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Tweak says, "Hive of scum and villainy"

Jareth (goblin_king) wrote in labyrinth_rpg,
@ 2009-03-22 20:29:00

Entry tags:

armand, arrival, caspian, cathal, cimorene, claudia, complete, day four, edward cullen, faith lehane, gabrielle, giselle, hermione granger, ianto jones, jack harkness, jareth, juniper golding, legolas greenleaf, mercy thompson, ned the piemaker, nymphadora tonks, olive snook, pandora, robin of locksley, rose tyler, sarah williams, schuldig, severus snape, tara maclay, the doctor, willow rosenberg, xena, yaten kou, yuna

Who: Jareth and everyone!
When: Day Four, evening
What: The King 'invites' everyone to his masque...
Where: Jareth's castle
Rating: Anywhere from G to R, I suppose
Status: Complete

It had been raining earlier in the day, but it had cleared up a short time ago. Jareth looked out the window of his massive ballroom, empty for now, and felt a little bit disoriented by the fact that the Labyrinth had just disappeared. Of course, he'd made it happen, but it had been a long time since he'd felt so exposed. But he couldn't very well have people needing to wander through the Labyrinth, could he? And the two who had been running it had been transported to the castle already, and he knew from the screams of rage that they were being dressed at this very moment.

The king smiled and turned away from the window, checking out his ballroom. It was quite spectacular, with a large orchestra pit, many snack tables, and, of course, lots of empty space for dancing. This, he figured, would be a night to remember. He snapped his fingers and peered into the crystal that appeared there, scrying on each and every person he'd brought to the Underground. Some, he knew wouldn't come on their own, and he sent crystals floating out to ensare them. Of course, some might just be strong enough to resist that pull, so he had goblins standing by to bring others in. Whether willing or not, everyone would be attending, he'd seen to that.

Dressed in his finery, with an evil looking mask in the guise of a leering demon, he walked over to his throne. Draping himself casually over it, he waited. People would be arriving anytime, now. He didn't fool himself for a moment that some wouldn't take this chance to attack him, which was why he wasn't precisely there. Anyone who tried to attack him, he knew, would find their useless effort wasted against what was no more than a projected image.

He gestured, and a goblin slave brought him a glass of wine. This, he was convinced, was going to be a night to remember.

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lady_summoner
2009-04-06 09:41 am UTC (link)

Yuna wasn't done. Not even close. But until she'd thought more about this, she needed to stand back and watch for awhile. Withdraw and regroup, and attack again with a better strategy. It wasn't like Jareth seemed to really care that she'd attacked him, aftr all, so she had the time to do so. It was annoying that she couldn't finish this now, but it was very, very obvious that that was the case.

Still, there was no point fretting about it. And it would be rude to not pay attention to Snape, especially considering the man had tried to help her. The fact that she hadn't needed the help didn't take away from the attempt, in her opinion. "He does, he has to, and I will find it."

A slight flush of color appeared on her cheeks, and she bowed quickly. Talking about her power, even as indirectly as he had done, always made her slightly nervous. "Thank you. I will try." She smiled slightly as she rose, and took a glass of champagne from a passing tray, gulping it down. After awhile, when she'd recovered sufficiently from the embarassment of being told she had 'impressive strengths', she was more able to speak.

"What has your experience here been? I haven't been here that long."

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severelyseverus
2009-04-07 10:33 pm UTC (link)

Snape followed Yuna's example, taking a flute of champagne for himself. It was an excellent vintage, though likely not from Champagne, he reflected. He was relieved that the girl's politeness had convinced her to gloss over his shortcomings, and also that she seemed to have decided to cease her attack, for now. He couldn't say he really diagreed with her goal of finding Jareth's weakness, only that if he had that knowledge, he wasn't sure he would ever use it.

"I have not been here long either, truth be told. I arrived two days ago, and my experience has primarily been one of arranging my new living quarters to my satisfaction. I have spoken to some of our fellow inhabitants, and they have all arrived recently, as well."

He thought about the drunken man in the pirate costume and the American witch he had met. The experiences had been harmless enough, even stimulating in their way. He wasn't sure that either of them had what it took to make it through the Labyrinth, however.

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lady_summoner
2009-04-08 01:08 am UTC (link)

Yuna had never drank anything more alchoholic than apple juice before. The champagne was sweet enough that she had no real idea that she'd had anything different. Yes, it tasted odd, just a little bit of a strange tang to it, but she brushed that off. After all, there were many different types of food and drink here, and much of it tasted strange to her. She did feel a bit dizzy as she glanced down into the cup, and blinked.

"This is a strange drink..." She set the class down, and then looked up at Snape. Everything seemed just a tiny bit softer, somehow. Nothing that was horribly alarming, really. She smiled at the dark-haired man, which was a little unusual for her.

"I see. I have met a few people as well. I didn't know any of them from before, either from Mirage or... home."

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severelyseverus
2009-04-09 12:07 am UTC (link)

Snape narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Yuna drink the champagne. Did she know what she was drinking? More importantly, did she know it was alcoholic? (Did she, for that matter, know what alcohol was?) Snape suspected the answer to all of those questions was no. Anticipating swift effects, the wizard kept his eye on the young woman, and was rewarded by a sweet smile. Snape's face twitched as his instinct to respond in kind warred with his panic at not knowing the exact proper thing to do next. If that hadn't taken up so much of his awareness, he might have wondered why he cared.

