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 Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:52 pm
Sarah:
Sarah sat on the bank of the clear stream by her den, running a paw through her hair in an attempt to straighten it out a bit. She had, after all, just woken up. And when she noticed she was still getting glitter out of it from her recent encounter with none other than his royal pain-in-her-side, she became part perturbed and part... well, a little guilty. She sort of felt bad that they seemed to have a trend of parting on unhappy terms, not that she SHOULD have cared, but it didn't change the fact that she did.
He kidnapped your baby brother and was a general a**, she reminded herself with a shake of her head. It seemed to be a mantra of sorts, reminding herself why she wasn't to tolerate the Goblin King.
Jareth:
In the distant, lesser populated, and heavily wooded area of the reserve, Jareth was draped regally over a branch of the ancient oak that he had recently turned into his Aboveground abode. Mismatched eyes were lost in contemplation as he traced the sky. Below, a soft tapping from the delicately carved door at the gnarled base of the tree distracted him from his musings. He blinked once without looking down and the door opened only slightly to allow a small crystal orb to roll out before it shut again. Flicking his wrist in an upward gesture, the crystal levitated up towards his perch before landing into his palm.
"Status report," he murmured, glimpsing into the depths of the sphere. There was a flicker of movement before a visible image came into view, accompanied by the voices of many chattering goblins. He listened to one voice in particular that was trying to talk over several others in the background. When the message was complete, he dismissed the goblin and the crystal went dark. A moment passed as the Goblin King looked at the formerly animated ball. As he allowed his mind to wander again, a different image appeared over the surface of the crystal, this time it was Sarah Williams, sitting next to the stream that was located near her den. The male's elegant brows furrowed as he thought back to their recent run-in, which had quite frankly ruffled his feathers with the way it ended. 'What did you expect?' he mentally reprimanded himself. 'To have her welcome you with open arms?'
Jareth scowled slightly to himself and sat up, having the need to clear up his head. As he began to unfurl his wings, he released the crystal from his grasp. He was gone before it hit the ground.
Not too far from Sarah's den, a solitary barn owl drifted on dead-silent wings between the autumn-aged trees.
Sarah:
Without realizing it, Sarah began humming as she shifted from fixing her hair to preening her wings. She had gotten them from her mother, just another reason why she mostly felt different from her family. She had these wonderful wings, and yet, her father and step-mother wanted her to stay on the ground.
After running the labyrinth, she had become much closer to her baby brother. To the point where she actually enjoyed and volunteered staying home to watch him from then on. She had worried her parents at that point, and after a while it seemed to get worse, especially when her step-mother began asking her why she didn't go out and mingle with other otters her age. She wouldn't explain herself on that. How could she? She just didn't get along well with normal otters. She had experienced too much to look at life and reality as they did, and that understanding isolated her from them and their world. All she had was her brother and her friends. And Toby didn't remember the labyrinth as reality. She'd chosen to tell him the stories, but they were only that to him. Stories.
The only true connection he had was through the lullaby she currently hummed. When they had returned, he had been so fussy. Nothing would sooth him to sleep. Until a soft song from a near-forgotten dream came to her. She could picture the dress and the other party-goers as she hummed the song to her brother, the tune lulling him to sleep. Had it been the song, or the originator of it? She wasn't sure which and in all truth, she didn't really care. All that mattered was that it soothed him.
Sarah closed her eyes as she smoothed her feathers, picturing the ballroom. She'd gone to a masquerade once after that, but it wasn't the same. The air wasn't as elegant or old fashioned. It had been modernized, less appealing to her. If she had been the social type, she might have tried to host one herself. But she didn't want to go to the trouble and no one attend. Her friends from the labyrinth might have, but... She loved them, but they were far from elegant.
And their king...
She didn't want to entertain those thoughts. It just... wouldn't work. She couldn't trust him.
Jareth:
The owl flew soundlessly through the forest. As his mind wandered, obsidian eyes scanned the ground. Swerving around the bases of trees in a swift motion, the predatory bird seemed to know where he was going without the need to look up. He smoothly pulled himself up until he was over the canopy, his body skimming the tips of the trees. He could see the expanse of the reserve this way, and continued to drift onward, with no destination in mind.
However, a sound reached him, penetrating his thoughts and nearly causing him to swerve. It was a very faint melody, but he recognized it almost immediately as the tune reverberated through his head, quickly forming words with it.
As such a sad love...
Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel,
Open and closed within your eyes,
Ill place the sky within your eyes...
He had tried to forget that song, but nothing could ever erase that memory. The images were flooding into his head now; he could visualize the ballroom clearly. She was searching through the crowd of guests... searching for him... he teased her around the ballroom until she found him. He sung softly to her as they danced. Everything was going so well until she tore away in desperation to continue the course to find her younger brother. He had been so close...
Jareth winced. It felt like someone was driving a dagger into his chest. He wanted to pull away from the music, fly as far away as possible from that painful sound. However, he could only feel himself being lured towards it. The fact that someone else was humming the melody provoked him.
'Perhaps...'
He made a graceful arc in the air before lurching forward, diving down towards the canopy. His body seemed to slip between the thicket of leaves without making a sound. The barn owl tipped his wings, gliding a few feet over the ground as he followed the soft hum of the lullaby. He silently fluttered up to the branch of an oak as he found the source of the sound to be a young femme sitting by a stream. The bird ruffled his feathers as he looked down at the winged otter from his perch, not needing to see her face to know who she was. He felt a bittersweet mixed feeling of amusement and sadness as he watched Sarah preen herself. "I'll be waiting for you... as the world falls down..." he murmured, his voice a faint whisper on the wind... perhaps just clear enough for her to hear...
Sarah:
Sarah froze as still as a statue when she heard the voice. Was it just a figment of her imagination? No, no it wasn't. The words, the voice had been too clear for it to just be something in her mind. And it could only be one other creature. Certainly not her baby brother, she had never used words, only the tune. Only she and the one who had sung it knew the words. And that she would be caught by said male...
Should she say anything? How could she explain herself over that?
In the end, she decided to take the coward's way out and just pretend it hadn't happened. She slowly turned, a soft frown on her face.
"Do you make it a habit of watching females grooming?" she asked, tilting her head a bit as she blinked at the owl.
