Call me Fany

The girl who was stilll shivering as she spoke stared wide-eyed at the being that just spoke. “A-are y-you a ghost?”

The being smiled and disappeared only to reappear beside her. “Do I look like a ghost?”

“You a-act like a g-ghost,” she continued to stutter and Jessica shook her head knowing that the mysterious being was enjoying it.

“Just tell her what you are, Fany. What are you even wearing?”

The mysterious being looked down and said, “This is my pyjamas.”

“Is that what you did when you disappeared earlier? You were stuck inside a lamp for a thousand years. Don’t tell me you still haven’t had enough rest while you were in there.”

“I still need to sleep. It’s better than being here and boring myself to death.”

T he girl, who still had absolutely no idea what the two were talking about, gawked at the mysterous being. It had no legs. How could it say it’s not a ghost when a third of its body was missing and it appears and disappears at will. It even floats...and it’s pink.

She continued staring at it and scrutinizing what it was wearing. It wasn’t enough that it was pink but she also had to wear pink. It was wearing what seemed to be a silk nightgown that goes down to her...whatever body part that was where her legs were supposed to be.

“Ouch,” she yelped in pain as she was poked a little too roughly on the arm by the said being.

“Are you listening?”

“What?”

“Ugh! I said you can call me Fany.”

“Pany?”

The mysterious being was not amused. She was not going to sit there while her name gets butchered by some weirdo in green. She winked and told the girl to say her name once again.

“Fany.” She covered and said it again, “Fany.”

“That’s it. Don’t wear it out though.”

“What are you?”

Fany’s eyes twinkled and Jessica, Soo and s3c knew what that meant. Seconds later, the lair was filled with bright lights, a full blown orchestra on a huge stage with dancers and ten flamingos that formed into a pyramid with the pink being on top, singing her heart out.

When she was done with her production number, everything magically disappeared and the lair was back to its original, icy state.

“I’m a genie. Call me Fany.”

She was on top of the girl’s lap and Jessica pushed her off right away when she saw their guest’s uncomfortable expression.

“Meanie,” the genie mumbled.

“A genie? You’re kidding, right?”

“You could pronounce ‘F’s properly now because of one wink from her and you still don’t believe she’s a genie?” Jessica asked rhetorically.

“But...that’s impossible.”

“Oh, honey. You have a magic carpet and a genie in front of you. If anything’s impossible, it’s Jessica doing a good deed but she’s already done that by saving you earlier so seriously, nothing’s impossible at this point.”

Jessica glared at the genie and Fany brought her hand up to her eyes and removed them, throwing them across the lair. “I can’t see your glare, Jessica. It doesn’t work on eyeless beings like me.”

The guest was, to say the least, freaked out that the spot where the genie’s eyes should be is now just a void.

Jessica turned her attention to their guest. “What’s your name?”

“Taeyeon.”

“Well, Taeyeon, don’t look so scared. She’s not going to do something bad to you, unless I tell her to.”

“Correction, Jessica. Unless you make a wish, a valid one at that, I’m not going to do anything to anyone.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jessica waved it off, “whatever. I don’t care about the technicalities.”

“Wait, you saved my life earlier?”

“That she did,” Fany answered.

Taeyeon mumbled a thank you. As embarrassing as it is, she’s never had to say thank you to anyone. It was always her who helped people and not the other way around. She looked at the genie and although she’s still doubtful, she’s starting to believe that the pink being in front of her is a real genie who could grant people’s wishes.

“How many wishes do you grant people?”

“Three, of course. What, you’ve never experienced having a genie before?” Fany joked.

“Can I make a wish, too?”

Fany was supposed to answer but Jessica beat her to it. “No. I’m her master.”

“Jessica’s correct.” Fany put an arm around Jessica and said, “And because you’re correct, you won two wishes which you can claim now.”

“Two extra wishes?”

“Of course not. You’ve won two wishes that you already have in the first place.”

Jessica arched a brow. “Which means I didn’t win anything.”

“Exactly.” The genie deadpanned.

“Idiot.”

“How did you become her master?” Taeyeon inquired.

“By letting her out of the lamp.”

“If you only have two wishes left then that means you’ve already had your first wish...which is?”

Jessica opened her arms and looked up. “You’re looking at it.”

“This is your first wish? To have a place made of ice...?”

“What? Do you have a problem with it? It’s comfortable,” Jessica defended. She honestly thought it was the best first wish anyone could ever have. She looked at Taeyeon who was gripping the blankets tightly and pulling it towards her body closer. “Are you still cold? You already have three blankets covering you.”

