of cleavage and more leg, matching stilettos, and a matching purse.

“You are really itching for attention, aren't you?” The body's owner speaks into the current driver's mind, “How do you deal with so many men giving you that look?”

“I know they can't help it,” the ring looks around, searching for something specific, “but I'm really hoping to find ‘that look’ on a woman…”

“Umm, I'm attracted to men…” the voice in the back of the man's head objects.

“I know how to enjoy getting laid by a man as a woman, but I also know what I prefer…” the ring pauses the mental conversation, “...but I'm just a tease tonight, we won't go farther than a little petting at most… assuming we find someone I like. Also… when I'm driving, you'll enjoy it too. The brain interacts with the body to release various hormones, which in turn affect the brain. While I'm ‘driving’, my personality and preferences handle the brain's portion of initiating things, but they end up acting on your brain. So at the moment, well… here…” the ring takes a moment to focus on a woman who's showing her body off particularly well.

“Oh. Huh, I am getting…” The woman in ‘the back seat’ can't currently squint or lick her lips, but the urge is there, “...warmed up.”

“Yes, we share a body, and while we're connected, we both feel the desire of whoever is ‘driving’,” the ring thinks back, “it actually works both ways to an extent, which is why I don't mind men anymore, even though they're not really for me. If we do this very often, you'll eventually find yourself in the same position going the other way even when you're driving.”

“That's… odd to think about.”

“So don't,” the ring thinks back as he steps out onto the dance floor, “I'm me, you're you, we're both shaped by time and our experiences. We will change each other, yes, but everyone does that for everyone around them to some extent. So what if it's a little more pronounced? We get to LIVE!” Keeping his eyes open, the man begins the ‘workout routine’ intended to increase his host's endurance while being fun for the ring.

A few hours of dancing and drinks later, they're flying invisibly home, not having caught the eye of anyone either wanted to keep.

On the way back, the ring speaks into the woman's mind, “Do you mind if I plant a beacon on the ceiling over your bed?”

“A what?” The currently trapped mind thinks back as they fly.

“Ah, sorry. A teleportation beacon.” He pauses, “Okay, so… Earth is spinning very quickly around her axis, taking a wobbly path because of the moon and other planets, and orbiting the sun… which is in turn orbiting the Milky Way Galaxy, which is zooming along through space, and oh yes: The universe itself spins, and all of this is affected by various forces that mean nothing travels in a perfectly straight line, and everything is always moving at super high speeds.”

“Okay…” the host thinks, “...doesn't generally matter, as gravity just drags us all along.”

“Except when you go from one place to another instantly,” the ring chuckles, “then in that fraction of second while you're not connected to the world at large, everything else moves differently from you. Get the math wrong by a fraction of a percent and you're deep underground or in deep space… far out in the ocean if you're lucky. Any more than that, and it's deep space every time.”

“Sounds dangerous,” the woman replies calmly.

“Yeah. There's a few blessed folks who do it as naturally as walking…” the ring sighs, “...but I'm not one of them. With enough time I can pull it off and get to an arbitrary spot anywhere, but if I'm in a hurry, I need to cheat by setting up a prepared spot in advance that will tell me where it is while I'm not connected to the rest of reality: A beacon.”

“So why the ceiling over the bed?” The woman asks.

“Because it's the safest spot in the apartment to land if we're falling,” the ring shrugs as they land at the woman's apartment, unlock the door, and walk in… then drop the invisibility.

“Is that even an option when you can fly?” The currently cordially trapped mind asks.

“One of the tricky parts of magic,” the ring admits as he starts unpacking the stuff, “is that it requires concentration to control. Take that away, and I'm much more limited. I drill with some spells to the point where I can always cast them, and eventually I'll be investing in some of that jewelry I ordered so I don't need to think about the spells engraved in them… but someone who knows what they're doing can prepare a trap where I'm not going to be able to manage that ‘can do anything’ bit that makes magic so powerful of a **** to wield, and I'll be stuck with a short list of things I set up in advance… so yes, falling is a thing that can happen.”

“Ahha. Well yes, then. Also, I need to get to sleep…” the woman's mind speaks up.

“Okay…” the mage casts a spell, and Jasmine is once again dreaming while the ring assembles furniture, enchants the other ring, and puts the named enchantments on the ceiling.