Jareth:
Jareth couldn't help but grin slightly on the inside as Sarah tried to cover up the fact that she had been humming one of his songs. To mimic her gesture, the owl cocked his own head to the side and blinked with a questioning hoot in response, as if to say 'Whooo, me?'. It was hard to tell whether he was being smug or not, as birds generally didn't have a wide range of facial expressions. He then began to make a sound that seemed like the owl equivalent of chuckling. What came next was his voice, but it was through telepathy as he couldn't speak from the small beak. "Only with pretty females." he cooed.
The barn owl began to preen his wing. "Tell me," he voice murmured. "Why that of all songs?" It wasn't easy to tell whether there was any emotion in his voice that time. Once he finished smoothing out his feathers, he turned back and look at her expectantly.
Sarah:
Sarah didn't know whether to be flattered or sarcastic over his comment. She decided to shrug and roll her eyes at that comment and looked away. When he "spoke" again, she swallowed slowly. What could she say? Just avoid it?
"Toby liked it. I was remembering when he was little," she finally replied. It was true, of course. Not the real reason, but at least it was A reason.
"You know the bird thing is a little silly. What with you having wings and all."
Jareth:
The barn owl remained quiet for a moment. As Sarah implied she used the song with her little brother, Jareth couldn't help but feel a spark of emotion flutter up inside of him. "Did he now...?" he spoke quietly, trying to seem like he wasn't giving the notion much thought. "How is the little scamp?"
A particular word in Sarah's next comment struck him, and with that any sense of solemnness was dropped from his being.
"Silly?!" he squawked indignantly, quite taken aback. As his feathers ruffled up at the remark, a cloud of glitter seemed to poof out with it, encasing him until the glamour of his owl form fell away, leaving a rather flustered-looking Goblin King on the branch in its place. "I'll have you know it's to make me look less conspicuous." he huffed, glitter flicking out from his nest-like hair and similar wings from his former guise. To Jareth, owls were very regal creatures. Certainly, he was no exception! In fact, he was a very handsome specimen, if he did say so himself.
Sarah:
Sarah smiled softly when he asked about Toby, though he probably didn't see. She was facing away after all.
"When I left, he seemed fine. Like a normal otter his age. Making our parents happy," she said, unable to keep the fondness for him out of her voice. Out of all her family, it was her brother she missed the most. Before the incident with Jareth, it would have been her real mother, but after that she had attached herself to her baby brother. To the point where she almost hadn't left. But in the end, she needed to grow up and set out on her own. Find herself a home and territory of her own. Maybe start a f- No. That hadn't been in her plans. It should have, but... Wasn't.
She bowed her head and her shoulders shook with a soft laugh at the image of indignation she conjured when he defended his disguise. She slowly shook her head and glanced over her shoulder at him, a smirk on her face.
"You know, there are a number of otters with wings like you and I here, from what I've seen. The owl's more conspicuous than your true form."
Jareth:
Jareth looked at her in contemplation, with a small 'hmm' of understanding in response. He wouldn't have been surprised if Sarah had grown closer and more appreciative of her little step brother after running the Goblin King's Labyrinth for him. She did, after all, face dangers untold and hardships unnumbered to win him back. The owl-winged otter couldn't help but think back to the time when Toby was with him in his throne room. He wondered if the child remembered the faintest memory of the Labyrinth now...
Unlikely.
It took a moment for the glitter and his feathers to settle. With a thoughtful huff, Jareth ran a gloved paw through his silky, star-kissed hair. He knew the existence of the angelic otters here. It was easy to differentiate the pawful of them from the others in the wildlife reserve. Still, it seemed to be more likely for a winged otter, or any otter at all, to be targeted here in the Oasis as opposed to what seemed to be a mere owl. "I've come to find that not all... characters here are worthy of trust. Despite appearances, wings or no, I prefer to remain in the unknown."
In all honesty, the fae could pick out the intents of the wicked and tainted without having to be wary of every inhabitant in the reserve. He didn't need to hide his true form from the deceitful either, but preferred it, as he normally did in this realm. The truth was, he had been concerned why Sarah came here of all places, but she didn't need to know that.
"Besides," he added, his mood shifting to a slightly teasing demeanor as a small grin crept onto his mouth. "I must have a way to preserve my other-worldly elegance from the unprivileged ones somehow~"
Sarah:
"Repetitive it may be, dare to tell me it isn't true, Goblin King?" Sarah asked with a small flick of her hair. The ribbon tying it behind her ear waved a bit with the action. She had found it not long after rescuing Toby and... well, she couldn't help but wear it. She hadn't expected to see Jareth again, hadn't really thought about it. In fact, she still hadn't. Whether or not he noticed it wasn't on her mind.
"Indeed. I'm starting to think that your hair is actually really short and that your ego made your head so big," she replied with an amused smile. Maybe she should hold back on the teasing a bit. But... if she didn't, then things got awkward, and that wasn't something she wanted to deal with. She much preferred their teasing.
Jareth:
"Like I said before," he murmured huskily, though the tease was still evident in his voice. He padded closer and reached up to gently tuck a small, stray strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb fondly caressing her elegant ribbon in the process. "Only the charming ones can earn my attention~"
His silver-blonde mane seemed to deflate slightly at her belittling comment to his ego. He gasped and looked at her incredulously. "How dare you bring my hair into this!" Jareth pulled his paw back to subconsciously touch one of the strands on the side of his face and gave her a mortified look. "I should bog you for assuming my locks are anything short of their true splendor." he muttered in a false-terse tone. It was obvious that the seriousness in his voice couldn't really be taken seriously, even if he really was a little fond of his unique hair style.
Sarah:
Sarah's eyes widen a small fraction when he touched her hair, but she didn't make any comment on it. And she figured it'd be best to just avoid his comment on her being charming. That would lead down that more awkward road if she couldn't find some smart quip to respond with.
And at that moment, she was at a loss for words over that.
She smiled more, though, when her comment about his hair "distressed" him.
"Jareth, your hair is too distracting to not bring it into a discussion. If it were any more outrageous, I would think the rest of you would go almost completely unnoticed," she replied with a laugh in her voice.
