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The sun was harsh and unforgiving, beaming down upon the bustling city of Agrabah. On this particularly scorching day, a blond man dressed in ill-fitting garments weaved in between the shadows of houses lining the sides of the street. As he did, he could hear the distant shouting of guards- which he was certain were after him. A few moments passed before the voices got farther away, and during this moment of peace the man leaned with his back pressed against the cool brick wall.
Wiping his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, Reigen reached into his pocket with his other hand and pulled out his latest find- or rather steal. A lamp- presumably made of real gold based on how heavy it felt in his hands. He brought the lamp closer to his face, looking for any dents or scratches. Surely this would sell for a hell of a lot somewhere, and then he wouldn’t have to spend his day evading guards and leaping from rooftop to rooftop. After being satisfied with his inspection, he went to safely store it away- but before he had the chance to do so it slipped from his hands. Luckily his reflexes were sharp, and he managed to catch it mere moments before it hit the ground. Due to the sweatiness of his palms the lamp started to slip once again, and he fumbled to bring it closer to his chest.
It all happened so fast.
Before he knew it, smoke started to pour from the spout, and the lamp started to vibrate. Startled, Reigen dropped the lamp with a noise of surprise, holding a hand to his face to prevent inhaling the smoke. Squinting his eyes, he noticed there was a purplish tint to the smoke- and it started to move in a spiral motion. He could make out the faint outline of a person inside said smoke, much to his confusion.
You’d think with that dramatic display, something special would have happened.
But nothing did.
Instead there was… a boy? He couldn’t have been older than 14. He wore a rather bored looking expression, his black eyes practically piercing through Reigen. “Where… where the hell did you come from?!” The older man had regained some of his confidence, scrambling to pick up the disregarded lamp as he turned to run away.
“Wait,” the boy called out softly. “Aren’t you going to make a wish?”
“What the hell are you talking about?! What wish?”
The boy scratched his head, glancing between the lamp and Reigen. “Well... you rubbed the lamp, right? You summoned me?”
There was obvious confusion between the two, neither quite understanding the situation they were put in. Reigen hesitantly responded after a pause of silence. “Are you saying that you’re a genie?” He asked, brow raising skeptically. After a nod of confirmation from the boy, things soon began to click in his brain. He’s heard of the tales before, but he didn’t actually think they were real. In fact, he would have thought he was joking, had it not been for the fact that he witnessed him coming out of the lamp firsthand. At this point the idea of selling the lamp was out of the question- a genie was something much more valuable to him.
But then again… there was a part of him that felt bad for using a kid like that. How did he even get the position of a genie anyways? Any questions he had would have to wait- he figured it was only a matter of time before the guards would come back.
“You’re bound to this lamp, right?”
“That’s correct, I’m bound to whoever is in current possession of it. That is unless… nevermind.” The boy tilted his head slightly towards the ground.
“Unless what? Spit it out, kid! I wanna hear it.” Reigen persisted.
“Well… that is unless I’m wished to be free- but that’s a very unlikely occurrence. It almost never happens to genies.”
There’s another lull in the conversation. Reigen bit his lip, frantically shifting his gaze between the lamp and the end of the alleyway.
“Say, what's your name?”
“Shigeo Kageyama, but… most people call me Mob.”
“Alright, Mob. I’ll wish you free- but on one condition.”
The boy’s eyes practically lit up, and he jumped at the opportunity. He nodded once, ready to fulfill any request made of him.
“I want you to accompany me from now on. I’ve been living on the streets for a while now, but you... you suddenly appearing must be a sign! In fact, you’ve given me an idea!”
“I have…?” Mob asked doubtfully.
“Of course! If Genies are real, who knows what other supernatural entities exist. And there’s sure to be some real bad ones out there. With your powers and my… wit,” Reigen coughs. “I’m sure I could make a lot of money off it! What do you say, Mob?” The older male outstretched his arm, flashing a charismatic smile towards the genie.
Mob, unfazed, simply shrugged, taking a hold of his hand while shaking it a lot less enthusiastically.
“Thank you, sir! Uhm… your hand is really sweaty.”
"I know."
Reigen pulled away, wiping his hand with the fabric of his pants. “Alright, Mob. I’m ready to make my first wish,” he stated matter-of-factly. The sudden sound of shouting interrupts their conversation, three of the guards from before pointing down the alleyway towards the blond.
"There he is!"
“But first… we need to get out of here.” The stress of the situation caused him to let out a chuckle, and in a panic he grabbed Mob’s hand.
“I’m on it boss, don’t worry.” Mob said with a determined expression.
“It’s Reigen. Just… call me Reigen.”
“Alright, Mr. Reigen. Hold on.”
“Wait, what are y-” Before he can even respond the genie whisks him into the air, eliciting a rather high pitched scream from the man as they flew out of the alleyway- leaving a group of confused guards behind.