Patron Saint {Pippa}

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Aixa was getting a little tired of monotony. He hung upside down from the back of his couch, a book in his hand limply. He just wanted something to do, even if that something was just… oh, what the hell did he care, anyway? Aixa transformed into a cat, stretching languidly before turning back into his normal form – the young man with the pale eyes. He frowned and looked down at himself. Maybe he just needed a change of image?

Or she. Aixa walked to the mirror, examining the reflection carefully. Longer hair and a fuller chest, and a change of certain parts below its pants, but the feeling of apathy didn’t change.

The Djinn let out a sigh of annoyance, reverting to being a young man. If it wasn’t a superficial change that he desired, then what was it? It wasn’t as though he could go out and explore the world on a whim. He was bound by his Lamp, and he couldn’t move that unless he got a new owner. And the chances of that happening were slim. He had learned his lesson about letting the Lamp choose its hiding spot. Instead, he had taken the Lamp – which was still in the form of a ring, because he had a sneaking suspicion that it was broken – and placed it on his counter until he found a safe place.

Aixa huffed from boredom and grabbed his coat and Lamp and left his flat. He slid down the railing and jumped off, waving to the doorman cheerfully, and, with a wink at aforementioned doorman, greeted the chilly London air. If there wasn’t anything to do, he might as well start looking for a nice hiding place.

Although it was still midday, there weren’t many people around. Most of the tourists had left, and it was a Monday afternoon. Aixa put the ring in his hand. He slid over an ice patch, but he regained his footing. He glanced at the ice irritably, holding the ring a tighter. This was why December was his least favorite month – along with the singing. Aixa had spent a great many Decembers with his hands over his ears and trembling from fear. The damn Djinn didn’t deserve to be burdened with the ingrained fear of singing.

He blamed the Arabs.

Muttering to himself about how stupid holidays were and how the infernal singing should be nipped in the bud, Aixa didn’t exactly notice the ice patch. And, because he didn’t notice the ice patch, he walked – or rather slid – on it. He let out a rather dignified squeal of surprise, and tried to get his footing. His hand unclenched around the ring – sending it flying down the sidewalk, and Aixa fell flat on his face trying to get it before some do-gooder tried to lend him a helping hand and pick it up.

Which, judging by the way his luck was going these past few centuries, Aixa kind of doubted he was going to get out of this masterless.

[Deleted]

(Soo sorry for the wait! I honestly didn't know you had posted this until today. -fail- --had checked the site multiple times this month-- -failx2-)


It was the holiday season. Most people would be happy. Pippa was anxious, and it wasn't because shopping was a hectic task. She was literally braced for something to jump out at her and swallow her whole. Or at least, that was the more pleasant version of that fantasy.

Christmases in London had a tendency to go wrong. As in, the end of the world wrong. Actually that had only happen a few times, and crazy stuff didn't happen every Christmas... but it was enough to practically curse Pippa from every fully enjoying Christmas again.

She just had to get out of the store and back to her flat before anything could go wrong.

In her shopping bags were no presents, she shopped for those a month earlier, instead she had important things like batteries, bottled water, canned food. Her walk to the flat was filled with determination. The happy faces in the crowd didn't phase her. When people wished her a happy Christmas she didn't even notice. Her back was stiff and her steps were quick. Plans to ensure safety this year ran through her head and repeated themselves.

Completely absorbed with her thoughts.

That was, until someone cried out. She didn't see what had happened, only knew that her heart beat had increased its rate and she had lost her footing. There was suddenly ice, and something hard between her foot and the ice. Even if Pippa was graceful, she didn't have a chance. At least she didn't fall down and hit her head.

Pippa actually did the splits, the ring pinned under her heel. With a pained expression she restrained a groan. Slowly she drew her legs together, hamstrings were definitely pulled and she had twisted her ankle. The ring laid on the sidewalk innocently, as though taunting her. Pippa glanced at the ring's owner with a frown but was taken aback at the sight of him. He was attractive, as in, really attractive. Pippa picked up the ring, who was no longer an enemy, and, still sitting on the cold sidewalk, wondered if she had met 'the one.'

"Is this yours?" was the only thing she could think to say.

[Deleted]

The girl standing (well, now she was sitting from the fall after doing a fairly impressive split of her legs) in front of him seemed more terrified than he did. Aixa took a moment to appreciate the humor of that – because it wasn’t as though she was the one signing over her freedom. He scrambled to get up, still slightly sliding on the ice. Aixa gave up his hopes on still getting out of the situation with his freedom intact – he was either going to lose the ring down a sewer and be a master to a rat or the girl was going to pick it up.