Jareth:
Jareth had much preferred when he nearly captivated Sarah into a phased state -- or so he thought he did -- but her remark seemed to be sinking in, deeper and deeper, leaving him in a flustered state of his own. "Outrageous?" he echoed, miffed by the word. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed peevishly, schooling his features to prevent himself from pouting. "I suppose some otters can't appreciate the charm of a king when they see it." he stated nonchalantly, the fin of his tail flicking, as though trying to rid himself of seeming bothered by the remark. Jareth was silent for a second, then thoughtful. "Really, Sarah," He flicked his wrist, conjuring a crystal to occupy his gaze as he rolled it about over his paw before glancing back over to the femme, the familiar smirk tugging slightly at the corner of his mouth. "You expect me to believe my hair's the only thing you recognized me by~?"
Sarah:
Sarah rolled her eyes and shook her head again.
"Outrageous as in bold, Goblin King. And you think I always take the worst of things." Her voice held a bit of chiding though still good-natured. She stood then and paced away from him. Jareth was invading her personal space again and wasn't comfortable with that.
"I've noticed that you have a habit of tracking me down. I can't help but wonder why. I'm sure there are other things more important than following me about. Being a king and all," she pondered allowed, glancing back at him with a part teasing, part genuinely curious look.
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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:53 pm
Jareth:
Jareth merely "hmph'd" at her statement and allowed his gaze to flick back over to the crystal that he was currently twirling around his paw. From the corner of his vision, the Goblin King watched Sarah move away and could only chuckle deviously in response. "Are you still that mistrustful of me, precious? Intimidated, perhaps?" he cooed teasingly, never lifting his eyes off the orb.
He gave her next remark some thought. While it was true that he had the uncanny ability to track down people or places in a matter of seconds (he did have centuries of experience under his belt, after all) their meeting today was entirely unintentional. "More important? If you're talking about me having to deal with the annual havoc of flammable servants hurtling chickens and spontaneously combustible tankards of goblin ale at each other in the throne room, I assure that's not due until...." he glanced up, as though checking an invisible clock. "A half past thirteen tonight." he stated quite simply.
"....It's a traditional thing."
"Admittedly, I had not expected to come across you today, Sarah. Your serenading just happened to reach me as I was flying nearby." he paused to give her a smug grin. "Isn't it just the strangest of coincidences?"
He had actually been in search of something else when he had been flying over the reserve. It wasn't of dire importance to track down today. Besides, he had goblin scouts hidden about the Oasis as well that could report to him when needed.
Sarah:
Sarah tossed her hair a bit, intending to be saucy.
"You never really were a very trustworthy individual, Goblin King," she replied with a sort of half-laugh. "Not so intimidating anymore, of course, but not trustworthy, either."
She listened to him ramble on about the goblins and their little "traditions". She actually missed them, at least a little. They were funny little creatures, when you weren't trying to get somewhere important fast. And when you didn't have to clean up after them, as well.
And then he went back to being his smug self and brought up what he had caught her doing earlier. Her posture stiffened just a little, her body facing the steam by which she had made her home. That he had caught her was annoying. That he kept bringing it up... She would rather be babysitting a score of goblins.
"Doubtful. If you must know, I hum when I miss Toby." She paused there to sit up and cross her front legs over her chest.
"Not that I would expect you to understand that," she added, though her tone was a much lower mutter.
Jareth:
"I did have my title of antagonist to uphold," he noted, titling the crystal until light reflected from it and onto his attire, causing it to shift until he was wearing an outfit similar to the one he had worn in the Escher room. "Really, Sarah, you didn't think that I didn't know the ending of that story, did you?"
Jareth blinked as Sarah stiffened-- she was clearly agitated with what he said before. Though he wasn't entirely sure why. A sense of bemusement remained visible on his features. "Don't need to be so cross about it, Sarah. You wanted to know why I was here, and I told you, it was coincidence." In all honesty, he hadn't asked her to explain herself, though he should have assumed she would be so peevish against him knowing something like this. He thought it was sort of flattering, for her to remember that song, even if she was humming it for another reason.
The male visibly twitched at the femme's next remark as she accused him of not knowing what missing someone felt like. The negative turn in topic did not go amiss. Though he tried not to appear too skeptic about it. "Ahh, my apologies~" he murmured, his features failing to give away what he was truly thinking as he placed his paw over his chest. "I forget how my cold, villainous heart is devoid of feelings sometimes."
Sarah:
"Exactly." It came out before she really thought about it, but even to her own ears it sounded... false, like she didn't mean what she said. Sarah's muzzle creased a bit as she stared into the water.
You're being unreasonable, a little voice in the back of her mind said and she inwardly huffed. She WANTED to be unreasonable, dangit. Messing with the Goblin King was tricky business. No doubt if she let him, he could hurt her, crush her even. Being unreasonable towards Jareth was the safest thing so far for her.
But she didn't want to end it on that note.
"Okay, I didn't mean it. It just came out..."
Jareth:
Mismatched eyes narrowed in contemplation, as though he were to follow up in a most unforgivable manner. However, Jareth only tipped his head back and smirked. "I'm glad we can finally agree on something," he quipped in return, with the slightest bittersweet edge of sarcasm in his clipped accent.
He was suddenly leaning over her shoulder, or at least, that's what the reflection in the water appeared as. He was really just a couple feet behind her, though he manipulated his voice as though he were whispering right into her ear. "Ahh, there you go speaking before you think again. I'm sure what you really meant was that I haven't got a heart at all, right precious~?"
Sarah:
Sarah's eyes had closed when she had finished speaking, listening to his own words. It sounded like he was right beside her when he spoke about what she "probably meant". That he would assume something like that even in teasing riled her and bit and she frowned.
"That wasn't it an-" She had opened her eyes then and started at seeing his visage right over her shoulder in the water. That was a lot closer than just beside her and damned if it didn't make her jump just a little.
She whirled around to face him, surprised that Jareth was actually some steps away from her. He must have used his magic to appear that, and that really annoyed her. Ears flicked back and eyes shooting from wide to narrowed, she growled a bit at him.
"That wasn't funny, Goblin King," she hissed out between clenched teeth.