“Not everyone is like a polar bear like you, Jess,” said the genie who’ve magically transformed in a pink polar bear that had caught a salmon in its mouth.

It amused Taeyeon but Jessica found it annoying.

Something bothered Taeyeon and she couldn’t help but voice it out. “Why didn’t you wish for wealth? Why not wish to be the most powerful human being?”

“One, because I don’t need wealth. I could get by every day—“

“By getting by she means, stealing food from small time merchants.”

“—by being resourceful,” she glared at the genie once again, “Two, why would I want to be the most powerful being? Being the most powerful would mean having people around you that would always aim to pull you down.”

Teyeon narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at Jessica. “You steal from small time merchants?”

Jessica didn’t like the tone Taeyeon was using.  In fact, it offended her greatly. “Those small time merchants are scums and it’s not like I steal money from them. I only steal food to feed myself and Soo!”

Out of nowhere a pink recliner appeared and Fany sat on it comfortably. A popcorn also materialized on her right hand and she started munching on them as she watched Jessica and Taeyeon’s heated argument.

“What about you? I recognize those men that were aiming their weapons on you. They’re Khan’s men. I’m sure you did something to piss him off because if you didn’t, he wouldn’t waste his time on punishing you. You know they’re coming after you as we speak, right? Khan doesn’t like looking like a fool.”

“So I stole from him, big deal! It’s not like I stole things for myself. Whatever I stole from him, I gave back to the villagers whose village he and his men attacked.”

Jessica gave her a round of applause and Fany grinned, knowing very well that her master was getting all riled up and was already resorting to sarcasm.

“Well, look at you, you little saint. Has anyone ever told you that the end does not justify the mean? Do you want me to give you an award for helping those villagers?” She put out her hand and Fany knew what she wanted. A trophy materialized on Jessica’s hand right after Fany winked.

 Jessica gave it to Taeyeon and the latter almost hurled it back to the sarcastic girl when she saw what was engraved on the trophy. “World’s Kindest Thief”

“Whatever you do with the things you stole, you still stole them and that’s still WRONG!”

Jessica whistled to beckon the flying carpet. Moments later, only Taeyeon and Fany were left inside the lair.

“I’m sorry about my master. She’s a little too hot-headed. She might come off as a selfish prick but really, if you try to get to know her, she’s actually pretty nice.”

The pink genie disappeared and Taeyeon was left to ponder on a couple of things.

She knew stealing was wrong but she always justified it by saying that she’s never kept a single cent and gae it all back to the less fortunate, to those who badly need it but what if Jessica was right. What if all those rich people she stole from also had families that they needed to support. She’s never really thought much about it. All she knows was that the rich are a bunch of greedy people who only got their wealth ecause they took advantage of the weak and the poor.

---

When itwas time for dinner and she’s gotten enough food from the nearest village, she came back to her lair with Soo, still riding the flying carpet.

She looked for her genie but she was nowhere to be found. She was guessing she was inside her lamp again. She noticed that Taeyeon was still on her bed, sound asleep.

She frowned. Here she thought the girl was going to leave her lair after their squabble earlier.

“This thick-skinned, hypocritical, small-sized girl,” she muttered.

She started munching on the food she stole and gave a bit to Soo. Her pet monkey tugged on her sleeve and stared at the sleeping guest.

“I am not giving her any of these.”

Soo jumped over the bed and placed her piece beside Taeyeon.

“Soo, that’s your food. If you think I’m going to give you another one, you’re wrong.”

She turned her back and continued eating.

---

Taeyeon woke up with an abundance of food beside her. She started looking for Jessica but she was nowhere in sight.

The pink genie suddenly appeared beside her and pointed up to where the s3c was. She squinted her eyes and saw a foot dangling on the edge.

“Jess is sleeping there. She got you those food, by the way. Told you she’s not selfish.”

Soo jumped on the bed once again and grabbed an apple which she happily ate.

“Must be nice being a monkey. You don’ have to worry about things.”

She could’ve sworn she saw the monkey sighing before it went back to its business.

---

dang it! pretty much everyone figured out it was fany. oh and i forgot that i decided to call the flying carpet "s3c" because i was waching star wars the other day and you know, the robots there, r2-d2 and c-3po it was inspired by that. also, i'm not going to state a specific timeline because if i do that i won't be able to play with things too much.