Still, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all. She seemed rather friendly at least. Although he noted that, if her initial reaction was anything to go from, she was a rather skittish human. He had met edgy humans before, but it was only by proxy of serving a more forceful human. Geoffery Chaucer had been jittery and he had gotten along just fine with him.

Just fine, indeed, his aching heart reminded him.

Aixa glanced around for an alley, wondering how he was going to introduce himself as a Djinn in the middle of the crowded London streets. He felt the familiar stirring of energy as her petite fingers closed around his Lamp. A hand pressed to his stomach, trying to ignore the flash of pain the best that he was able. He didn’t have to hide it for longer – the single jerk of pain, the threat of his molecules being torn apart and reassembled forcefully, stopped as suddenly as it began. The need to reappear closer to his target was no longer required, and the damage was done. She was his new Mistress, even if she didn’t know just yet.

Is this yours?

His lips spread in a broad grin. He had never had an Irish master – or a mistress, for that matter. “It is!” he said immediately, picking up her bags and holding out his hand to help her get up. “Thank you so much for picking it up for me,” he said gratefully. If he could just get her away from the humdrum of the streets he could explain it, but as good looking as he was, he doubted if it was enough to get the skittish girl to follow him down a darkened alley. So he tried the next approach.

“Let me help you with your bags,” he offered. “You know; the Christmas Spirit and all that jazz.”

ooc| don’t worry. (:

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"It is!" he grinned. She smiled back but it became forced when he picked up her bags. Was that too nice? Her mind switched from imagining one of her favorite chick flicks to the movie 'Taken.' The men in those movies were cute too. He offered his hand and she took it cautiously, eyes watching her bags.

“Thank you so much for picking it up for me,” he sounded sincere, maybe too sincere. What really caught her attention was that he didn't take the ring back. She really wasn't sure what to say so she just kind of smiled, hoping that he would hand her bags back so she could return the ring and go on with her day.

“Let me help you with your bags,” he said, “You know; the Christmas Spirit and all that jazz.”

He was going to walk her home? Pippa was a complete stranger to him, and no guy who was interested in picking up a date would do that. This was some con-man, potential thief or even a potential kidnapper. Or worse, he was a psychopath rapist-murderer waiting for his next victim. Even if she got her bags back she didn't want him to follow her home and then come back later with a van. She was going to have to take the long way home. But first, Pippa needed to see if she could get her bags back.

"You don't have to do that!" She said, handling his ring nervously. What if he was a killer and got the impression that she was suspicious of him? She'd be dead for sure, Pippa had to play polite, "It's the Christmas season, I'm sure you're really busy. I don't live far from here so it's no big chore for me!"

She may have just lied to him, but it was for the greater good. She actually lived far enough away that any normal, sane person would just take a taxicab, but having heard horror stories about people pretending to be taxicab drivers and kidnapping people, she was more comfortable walking- at least she had the ability to run away if she had to.

Pippa held out his ring so he could take it, hoping that he would, in return, hand over her bags.

[Deleted]

Oh, great. This was just lovely. He was counting on her accepting his offer and letting him willingly escort her to some darkened alley. Which, of course, didn’t sound like something she should do, but he didn’t bother dwelling on the thought. He noted her look the cautious look in his eyes, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Did he look like an axe murderer? He glanced down at his scrawny body and wondered what the girl thought was threatening. He was tall, sure, but in no way did he scream big buff woman killer with medieval torture devices in his van.

The way she was watching the bags suggested she thought him a thief, and, to her credit, she was trying to amend her body language. But Jinn noticed things, because that’s what they did. He looked around at the other humans, uncomfortable. This girl was offering to give him back his freedom, but she didn’t know that, so would it count? He frowned. Obviously she didn’t trust him. That was to be expected given the maturity of human crime. Perhaps he did look a little shifty in this form. Pale blue eyes looked back at the Irish human, watching her analyze the situation closely.

My, but she’s a panicky one.

And with that thought, a small smile edged on his lips, because if he didn’t belong to her, then who was to say he couldn’t have a bit of fun messing with her?

“You don’t have to do that!” she insisted, and Aixa looked down a little irritably to see her handling his Lamp like some common item. “It’s the Christmas season,” she said, backtracking on her previously shaky and adamant refusal of his help. “I’m sure you’re really busy. I don’t live far from here so it’s no big chore for me!”