Jareth:
Jareth arched an elegant brow in amusement as he refrained from looking utterly conceited. Instead he only chuckled to himself and raised his paws up in defense. "Now, now, Sarah. Clearly that depends on who's side you're looking from." he countered wryly. There were very few who were used to the Goblin King's sense of humor. Goblins were not among these few. Then again, they had a hard time following up anything humorous outside of their own form of comedy.
The male flicked his ear and sighed in a lackadaisical fashion. "I'm sorry, were you expecting me to be..." he stood and moved right in front of her in a couple of fluid steps. "...closer?" He looked at her expectantly with a calm smile (albeit, those sharp canines of his always made him look more devious than intended) and seated himself. "As you were saying before..."
Sarah:
Sarah stood her ground as he approached her, tilting her head back a bit to stare him down, eyes remaining narrowed at him.
There was no way she would let him have the upper paw. No power over her and all that.
"Never mind," she shot back right after she had turned her head towards her left shoulder. She stood her ground, her action something of a dismissal. It was clear she was still paying attention to his presence, but she was doing her best to focus on something else to ignore the lack of personal space.
"You really do have personal space issues, don't you?"
Jareth:
Jareth smirked at her dismissive stance, but remained still all the same. She didn't think he'd back down that easily, did she? Though his attempt at looming over her menacingly was a failed one at that, especially since he didn't look nearly as domineering without that infamous dark armor he wore the first time he appeared in Sarah's parent's bedroom. "But I'm ever so curious to know~"
He raised his brows in amusement as she took notice of the space between them, or lack thereof. "I do believe you'll have to enlighten me on this 'personal space' concept, precious." he cooed, tipping his muzzle forward. "Besides, I think you're the one with the issue."
Sarah:
Sarah's narrowed gaze flicked back to the Goblin King and she squared her shoulders a bit, wings fluffing almost imperceptibly. In fact, she hadn't even realized she'd done it.
"Personal space is the area around you in which you feel is the proper buffer between you and another person. When someone invades your personal space, they are so close to you that it is uncomfortable," she explained slowly, in a tone of voice one might use with a child that hadn't been told of a concept just yet, the corner of her mouth twitching ever so slightly upwards, trying to contain a small smirk. Oh, she knew how she had said it, she'd rather done it on purpose. If he got indignant, she was hoping he'd step back in that mock-offended manner of his.
She hadn't counted on the possibility of him coming closer just to antagonize her.
Jareth:
Sarah's derogatory tone earned a disgruntled huff from the Goblin King. He reclined his neck ever so slightly to study her through narrowed eyes, but failed to budge otherwise. "Well look at that," he sneered sarcastically. "You learn something new everyday."
He tipped his muzzle down, looking rather bitter from the femme's attempt at mockery (which had worked, not that he was going to admit it). Jareth took a split second to look at Sarah in contemplation before the disdainful frown was slowly replaced by his infamous wolfish grin. "Ahhh, Sarah..." he murmured, taking her chin in a gloved paw and tipping it upward until her muzzle was an inch from his, the tips of strands of his pale hair brushing her forehead slightly. "You should know by now that it is not in my area of expertise to make people feel... comfortable." he growled softly in a devious manner.
Sarah:
Sarah watched as his expression became angry and bitter. Well, she hadn't really been going for that, but whatever worked, she supposed.
She hadn't counted on him switching gears so fast.
In the blink of an eye, her chin was resting upon Jareth's paw, her head tilted back enough until she was looking up at him properly, noses almost touching. If she had come up with some reply to his remarks, it had quickly fled her mind, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake. Her eyes widened a fraction or two and a soft blush showed beneath her pale cream fur, pink and only visible enough. Her mouth was opened slightly, as if she had been about to say something. Had she been? She couldn't remember. She needed to get her thoughts together, but they were getting lost in blue and brown eyes.
Jareth:
Jareth purred softly in a low, amused chuckle as Sarah seemed to be at a loss for words. "Sar~ah," he cooed quietly in a teasing tone. "Don't tell me you haven't got a witty retort to follow me up with~?" He leaned forward just a tad more, until his nose was a hairs-breadth away from the smaller angelic's. "Now, now precious," he whispered before giving her a chance to respond. "Where's that fiery spirit of yours~?" His mismatched leer stared temptingly into Sarah's emerald eyes before his head tipped slightly to the other side as he kissed her. It was a soft kiss, but a kiss nonetheless.
Sarah:
Sarah grit her teeth slowly at his words, trying to formulate that witty, fire-filled retort he seemed to be after. And she had just almost gotten one, too, but at that very moment, he kissed her.
The smaller angelic's eyes widened and for a brief moment started to flutter closed.
And then something in her brain screamed out a warning and she realized what she was doing.
With a growl brewing in the back of her throat, her paws shoved against his shoulders, pulling herself back away from him.
"You- You- Perverted fae b*****d," she hissed, shoving him more forcefully, this time trying to push him away. How dare he! She should have- How dare he!
Jareth:
A look of shock briefly crossed Jareth's features as Sarah growled and pushed herself back, but the initial startled appearance was as quickly replaced with bemusement. "...Ah there it is~" he quipped, whiskers twitching in amusement at her flustered stance. "I was beginning to wonder if--"
The male was cut off as Sarah hissed an insult before shoving against his chest. He was quick to react this time, grabbing her wrists and preventing himself from staggering backwards. "You should know how an assault on a king is considered a very treasonous act." he growled, though his entertained features failed to drop, making it hard to decipher if that was a threat, or just his form of being playful. He sighed, straightening up as he rolled his eyes. "It was just a kiss to bring you to your senses, precious. Don't act like I just snogged you." There was a humor to his voice, but with a serious undertone. The amusement gradually dropped from his features, replaced by uncertainty as he loosened his grip. "Next time... don't leave yourself so open..." he murmured softly, no tease or biting edge behind his voice this time (though it seemed that he was trying to mask concern) as he released her wrists and retreated a step back.
'Way to go, old chap,' his inner thoughts sneered reprimandingly at his conscience. 'Do you really want to leave off the same way you did last time?'
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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:56 pm
Sarah:
Sarah's eyes remained narrowed and her ears flicked back, but she didn't struggle against his hold. She didn't really see a need in it.
