Alibaba swirled out of the lamp in a mass of smoke and sparks, intending to tower over whoever this latest fool was. "WHO DARES SUMMON THE.... ouch!" His entrance was ruined as he bumped his head on a low ceiling. Cursing briefly in Arabic, he rubbed his head and then resumed his thundering introduction. "...THE GREAT DJINN ALIBABA!?"
This was a small room, cluttered and dirty. His nose wrinkled at the odor of dirty socks and sweat, and he glared fiercely around until he spotted a figure cowering in the corner, hands thrown up over his face. Good - the mortal might not have seen him bump his head.
"I'm sorry!" From the voice it was a young male, past puberty but not by a lot. "Shit! I never believed any of that magic stuff! I thought it was all fairy tales!"
Alibaba scowled. The Djinn had been written off, literally, as figments of imagination, fantasy creatures that lived only in myth. Where he and his kind had once inspired awe and respect, the most common reactions now were terror and fears that the person had lost their mind. Or worse, that Alibaba was some impressive practical joke created by human science. At least this time the fool believed what he was seeing. "STAND SO THAT I MAY SEE THE FOOL WHO PLAYS WITH FORCES HE DOES NOT....." The djinn stopped, seeing the boy cringe. He was sobbing, pressed into the corner and shaking. Remembering his resolve to try something different, Alibaba sighed and assumed the form of a boy about his new master's age, dressed in the same type of clothing. He drifted down and sat on the edge of the messy twin bed. It took another minute for the terrified teenager to look up, and confusion was obvious in his wide eyes.
The teen looked around frantically, then stared at Alibaba. "Wha... where is...?" He flushed suddenly, still terrified, but now trying to hide his fear. "Who are you? How did you get in my room?"
The Djinn sighed. "You didn't hear me the first time?"
Wiping his eyes on the back of his arm, the teen scrambled up, still pressed against the wall. Alibaba was pleased to see that he had made the boy wet himself in fear. The teen saw his look and dropped his hands over his wet crotch. "Dammit!" Fresh tears started up, this time in embarrassment. Feeling an unaccustomed flicker of pity, Alibaba waved a hand and the young man's clothes were clean and dry. "Cease your wailing, boy. I will not hurt you. At least not yet. And grown men have soiled themselves far worse than you when they first beheld me."
After a glance down confirmed the change of clothing, his new master managed to calm himself. "Uh, you're the...genie?" He was hesitant, probably afraid that he was imagining things. He swallowed. "Ali-baba? Did I say that right? I'm sorry if I got it wrong, really!"
Afraid the boy was going to burst into tears again, the djinn searched his memory and managed to remember how to smile. "That was not too bad. What is your name, my soon to be doo..." He stopped. "Sorry. Habit. What is your name, Master?"
"Leon." The teen remained against the wall, but lost a little of the terrified look. "Leon Carter." He was slender and looked a little stretched-out, probably going through a growth spurt. Alibaba guessed his age to be about 16. "Man, you sure don't sound like Robin Williams!"
That cursed movie! Alibaba scowled, fresh anger boiling at the mention of 'Alladin'. While a few parts were not completely wrong, most of the depiction of the djinn was insulting pap for small children. He forced back the anger when he saw Leon cringe back. "That... fiction was not a good representation of my kind. But it is probably all you have seen." He smiled again, this time have an easier time. "Leon. That used to mean lion. Draw strength from your name, young master, and show less fear. I demand respect, but do not need your terror."
"Are you really a genie?" The boy still looked frightened, but now uncertainty was growing - doubts about what he had seen, struggles to deny the possibilities of magic.
"Yes. And to help you believe..." Alibaba cocked his head and thought a moment, then gestured. A swirl of sparkles obscured Leon for a moment. When they faded away...