Aixa glanced back at his own apartment – he thought of the cute doorman, he thought of his boredom in it, and he thought of the book collection. “Yeah, I understand,” he said with a slight frown, handing her the bags back. “Keep the ring. I think it’d suit you,” he smiled. “Have a nice Christmas!” he said, turning around hurrying back towards his own apartment with a parting wave at the Irish mistress.

He smiled cheekily to the doorman and flopped down in one of the lobby seats. Well. If she wouldn’t take him to her house, then surely she would at least take the Lamp? It did appear like an expensive ring – which was surely a play on his romantic nature, something at war with the Jinn’s overall ‘loner’ nature. If the human took the Lamp home, he could easily just manipulate his energy to merge with the Lamp’s. Well, if all went well and she took the Lamp.

A slight frown flickered on his face, because he really didn’t have a back-up plan. But with a little over a thousand years, surely he had enough tricks up his sleeve to find his owner and devise a way to get her to accept him. [/font]

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“Yeah, I understand,” he seemed a bit disappointed as he handed her his bags, “Keep the ring. I think it'd suit you.”

“I-eh-heh” Pippa struggled to find a polite way to deny the gift. She hadn't even considered it as something she would want, instead she was trying to wrap her head around the the mere thought that he was just giving it to her. What was the catch?

“Have a nice Christmas!” the man turned around, was it just her or did he change his direction entirely?

Pippa Pettywood stood there, ring firmly in her hand like it was a foreign object that might explode if she dropped it. She was speechless.

“Happy Christmas!” she squeaked, though he was out of audible reach. A couple passing returned the greeting, looking a bit confused and then continued on their way. Pippa's face turned red.

Her eyes focused on the ring as she slowly peeled her fingers back. What had just happened... exactly? The ring looked expensive. Why did he give it to her?

People just didn't give her things. It couldn't have been just a Christmas... thing.

She slipped the ring on, figuring that was the safest place. She started walking down the sidewalk, nearly slipping on the same patch of ice. Barely a block down the road she froze. What if it had a tracer? What if that guy was a secret agent and was now recording her every step?! She tore the ring off and was about to throw it when she reminded herself that was an utterly insane notion. She put the ring back on and kept walking until she finally made it home.

When Pippa was feeling particularly skittish, she had something of a routine to make sure she was safe. First she would very carefully unlock the door, keeping an eye on her surroundings in case any suspicious persons might be stalking her, then she would jump inside, shut the door as quickly as possible, and race to the light switch. Now that the light was on, she could relax just a little. But who knew if some person had slipped into her flat while she was away? So, after arming herself with a cellphone and baseball bat, she opened every cupboard, checked under every piece of furniture, and in every closet...
When she first moved out on her own, she checked only the places where a cretin might hide. Now since Pippa had seen some monsters that were very small in comparison to your normal human adversaries, she checked in every nook and cranny.

She had plenty of practice so the search took little to no time to do.

Everything was clear, not a hair out of place.

Bat away, Pippa went to put the groceries where they belonged. Already she felt better, the mysterious ring rested innocently around her middle finger.

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His lips twitched into a grin as he felt her slip the ring on her finger. Aixa’s form flickered and vanished, a pale and sparse cloud of light blue in his place. She’d taken the ring without much distress that he could tell, but Aixa didn’t want to pry inside of her mind. He could tell that she was human, but he didn’t know if she had gone through any telepathy or empathy classes – and those who had would instantly be able to tell that he was trying to get inside their head. He was only a thousand years old, he was still pretty weak.

And, anyway, she was paranoid enough to sense it.

Aixa followed her down the street – the trail of energy wandering lazily through the air as he watched her. He was on auto-pilot when she stopped suddenly. The energy trail dipped down, wrapping around a passerby’s stroller. The baby cooed and reached for the energy. The Djinn glared down at the child as its hands spread his energy, and drifted closer to the girl. She had taken off the ring and her arm was tensed, as though she was going to throw it. He was sure that if he was in a humanoid form, he would have rolled his eyes. Honestly – what harm did she think he was going to do to her through a ring?