"I don't care if it was heavy or not you shouldn't ha-" she began, but his face changed again, and so did his tone of voice. When he told her not to leave herself open, her expression turned from eyes narrowed and a frown in anger to eyes narrowed and a frown in... for the most part surprised confusion. It wasn't Jareth's words, but the way he said them. Was he concerned for her? No, that didn't make any sense. At least he didn't realize the power he had over her. Or, at least she didn't think he did.
He stepped back and Sarah let her paws fall to her sides, her expression remaining the same.
"What, afraid someone will take advantage of me, Highness?" she asked, though there were no negative emotions in her tone. It was a quiet, passive question, her eyes locked on his, though this time she kept her wits about her.
Jareth:
The Goblin King's mismatched gaze met Sarah's emerald stare, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. Realizing his mistake in letting a sliver of concern show (just because he felt it didn't mean she needed to know it), he flicked his ears back the slightest bit and guarded his expression. Jareth indignantly turned his head away a degree or two to hide his resentment for letting an emotion slip so easily. Whiskers twitching, he huffed peevishly with a sort of child-like annoyance. "You make it sound as though it were a difficult task, love." he retorted in a bland tone, trying to appear indifferent to cover up for his mistake of letting his guard down for a second.
A moment passed for Jareth to consider his own words before he screwed his eyes shut and sighed. "Do try to keep your guard up around here. There is a very thin line between those you want to trust and those you should."
Sarah:
Pop. Moment gone.
Sarah's frowned deepened as she watched him for a few moments before turning away.
"I don't want to trust anyone here, least of all you, Goblin King. I came here to live my life apart from my parents," she replied, crossing her front paws over her chest. Her frown turned sad at her own words, but she knew it was right. She didn't want to trust anyone because she couldn't tell when they were going to turn on her. Hoggle had taught her a valuable lesson in that. He... redeemed himself, but she still wouldn't eat anything he gave her if she was the only one eating. She sort of hoped he didn't notice, but the trust issue was there nonetheless.
She could barely trust her own friends. The last creature she wanted put her trust in was Jareth.
Jareth:
Jareth's whiskers turned down in a sort of pout as Sarah turned away.
Damn. He was being condescending again. He really needed to stop that. Ahh, how old habits died hard.
"Ah yes, forgive me, I forget how hard it is to lay your trust in the fantastical king of goblins who so ruthlessly whisked away your brother-in-distress and cast you into a maddening labyrinth." he murmured facetiously; not with a sarcastic or sneering tone, but rather in a light-hearted and humorous way. The poor girl was probably a little set off by his continuous change in mood, but he didn't want this encounter to end with a bitter note, such as it did with the last meetings.
A short moment of silence passed, as the Goblin King pretended to capture his attention with flicking glitter off of his burgundy sleeve. He began to faintly hum the same tune that Sarah had recalled earlier, before stopping to consider something with a slight grin.
"...Even if he was dashingly handsome with a charming, brilliant allure, wouldn't you agree~?" he cooed with a soft chuckle.
Tipping his gaze up from his sleeve to look at the angelic turned away from him, Jareth blinked in a peculiar manner before speaking softly.
"I dare say, this new independent streak of yours, breaking away from your family to start life anew... it's rather becoming of you, Sarah."
Sarah:
Don't flatter yourself, Jareth, you aren't the only one, Sarah thought, her eyes darting around to find something to focus on, something to get her thoughts off of her trust issues. The rustle of cloth drew her attention back to her "companion", glancing over her shoulder at him to see what he was doing.
"You think so very highly of yourself, don't you Goblin King? I'm surprised the walls of your castle weren't mirrored," she shot back with an almost saucy tone to her voice, turning her head again and crossing her paws over her chest. A small smile crossed her face at his comment about her independence, her wings fluffing up a bit in a flattered manner of their own accord.
"I figured it was time to be on my own." The admission came in a controlled tone, Sarah doing her best to sound neutral.
Jareth:
Jareth's ear flicked up in a curious gesture as Sarah glanced back over her shoulder at him. However, her next remark earned a bemused tilt of his head and a snort of amusement. "As enticing as the idea is, I'm afraid a castle full of mirrors and goblins isn't a very delightful combination, love. Besides," he added coyly, pursing his lips with a nostalgic huff when Sarah turned away again. "I've steered very clear of using mirrored walls since the last incident. I'm sure you're remember the ballroom, hmm?" He gave the girl -- or at least, the back of her head -- a brazen look with an elegantly arched brow. He didn't intentionally try to sound like a prat when coming up with a witty retort to match Sarah's saucy tone, but he figured her memories of the ballroom must haven't had been all bad if she had a fondness for that song... A point in which he was being extremely careful not to bring up again.
A small, knowing smirk crossed Jareth's lips when the other angelic's wings fluttered up at his compliment, giving him indication that she acknowledged it. "Hmm, as fitting as it, who's to say under this new, rebellious, solo-guise, there isn't still a daring sense of... adventure~?"
Sarah:
Sarah's ears flicked back slightly and her lips pursed together. She should have known where that comment would get her, but she had tried to write off that... incident as nothing but a dream. That the Goblin King remembered it only proved that she was in the wrong, at least to an extent. It may have still been a dream, just not her own. And that bothered her.
It had been nice to remember it on her own, as if it was some private dream she had once had, but to know it really had been shared by her dance-partner made that bit of privacy crumble away.
Plus, she didn't know who had come up with the idea, though she could easily blame it on him. She supposed it had once been her dream... but no, not anymore. She didn't want to be a bedtime story princess. She just wanted to be herself.
"I doubt you really care. It was another distraction to waste away my time and it wasn't like you had put any obvious doors for me to leave through. I had to get out somehow," she replied, a soft growl lurking behind her words. Her wings wrapped around her like a cloak, then, hugging herself as if she was cold.
"I'm not looking for adventure. I think I had my fill a long time ago."
Jareth:
Sarah's remark stabbed Jareth in the chest like an iron dagger. "...Is that all it was? Just a distraction?" his clipped accent muttered somberly. Eyes hooded, he glanced away. Of course there hadn't been any obvious doors in the ballroom. She was never meant to leave. No... that wasn't entirely true. He didn't want her to leave. But Sarah, being the ambitious and firey spirit that she was, had to make an exit herself. In the end, a near-blissful moment had turned into a bad dream and all fell apart.