You are following her home, he reminded himself. The Djinn frowned at the thought. Maybe she does have a good reason to be paranoid…

But whatever thoughts had been throwing around in her head – justified or not – she seemed to hesitantly forget about them, slipping the ring back on. Aixa smiled to himself (or, at least, he would have if energy had a mouth) and continued following her home. He felt a small amount of concern for the weak looking girl. He chalked it up to her being his mistress, but concern was still concern. Surely people weren’t born so afraid. Perhaps something had happened to her?

He used to an easy-going person, but his owners mistreatment of him hadn’t made him afraid of everything. Still, maybe… well, he had no idea what could happen to someone to make them afraid of everything. His mind was beginning to drift, imagining thousands of ways that she could have been mistreated to become the way she was, because he was very adamant that nobody was naturally afraid of everything. (Although, to be fair, perhaps she was only afraid of men?)

He followed her into her home, looking around appreciatively. His looking around got interrupted as she swung around a baseball bat, looking in cupboards and closets. Aixa stared. What was wrong with her?

Finally she put the bat away and began putting away groceries. Aixa nervously looked at the bat, suddenly not so sure that he wanted to introduce himself to a crazy lady who pulverizes people with a baseball bat. No matter what he did, she was going to scream. Still, he braced himself and positioned himself in the kitchen, taking his human form.

Well. This was going to be a barrel of fun.

“I don’t want to scare you,” he began, looking between her and the baseball bat nervously while holding up his hands so she could see he was unarmed. “Okay, at least wait until after I’m done explaining to call the police. Fair enough? I’m a Jinn – I grant wishes. The ring is my Lamp. Uh… and since you have it, you’re my mistress. Hello!” he said, waving. “So… you name me, you pick what I look like, I grant your wishes and I protect you from… uh… whatever you need protection from.”

He stood still, his eyes tightly shut so that he didn’t see her coming with a baseball bat. He made sure not to move – he couldn’t remember that if standing still helped with paranoid people or angry bears, but nonetheless he decided it was the best option.

[Deleted]

She was moving very quickly and had nearly put the last can away when she noticed something in the corner of her eye. There was someone in the room with her. It was that guy. He was there in her flat. Pippa’s face turned white as a sheet. She had checked every room, every corner. Had she left it unlocked? A very chilling shiver ran down her spine…

“I don’t want to scare you. Okay, at least wait until after I’m done explaining to call the police. Fair enough? I’m a Jinn – I grant wishes. The ring is my Lamp. Uh… and since you have it, you’re my mistress. Hello!” he said, waving, Pippa remained motionless, where was her voice when she needed it?! “So… you name me, you pick what I look like, I grant your wishes and I protect you from… uh… whatever you need protection from.”

The insane burglar closed his eyes as though he was bracing for impact. Her bat! It was within reach! She dropped the can to reach for it, but the can landed on her foot. A twisted form of both trying to protect the injured foot and grabbing the bat left her crashing into the counter. She landed on the floor, arm and back stinging from hitting the edge of the counter, but she had to ignore that. She had to be brave. Pippa scrambled to her feet and pulled together her bravest fighting stance.

”I don’t know what kind of medications you’re on but if you come any closer…” Pippa swallowed. What kind of sicko would break into a flat and promise to grant wishes? He had rapist written all over his face. She glanced at her phone, it was laying on the couch behind him. All this effort to avoid these situations and with two miniscule mistakes, she had found herself exactly where she didn’t want to be. Pippa glanced at the door with an almost scolding look. The door that used to represent safety was a lie… until she realized that it was actually locked. Double locked as always. Her windows were always locked and she hadn’t noticed anything broken… Pippa just gaped at the stranger, turning even whiter than before.

“H-how did you get in here?” Pippa subconsciously lowered the bat a little.

Did he sneak through the ventilation system? Who was this guy?!

[Deleted]

He opened his eyes a little reluctantly when he heard the crashing. She was on the floor and it looked like she might be in pain. Aixa felt a touch guilty, and he almost stepped closer before remembering that she probably would have tried to smash his head in, especially now with the bat in her hand. So he took a step back, keeping his hands up as she got on her feet and took up a fighting stance with it. Well, great. This wasn’t the suavest way to introduce himself to a future mistress, but he figured it could have gone worse. She could have screamed ‘rape’ or even ‘murder’. Or she could have begun to attempt to beat him to death.

“I don’t know what kind of medications you’re on but if you come any closer…”

“Human medication does nothing for me,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “And I’m allergic to most of them anyway. Along with salt. And steel,” he continued, looking pointedly around for the salt container; most people had them. But he was beginning to think that this woman was far from ‘most people’. “And don’t worry. I don’t intend on getting any closer.” He took a step back to prove his point.