"I would appreciate if you didn't make a habit of assuming what I do and don't care about, precious." he said, his tone changing from terse to leveled within the single statement.
As their conversation carried on, the air around them seemed to be gradually getting colder. Literally.
Jareth could faintly see his breath fog out in front of his maw, but he had a feeling that wasn't the reason why Sarah cloaked herself with her wings. Rather, it almost seemed like she was trying to isolate herself from him. And in a way, (that he wasn't entirely sure how) it bothered him. Like she was giving him the cold shoulder. It didn't help that she was still turned away from him as well. He was the type of person who preferred facing someone when he spoke to them.
Jareth sighed softly, mottled wings flicking at his sides. If they were ever going to get anywhere with this, he needed to stop bringing up the past. He hoped enough time had passed for her to be a little more lighthearted about the whole ordeal of running the Labyrinth, but clearly he was wrong. It was hard to let bygones be bygones when she still appeared to hang on to some of the events like a bitter grudge.
...That and he was the last otter she'd want to lay her trust in.
The Goblin King rose to his paws and hesitantly padded over to Sarah's side with a small shake of his head. "Ah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah..." he murmured, his voice softer now, with a tinge of light-hearted amusement. "Still taking things so literally." He sat down and ruffled his wings. "You don't have to fight your way to a castle to do something new and exciting on a whimsy~ Afterall, isn't that what an adventure is~? Going off to do something daring and impulsive?"
Sarah:
"Wasn't it...?" Sarah's question was soft and she was rather annoyed at herself for sounding so uncertain. A part of her, down beneath the attempt at logic and to make her life a little bit normal, wanted to think that it wasn't just a distraction. But she had been young, immature, and just a normal female in comparison to him. Sure, she was not a normal otter like her father, step-mother, and Toby, but she was only gifted with flight. She wasn't some kind of creature from stories. Not to reiterate young and immature. How could it have been anything else?
"I suppose it's hard to think of going off to live on your own as an adventure when you've done the things I have. I think, this just feels normal to me," she finally said after a sigh of her own. Jareth was at her side then and she hugged her wings around her more as the world chilled. It did little to help, as her wings were thin. They were better off fluffed and tucked at her back, but then the rest of her would be chilled. With another sigh, she stretched her wings tighter around her, watching as her sigh came out in a small, slow cloud.
Jareth:
Jareth let her inquiry hang in the air, giving her a glance that could only be translated as 'I don't know, you tell me.'
Perhaps she had just regarded it nothing more than a dream that she woke herself from in haste to find her brother. At some point, it had been just a dream. But the fateful day that she ran the Labyrinth, that mere vision had in fact been fabricated into a reality. One that Sarah dispelled when she smashed the mirror with a chair, but a reality nonetheless. He began to wonder what might of happened had she continued dancing with him, in his arms for the rest of the time remaining, but quickly banished the thought from his head.
At Sarah's remark about how it was hard to have an adventure in comparison to running the Labyrinth and so on and so forth, Jareth gave his head a small nod to the side in consideration. She had a point. However, he couldn't refrain from pretending to give her a shocked look. "You mean being sent into another world to rescue your half-brother isn't normal for you?" he gasped. "My goodness, I would have never of guessed." he teased lightly before glancing away again with a small smirk of amusement to himself.
From the corner of his vision, the fae noticed the younger otter wrap her wings tighter around herself. Perhaps it was his presence. Perhaps she was just chilled from the slowly dropping temperature. Either way, he sighed. Without looking down at her, the wing folded at his back flicked once before fanning out and loosely draping behind the smaller angelic. Not close enough to press onto her shoulders, but hopefully enough keep her from stiffening up so much. His whisker twitched, as though he was being nonchalant about it. "Come on now Sarah, it'll do you no good catching a cold."
Sarah:
Sarah snorted at his remark and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer," she replied with a small smirk of her own. She felt something drape over her and she glanced over to see a brown, barn-owl wing lying over hers. It added more warmth that she would have imagined and she came to the conclusion that he was either cheating with magic to keep warm, or that males were just unfair and generated more heat. Recalling her younger life, she decided it was the latter and that males were just lucky jerks.
With an attempt at an annoyed or at the very least a partly exasperated sigh, rather than the pleased one that tried to escape, she scooted closer to him for the warmth.
"I doubt I'll catch a cold. If it was raining, that would be another story, but as you can see, it's just getting chilly out." She did her best to sound calm and not charmed or surly. She was in part both, happy for the gesture and perturbed at herself for being so.
Oh, give it up. It's not like he has Toby again or anything. This isn't a fight again, just talking. Sarah frowned at her thoughts and blinked. Well, that was true, she supposed. Maybe she should give Jareth a little bit more slack...
Jareth:
The male chuckled lightly in amusement at Sarah's response, feeling more smitten with ease now than he did several moments before. Mainly due to the sparrow-winged otter warming up to him, if not just a little.
...Speaking of 'warming up'.
The Goblin King was briefly caught in a perplexed state as Sarah's motion closer to him did not go amiss. The look of bemusement on his face was as quickly replaced by his former grin as he pretended not to take notice of her gesture. Although, to anyone who looked up at his mismatched gaze, the smug glint in his eyes was evident.
"I know," he murmured casually in response to her statement. "But to someone with a villainous heart devoid of warmth, like me, it seems a lot colder." he purred in a tease.
"Although... I could make it rain, if you'd like,"
Jareth looked expectantly up at the sky before glancing coyly back at Sarah, where upon his light grin split into a devious smile as a single rain drop dripped onto the smaller angel's nose, noting her he was tempted enough to do it. Peering down at the fallen rain drop, the fae's dual-colored eyes glinted in amusement. "Intimidating, isn't it~?" he cooed playfully.
Sarah:
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"You know, for having a heart devoid of warmth, you sure do generate a lot of heat," she responded, her tone soft in kind to his own murmured statement. "Or... perhaps it's just hot air."
When Jareth mentioned that he could make it rain, so casual a statement, Sarah frowned slightly. For a moment, she thought he was just teasing, messing with her. She knew he had powers unlike any other creature she had encountered, but she didn't think he had control over things like the weather, outside of the Underground, of course.
And when a drop of water landed on her nose, she turned that frown completely on him, unamused as she brought a paw up to wipe the water away.