She was looking behind him, and the Djinn followed the gaze. Her phone was lying on the couch. He looked back at her, and her eyes shifted over to where the door was. Her face turned even whiter and she looked at him. Oh, man. She looked like she was going to pass out.

“H-how did you get in here?” she asked, lowering the bat just a little.

He walked backwards and took her phone. Aixa returned cautiously back into the kitchen and slid it on the floor towards her. “I already told you. I’m a Djinn. Um… a genie,” he said, realizing that most non-Islamic cultures didn’t recognize the word ‘Djinn’ or ‘Jinn’. “I’m sorry that I scared you. I can be a kitten, if you would prefer,” he said, and shifted into a small Siberian cat.

“You own me now,” the cat said, nodding his head towards the ring. “But… if you don’t like me, you can give me up,” Aixa said, his ears lowering and staring up at her with a pouty kitten face. “I can be a pet or a friend. You name me and you tell me what you would like me to be. And I’ll protect you. For example, when you’re all alone and you hear something creaking? I’d be the one taking care of that. But, I mean, if you want to be all alone and risk the possibility of a murderer breaking in without someone else here to handle it…” he trailed off, and the kitten looked towards the windows.

Aixa returned to his human form, sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor. “Up to you.”

[Deleted]

He backed up carefully. Was he going to leave? The small spark of hope disappeared as he picked up her phone- he had seen it and now her chances at calling the police had vanished entirely. When he started walking back and Pippa reinstated her defensive stance. He cautiously lowered and slid the phone towards her. Pippa wanted to snatch it but she was afraid if she bent over he'd take advantage of her. So with her foot she scooted it behind her, then very slowly, eyes on the intruder, felt the ground for the phone.
”I already told you. I'm a Djinn. Um... a genie.” He was speaking utter madness, Pippa had to find that phone and call for help. Her eyes would not leave him in case he tried something. ”I'm sorry that I scared you. I can be a kitten, if you would prefer,”

Then, before her eyes he melted into a kitten. Pippa's eyes grew wide as she inhaled sharply. The bat rattled on the ground as she fell back, landing on her phone.

“You own me now,” the... cat spoke. He literally spoke! Words came out of that animal's mouth!! Pippa was flabbergasted. “But… if you don’t like me, you can give me up.”

He gave an adorable pout but Pippa didn't trust it for half a second. She was just relieved that he seemed to be giving her a choice. She knew her answer, she just needed the courage to say it.

“I can be a pet or a friend. You name me and you tell me what you would like me to be. And I’ll protect you. For example, when you’re all alone and you hear something creaking? I’d be the one taking care of that.” Pippa opened her mouth to say that she'd rather not be taken care of some.... thing but he had more to say, ”But, I mean, if you want to be all alone and risk the possibility of a murderer breaking in without someone else here to handle it…”

Pippa's mouth closed instantly and she froze, imagining a very similar situation, only this intruder was wearing hockey mask, revving a chainsaw and not turning into a kitten. She'd die from fright before he'd have a chance to kill her. That is... if she was lucky.

The kitten turned into a human again, nearly causing Pippa to jump out of her skin. He sat a few feet away from her, legs crossed casually.
”Up to you.” he said.

Now she was between a rock and a hard place. She could decide to trust this mystical being and be safe this Christmas... for once. But she'd have to trust him. What if this was a trap? He could be a mind reader and knew what she wanted so he could gain her trust and eventually kill her. Suck the soul out of her... or something too horrifying to imagine.

She could hear the chainsaw already.

”OK! You can stay!” she twitched as though something had startled her, ”But don't do that changing thing.”

Pippa felt like she was making a deal with the devil... but what if he actually protected her?

”I'm Pippa Pettywood...” she said, trying to figure out how she ought to act, ”What's your... wait you said I had to name you?”

She frowned. How did one go about without a name? She imagined him walking throughout the world, unable to introduce himself. He would walk up and someone would ask but he could only lower his head in shame... It felt like a lot of pressure- what if he didn't like the name she came up with?

”Do you literally not have a name?” Pippa asked, looking totally confused.