"That's not funny. I'd rather not get rained upon and I would think you wouldn't either," she shot back, her ears flicking back a bit as she somehow unconsciously tucked herself a bit more into his wing, trying to get shelter should more raindrops fall.
Jareth:
Jareth gave her an injured look. "You really know how to hit a man's ego, don't you, love?" he muttered in a false-offended tone at her 'hot-air' remark.
The Goblin King watched in amusement as Sarah huddled a bit further under his wing as a precaution. "Afraid of a little water, precious~?" he teased holding a gloved paw out. Another drop of rain fell to the center of it, but stopped in mid-air, hovering just an inch over his palm. "Much to your relief, I assure you that I'm rather fond of this vest, and I would very much hate to get it wet." he quipped in all seriousness, taking great pride in his attire.
The truth was, when it came to controlling the natural laws outside of his own realm, swaying mother nature (without the right conditions) was a rather arduous task. In short, he had been bluffing. But he wasn't about to reveal that part to her, especially since he could potentially alter the weather... it would just drain most of his energy in the process.
"Besides, I think you'll find, when given the proper conditions," he looked back at the raindrop floating over his paw (plucking droplets of water from the sky was a simple enough procedure for him) and watched as it crystallized before dissolving into thin air. "...nature can be a rather curious thing." No sooner had the raindrop vanished, a white speck of ice drifted onto his dark glove, gradually followed by others.
Sarah:
"I try," Sarah shot back with a small smirk, her attention focusing on the drop of water. It wasn't that she was afraid, rather that she didn't want to catch ill, which had been the subject of the beginning of this conversation. Plus, rain water would be colder than the spring she lived beside, and she had already made it rather clear that the chill in the air was uncomfortable.
"Then I'm glad you care more for your wardrobe than my health. At least I won't catch ill from rain and cold," she added in an almost sullen mutter, her annoyed mood returning a bit when she really thought about it. She knew it was a tease, but really. She'd said she thanked the lack of rain because if it had been she might catch ill with the combined rain and chill weather. And his reason for not messing with the weather was because he liked his vest. The more she thought about it, the more her features darkened, but she didn't leave his side, drawn begrudgingly to the warmth, no matter how much she disliked the owner of it at that moment.
"Curious and hurtful," she continued in that muttered tone, staring at the snow on his glove. "So much danger is hidden behind what others call beautiful in nature."
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:24 am
Jareth:
The Goblin King arched an elegantly curved brow at her response before smirking teasingly. "What? Intimidated by my lively sense of fashion, love? Challenged by it?" he cooed playfully. While Jareth was fond of keeping his ever-changing appearance in check, he couldn't help but give Sarah a piqued leer for responding to his remark so bitterly.
The thought of a river otter falling ill from being wet during the winter was a perplexing concept indeed. Then again, these mortals were rather fragile creatures, and Sarah Williams may have not been adjusted to this weather just yet. He sighed at her irritable mood, pulling his wing a little more snugly around the smaller angelic, acting as sort of a cloak to keep her warm. "Do you really think it was in my intentions to allow you to fall ill?" he responded, giving her an inquiring, yet knowing look.
Jareth gazed up at the sky as flakes drifted down from the heavens on their own. "Ahh, but that's what makes it so wonderful~" he murmured, shifting his attention to the snow in his palm, upon which it began to levitate then swirl around in a small sphere. "Given a change of heart, nature can change from cruel and malicious to something beautiful and serene... Or vice-versa, depending whether you're looking at it from the half-full or half-empty half of the cup." he muttered softly, casting Sarah a curious glance from the corner of his peripheral.
Sarah:
Sarah gave his inquiring look her own mildly curious one.
"You seemed to have a habit of putting me in dangerous situations." Come one Sarah, quit it. She sighed and shook her head.
"I suppose not, though," she added and glanced up at the swirling snow above his paw. Half-empty, half-full, which side did she take?
Both, she supposed, depending on her mood, but wasn't that everyone? If you were down, you tended to look at the world in such a way. And, well, this was the time of year when she had spent most of her time in the den with her family, staying warm. Before she left, she would only leave the den with one of her parents or Toby to get food then it was straight back to the warm huddle. Here, she was alone. No one to huddle with or talk to, so she couldn't bring herself to stay in the den like she used to. Her parents had always taught her to be careful of the cold, especially in the water.
Sometimes it was really not fun to be on her own, she thought, grateful for once that Jareth was around.
Jareth:
A mildly peeved look crossed Jareth's features as his whiskers twitched at her remark, though his disgruntled reaction was extremely brief and hardly noticeable to the untrained eye. In some sense, the girl did have a point. He wasn't exactly her knight-in-shining-armor while she was in the Labyrinth. Didymus had more or less taken that role... though the Goblin King had never really come to terms with that minor detail.
Continuing to watch the swirling mass of snow above his paw (which hadn't faltered once in it's jovial cycle), the owl-winged otter smirked slightly to himself. "Ahh, but you must agree that going through the effort of forcing you to be bed-ridden from the common cold would be a step down from my normal methods, wouldn't it~?" he cooed in a slight tease. Though, for a change, it was nice to be sitting next to Sarah rather than sending the Cleaners hurtling after her down a tunnel.
...Right, best not to bring that up either.
Sarah:
Sarah smirked and opened one wing slightly, giving Jareth something of a light whack to his side before curling it back around herself.
"True, but I'm never really sure what lurks about in your mind," she shot back, watching him play with the snow. It reminded her of a flurry, and how she wasn't much of a fan of snow. Too cold and plain, and when it had fallen in her old home, usually everything else was or seemed dead and barren.
Sarah was slowly forgetting herself, slipping into a sort of ease with the male beside her. Maybe it was the banter, not touching on overly sensitive topics or maybe it was the warmth or maybe she had finally talked herself into trying not to be such a shrew. Whatever it was, she was certainly becoming more at ease.
Jareth:
Jareth snorted softly in amusement at the playful demeanor in her retaliation and gave her a coy look in return.
"Mmm, I'm sure you don't want to know." he murmured huskily in a tease, offering her a wry grin.... although there seemed to be a distant look in his eyes. The Goblin King's mind was almost like the Labyrinth itself. There were so many twists and turns within his subconscious. Usually when people thought they had him figured out, they wound up hitting a dead end.