[Deleted]

She didn’t even melt at the kitten face. Aixa opened his mouth, in as much of a ‘surprised’ look as the kitten could do. In all of his studies of human females, they always loved kittens. But she dropped her bat and fell on the ground. He licked his paw and began cleaning behind his ears. There was no way that she could be immune to the charms of a kitten! Statistically it was impossible! Well, not impossible, but very highly unlucky. But then, this lady seemed as though she’d be scared of a harmless little caterpillar. Just in case the kitten thing didn’t work out, he began reminding her that were more frightening things than someone who just wanted to help her.

Up to you, he said, stretching out his human form on the ground. His arms stretched above his head and he smiled charmingly at her. It wasn’t that he wanted a new mistress, it was that he was beginning to feel offended that she didn’t seem to like him. And if there was something that he really didn’t like, it was when people decided that he was too strange or too anything to get to know. It was why sometimes he hated the humans, because when they figured out that there was something strange about a person, they backed off.

“OK! You can stay!”

A grin spread on Aixa’s face, but he could tell he hadn’t earned enough trust to hug her or anything as he would normally do with his new masters. Hey, he’d kissed the last one he had. His smile wavered slightly as he thought about Leo, but he brushed it off. “But don’t do that changing thing.”

“Of course,” he replied, nodding enthusiastically. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but I thought you might like kittens. Don’t most women? I was just trying to make you like me,” he rambled. “But I guess it kind of backfired!”

“I’m Pippa Pettywood,” she continued. Aixa looked at her, squirming with the excitement of having a new mistress. Hey, his only mistress. “What’s your… wait you said I had to name you?”

He nodded, waiting patiently. He had a wide variety of names during his brief amount of time on Earth. Hopefully she wouldn’t be the time of girl to name him Sir Fluffikins or something equally as embarrassing, but she seemed to prefer him in his human form. “I like your name,” he said, repeating it quietly. “I think that ‘p’ is my favorite letter,” he continued. Pippa Pettywood.

“Do you literally not have a name?”

He frowned and tilted his head slightly, glancing down at the floor as he thought about her question. “Well, not an official one. On my rental application for my flat my name was Aixa Williams,” he said slowly. “But Aixa isn’t my ‘real’ name or anything. I just needed an alias to survive in the human world.”

Aixa stood and looked at Pippa. “I think we got off on the wrong foot, Pippa,” he said, chuckling a little nervously. “Would you like help with dinner? It’s the least I could do after scaring you so badly,” he offered, remaining still in case she was still going to beat his head in with a bat. She didn’t seem the violent type, but he’d seen humans do very scary things when frightened. “Are you okay? From when you fell earlier and hit the counter.”

[Deleted]

“Of course,” he replied, nodding enthusiastically when she told him not to change, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but I thought you might like kittens. Don’t most women? I was just trying to make you like me but I guess it kind of backfired!”

“Kittens are one thing... but talking, shape-shifting kittens are another...” Pippa said quietly in response... She chose to ignore his comment about wanting her to like him. That was just something she didn’t know what to do with.

She introduced herself and he liked her name, it tended to be one of those names people found interesting.

“Do you literally not have a name?” [/i]

He seemed to be considering it, perhaps he was trying to figure out how to explain how he could not have a name. The poor guy. Having been born with a slightly abnormal name, she knew how important a role a name could play in someone’s life.

“Well, not an official one. On my rental application for my flat my name was Aixa Williams. But Aixa isn’t my ‘real name or anything. I just needed an alias to survive in the human world.” he said. Aixa Williams, interesting name if he just needed an alias. If he didn’t care so much about the name he wouldn’t have chosen something boring like, ‘John Smith.’ Aixa must mean something to him- even if it was just a name he liked.

“Do you mind if I called you Aixa then?” Pippa asked, ”I don’t want to name you something you’d hate...”

Even though he did say he wanted to protect her, she didn’t want to make him change his mind by calling him something he didn’t like. Besides, who’d want to be called something stupid? Aixa stood up.

”I think we got off on the wrong foot, Pippa,” He said with a nervous chuckle, she realized that she did kind of threaten to beat him with a baseball bat. Wait... was he actually intimidated by her?! That was unlikely. He was probably just sorry for scaring her, ”Would you like help with dinner? It’s the least I could do after scaring you so badly.”

Pippa stood up, a little surprised with his request, then reminded herself that he said she was his mistress. That implies that he is like a... servant for lack of a better word. The mere fact that someone with such terrifyingly powerful abilities would devote themselves to serving another left her dumbfounded. Best not antagonize him lest he decide she was not worth protecting.