The snow swirling over his palm was entwined with bits of glitter now (his magic seemed to have that effect on everything) as it wound itself into a ball, slowly being encased by a gradually forming crystal. He lowered his gaze, feeling the ease radiating from his companion. Whatever he had been distracted with before, it seemed insignificant at the moment.
Sarah:
Sarah smiled a bit more, but then Jareth spoke. She could hear the tease in his voice, but the tone and his words led her mind to wander to what could be lurking there. It was actually a scary thought on several levels and adding the closeness didn't help matters. A shiver passed through her and she couldn't decide whether she should slip away or not.
"Are... Are you making something, or just playing?" She was questioning the swirling mass above his paw, but her question could have other, broader implications.
Jareth:
The Goblin King tipped his head slightly to the side at the other angelic's reaction to his tease and gave her a bemused glance before chuckling to himself and shaking his head softly. He supposed his sense of humor didn't rub off on everyone the same way, though... Sarah had her reasons to be doubtful. Ah well.
He blinked at her question before switching his attention to the mass of snow over his paw, which was now entirely encased by a frosted crystal. "Ahh, this? Just capturing the elements, love~" he cooed with a small wink. "A bit more complicated than your average... how do you mortals call it... snowglobe?" He tipped the crystallized sphere to the side thoughtfully, watching as the shimmering flakes of snow danced and swirled within.
The serene moment was lost as an odd look drew upon his features. His whiskers twitched and gaze became distant as he inhaled sharply.
Someone was being wished away...
Sarah:
Sarah stared at it in contemplation for a moment. Though she wasn't a fan of snow, she did like the crystals he made, and the snowglobe-like object was rather pretty. She reached a paw out to touch it, wondering if he would let her. He had given her one on their last encounter, hadn't seemed to mind and at least that one hadn't turned into a snake like the very first one.
Her paw faltered at Jareth's sharp intake of breath and she glanced up at him, mouth opening slightly to reply before snapping shut.
"Something up?" she asked lowly, tilting her head ever so slightly to one side. He had a look about him that she couldn't place, and she felt the air of familiarity between them slowly slipping away.
Jareth:
Jareth shook his head gently after being hit with "The Call" and looked back down at Sarah with an apologetic smile. "Ah, pardon the sudden uncertainty. It seems some poor fool is being wished away." Though, given the circumstances (aka: The boy's argument with his girlfriend, which was now playing clearly in His Nibs' mind), the young chap probably deserved it.
He sighed wearily, knowing the longer he held up, the stronger the tug of the wish's Call would become on him. Or worse, the goblins would think something was wrong and would come looking for him in a flailing mass of arms and legs.
The older angelic glanced down at the crystal, watching as the snow inside shimmered before rearranging itself to appear like white petals swirling around the interior of the sphere. "Do forgive my unexpected departure... Please take this as a parting gift." he murmured, placing the crystal in Sarah's paw. Despite it's frosty appearance, the glass ball seemed to emit a strange warmth. "The snow will reform itself to whatever want. And I promise it doesn't bite." Jareth added teasingly before he reluctantly recoiled his wing in preparation to take his leave.
Sarah:
Sarah frowned a bit at the explanation, reminded of her own mishap in summoning the Goblin King. But she shoved the thoughts down, reminding herself that that all in all, the lessons she learned in the Labyrinth were probably the most valuable in her life. And it had brought her closer to Toby and gave her a sense of maturity, if at something of a price. But... had it not been worth it in the end?
She didn't say anything as she took the crystal, the warmth from it spreading from her paws and up her legs. Rolling it about between her paws, a small smile spread over her features.
"You sure this one won't turn into a snake and then a scarf and a goblin, Jareth?" she asked, but instead of being bitter like it might have been earlier in the conversation, it was simply a return to his teasing, a bit of a laugh in her voice. Green eyes flicked upwards to look at the Goblin King, her smile teasing.
Jareth:
Jareth smirked fondly at her counter-tease and tipped his head to the side in a coy manner. "Now why on or under earth would it do that~?" he purred deviously. "Really Sarah, I know a full thirteen hours without my presence can become rather tedious, but if you're really that desperate to need a goblin to kick around to entertain yourself, they're only a summon away~" The Goblin King added dramatically in a facetious manner, all the while brushing a stray strand of platinum blonde hair from his visage in a lackadaisical fashion.
As much as he would have liked to stay around and continue with the playful banter, unfortunately for the Fae, the wish's Call continued to beckon him at a louder and stronger rate. He huffed softly in reluctance, moving to the side as his Escher-room attire slowly began to transmute itself into the infamous obsidian armor he wore the first night Sarah encountered him in person. As Jareth's image gradually began to fade, he grinned softly as he reached up to lightly cup Sarah's cheek. "Until next time, precious~?" he murmured with a small wink before his wings flared out behind him in one swift motion.
There was a small flurry of motion and glitter that surrounded the Goblin King, and within a heartbeat, his avian form was lurching gracefully upward into the darkening sky, leaving behind a solitary white feather to flutter down to the spot he had been sitting moments before.
Sarah:
Sarah rolled her eyes, having no intention whatsoever of summoning goblins. Yeah, some of them were kinda cute in their own ways, and funny for certain, but she really didn't want to have to worry about them getting into trouble. Or her things. SPECIFICALLY her things.
She felt a chill go through her as she recognized the outfit he changed into and was reminded of that night long ago. Of how scared, surprised, and worried she had been.
But that was in the past, and she had been little more than a pup then. There was no reason to fear the male before her, not at the moment. Oh, he could probably give her reason to fear him, and it probably wouldn't be that diff-
His paw was on her cheek then, stopping her wayward thoughts. Next time, he said, but it sounded like a question. And before she could get a word in edgewise, or even enjoy the warm paw on her cheek, he was in his owl-form and flapping away.
"Next time, indeed," she said as she watched him fly off. He'd taken most of his warmth with him, and as she could see her breath again, she decided a nap was in order. She returned to the confines of her den and wrapped herself around the crystal and its warmth, her eyes closing just as the swirling snow within shaped itself into a nocturnal bird of prey, winging its way through the thickly falling snow.
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