”Alright!” She drew a blank as to what ought to be made... she bit her lower lip, ”Erm, what exactly do you eat? You said no salt, is there anything else you don’t like or can’t eat?”

She forced a smile, hoping that he would stay friendly. Maybe she should remove the bat from the room... no. That would require walking past Aixa and losing her security blanket. Best if she just left that alone for now.

”Are you okay? From when you fell earlier and hit the counter.” Aixa asked, Pippa looked at her arm and squeezed it lightly. Ouch.

”I probably just bruised it.” Pippa sighed, rolling her shoulder, the pain in her back was gone, ”It’s OK, I’m always scrapping a knee or twisting an ankle....”[/size]

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“Kittens are one thing,” Pippa told him, “but talking, shape-shifting kittens are another,” she finished quietly. He frowned in response, tilting his head. Wasn’t a kitten a kitten regardless of its ability to speak? Humans were very intriguing that way. Perhaps they didn’t like other humans who could not talk? Or maybe they liked only the humans who couldn’t talk. He pondered the issue in his head silently. Personally, he would jump at the chance to meet a human who couldn’t speak. Still, if humans didn’t like cats that talked and only liked cats that didn’t talk, then what did that say for humans in gen—

“Do you mind if I called you Aixa then?” she asked. “I don’t want to name you something you’d hate.”

Aixa cut his thoughts off. He was over-thinking again. It was a very bad habit of his – although, to be fair, his mind was really the only thing that he had to keep him company. “Yes,” he said, offering a smile. “I’m sure whatever you could think of is better than some of the things I’ve been named. I used to have an owner who made me keep the form of a rabbit and called me Peter.” Aixa shook his head.

He watched as she stood to her feet, looking surprised. Surprised about what, Aixa couldn’t surmise. He had only offered to do dinner. He had done much more for other owners, although he had done much less for them as well. He tilted his head again. She was a cute girl – maybe not visually, although the Djinn could appreciate the innocent beauty which was certainly far from what he usually tried to woo. But her personality was cute, if a bit jumpy. Aixa took a cautious step closer, still trying to keep as far away from the bat as he could.

He doubted that she would begin to beat him with it, but he could never be too careful. “Alright!” she said, and he grinned. “Erm, what exactly do you eat? You said no salt, is there anything else you don’t like or can’t eat?” And then she smiled, but it looked rather forced. His grin faltered and he looked at the ground and retreated the step that he took.

“I used to almost-date a werewolf,” Aixa began, “and he wanted to be a chef. But he couldn’t be. I learned a few things from him, but mostly just how to make French toast,” he admitted. Aixa tapped his chin thoughtfully. “But humans cook all the time, so how hard can it be?” he asked cheerfully. He buried the slightly bitter feelings towards stupid Oliver the stupid werewolf, but then he realized Chaucer hadn’t been much better, and certainly not Leo-the-Time-Lord. “And I don’t really eat human food, but I know I don’t like blue cheese or the taste of spaghetti.”

Aixa frowned when she squeezed her arm. “I could fix that for you, if you let me,” he said. “Well, I could try at least. I’m still too young to be very powerful,” he rambled, looking down at his feet while he spoke.

Finally, he took two steps closer to her, still trying to remain as far away from the bat as he could. “Pippa Pettywood,” he began, pulling up his sleeves and grinning at her widely. “What would you like for dinner? Your wish is my command.”

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Good. Pressures of naming a complete stranger were lifted off of her shoulders. She let out a sigh of relief.

”Alright! ….Erm, what exactly do you eat? You said no salt, is there anything else you don’t like or can’t eat?”

“I used to almost-date a werewolf,” Pippa’s jaw dropped at those words. He couldn’t possibly be serious! Aixa continued, ”and he wanted to be a chef. But he couldn’t be.”

As these words came out, Pippa grew white again. He was serious.... werewolves were real. Pippa was never going outside during a full moon again.

“I learned a few things from him, but mostly just how to make French toast,” as Aixa tapped his chin, Pippa just gawked at him. How could he be speaking of such things so casually?! “But humans cook all the time, so how can it be?”

She swallowed and nodded very carefully, but not to what he said. She was completely withdrawn into herself... the new fear of a hairy man-beast breaking through her door and eating her was repeating itself before her eyes.

His voice brought her back to reality, “And I don’t really eat human food, but I know I don’t like blue cheese or the taste of spaghetti.”

”Ok.” Pippa said, realizing that she was in a lot more danger than she had realized before. Was her ownership over Aixa a deal with a devil or a savior from heaven? She didn’t even know how to wield a gun, much less where to buy silver bullets.

He asked about her arm and she explained it was nothing. Probably just a bruise.

“I could fix that for you, if you let me. Well, I could try at least. I’m still too young to be very powerful,” Aixa said, looking at his feet.

”I- well, that’s not necessary. It’s just a bruise.” Pippa said, a slight moment of curiosity toward his powers. If turning oneself into a cat and back wasn’t very powerful- what was?

He walked towards her. Ok. She was going to have to get used to this. Super powerful, could probably kill her in an instant, was going to be around for a while. They couldn’t just sit at opposite ends of the room for forever. She twisted her sweater nervously.

”Pippa Pettywood,” he said, pulling up his sleeves with a wide grin, ”What would you like for dinner? Your wish is my command.”

Dinner... he didn’t like blue cheese or the taste of spaghetti. So it would probably be a good idea to steer clear of tomato-flavored foods, especially pasta. She took a second to think, lips pursed as she ran through a quick list of foods to make. She did buy groceries, but those were storage foods; canned foods, dried fruits, and so on. Living by herself, her fridge tended to be on the empty side of things. If she knew she was going to have a guest, she would have bought something more appetizing. Then again, he said he didn’t really eat human food.... what did he eat then?

”Well, I don’t keep a lot of food around the house...” Pippa said, ”I could bake some potatoes and I have some cube steaks that I could fry... but you don’t eat human food, right? I could run to the store and get something that you do eat.”

Pippa was trying her best to not think of the worst case scenario... that he ate people.

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Aixa frowned slightly and tilted his head as Pippa paled. Was it something he said? Surely it hadn’t – he’d only mentioned how he had almost dated a werewolf. A small little flutter shifted as he thought about Ollie, and Aixa put a hand on his stomach, trying to fight the blush that was threatening his pale cheeks. He continued cautiously, rambling something about how the French made damn good toast, although to be fair he had never made British toast. He trailed off finally, because she still seemed to be rather shocked.

“Are you okay?” he asked finally, raising an eyebrow and putting his hands on his hips. “Is it because he’s a werewolf and I’m a Djinn? Or because I’m in the form of a man and he was a man? You humans don’t like that, I think,” Aixa said. “Well actually when I was created, I wasn’t a boy or a girl. I think human males are aesthetically pleasing,” he told her with a nod. “Although I do like how you look. You’re also moderately good-looking, Pippa,” he rambled. “I mean, not to be rude or anything. Is telling someone else that they are good looking considered rude?” he asked, looking at her with a tilted head. “I really must pay more attention to human interactions.”

“Ok,” she said. Aixa frowned. He hadn’t expected her to become his best friend within the day, but he had expected her to at least become moderately less frightened than him. “I- well, that’s not necessary. It’s just a bruise,” she told him, declining his offer to help. Aixa nodded slowly. Sure, he wouldn’t have trusted some mythical creature if one had popped up in the middle of his living room. Still, he was very worried about the state of their friendship if he couldn’t find a way to convince her that he was at least moderately friendly.

Definitely don’t tell her about Charlemagne, he told himself, and nearly chuckled thinking of what her reaction would be. He imagined probably a lot of screaming and revoking of their contract. And don’t tell her about the Nomad. But Leo was hardly his fault, right? He felt a stirring of guilt rise in his stomach and he sighed, disheartened. He had the worst luck with humans… and Time Lords. And werewolves. Oh, fine, if he were honest with himself he had the worst luck with everybody.

“Well, I don’t keep a lot of food around the house. I could bake some potatoes and I have some cube steaks that I could fry… but you don’t eat human food, right? I could run to the store and get something that you do eat.”

Oh, but she was simply precious. Aixa smiled warmly and shook his head lightly, seeing the apprehension she still had around him. “My body doesn’t work like you. I look like you, but that’s because I choose to. My true body is just a floating mass of… uh, well, nothing, which is how I followed you.” Still, he didn’t quite think that she understood his offer, because she was still talking about how she would make dinner. “I’m a Djinn, Pippa,” he said patiently, understanding that it was kind of hard to get used to for some people. “You just tell me what you want, I’ll make it.”

He grinned at her. “So, you know, I could make you cupcakes or cakes. Human females like baked treats, yes?” Aixa asked, looking determined.