"Well, it seems we are all in the same situation, then. What will set us apart, I expect, is how we each choose to act in this situation. You, of course, have set a dramatic example for us all, with your impressive resolve to take action directly against our host and monarch. Do you mind if I ask whether you intend to proceed with this strategy?"

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lady_summoner
2009-04-09 01:56 am UTC (link)

Yuna was oblivious. Normally, she would have been studying his face, and even though she might not have said anything about it, she likely would have noticed the twitch. However, while not exactly even so much as tipsy, she was affected by the alchohol. So she just continued to smile softly at him, unaware of the fact that she was doing it, really.

She flushed slightly. Impressive resolve? She hadn't thought of it that way, and had a hard time thinking about it now. Again, it slightly embarassed her. "Me? Oh... I..." She glanced at the floor for a moment, then laughed a little. "Do you know, I have no idea? Isn't that a bit strange? I need to find something, some way to get home, but... Anima didn't work. Maybe I could try Bahamut..."

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severelyseverus
2009-04-09 11:58 pm UTC (link)

Snape found himself bemused by his conversational partner. Her smiling was ... endearing, and her unexpected eagerness to throw herself back into the fray was alarming but admirable. He admitted to himself that he respected Yuna and even could be said to enjoy her company. He took another sip of champagne.

"Maybe you could try another day. I don't think any of your aeons will have much effect. The king is either shielded somehow, or is some sort of invulnerable decoy. While I respect your direct approach, I think this nut will be a little harder to crack. It's not that I think you should give up, you understand."

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lady_summoner
2009-04-10 01:14 am UTC (link)

Being who she was, she thought deeply about everything that was said to her. Even if she didn't decide to go with something someone suggested, she certainly would spend time considering it. So she listened with a sort of grave attention to him, and nodded finally. This time, she found she did agree. The approach she'd tried didn't work, so she'd have to think of another. It wouldn't hurt to take time it figure it out.

"You're right. I need more information than I currently have." She sighed slightly, and then perked up a bit. The alchohol was definitely helping her mood, if not much else. "Um... would you like to dance?" It seemed to be what everyone else was doing, as far as she could tell, so why not?

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severelyseverus
2009-04-11 10:46 pm UTC (link)

Snape nodded, pleased to hear that Yuna had seen reason, as he saw it, and would not be launching any more attacks on Jareth that night. He was intrigued by her drive, of course, and was interested to see what she would attempt next, but was relieved that he would not have to rescue her from any more foolhardy gestures for the rest of the evening. Taking another sip of champagne--it was rather good-tasting--he was prepared to fade back into the wall-hangings when he was surprised by Yuna's invitation.

"Dance? Why... of course. It is a ball, after all. What else should we do?"

Paying attention to the music, Snape wasn't sure he knew the steps to this measure, but was resolved to give his best effort. Yuna had done nothing to deserve anything less.

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lady_summoner
2009-04-12 03:41 am UTC (link)

Yuna, of course, being from another world, had no idea how to even do the dances that she saw around her. In fact, for the most part, the dancing that she knew was not done for entertainment. She'd learned the dance that was used for the Sending, but not really anything else. Still, it didn't look too hard.

Of course, if she thought about it too much, she'd be a little bit concerned that there was so much touching involved in it. Her culture wasn't much for casually making physical contact, really. But in her current state, it seemed like a good idea. So she smiled and offered him her hand, copying some of the other couples she saw on the dance floor.

"Alright... um... I think you put your hand here..." She placed it on her waist, hard as it was to find under all the layers of kimono, "And then we hold hands, like this?" Well, it seemed similar to how others were dancing, in her untrained eye.

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severelyseverus
2009-04-14 01:11 am UTC (link)

Snape allowed Yuna to place his hand on her waist, and held her other hand as she had indicated. The hold was not so different from some popular dances he had learned in the past, not that he had taken many opportunities to practice them over the years. Still, at least he did not feel required to reproduce one of the formal dances he had been taught step by excruciating step. He was not sure he remembered even one of them from start to finish.

Listening to the music, Snape began to move his feet in time with the metric proportions. Proportions were something he understood well, being proficient in numerology and rhythmic incantation, not to mention measuring ingredients for his potions. Leading naturally, he was soon traveling with Yuna around the dance floor.

"Well, this isn't so bad, is it? Do you dance often?"

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lady_summoner
2009-04-14 03:15 pm UTC (link)

Yuna had a natural sort of grace, which was a good thing. Otherwise, it would have pretty much been hopeless for her to learn this dance that she'd never seen before, that she had no frame of reference for. So, as he started to lead, she naturally fell into step with him, allowing him to control the dance.

As the music progressed, and she got more confident in the simple dance, she stopped concentrating so hard on what she was doing and focused more on him. His question caught her by surprise, and she hesitated for a long moment before shaking her head. Her eyes looked a bit sad for a moment.

"Summoners... only dance for the Sending."

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severelyseverus
2009-04-14 11:44 pm UTC (link)

Snape found the dance a rather enjoyable exertion, and had no complaints about the company. Less than none, actually. Yuna was a natural dancer. All of her movements were not only in perfect time, but they complimented and enhanced his own in a fitting synergy. It was truly elevating, and Snape found himself wanting already that they should find another opportunity to do this. He was, therefore, slightly worried when his comment, which had been intended as pleasant conversation, evoked a fleeting expression of sadness.

"The Sending? And what is that? A cultural event?" A light went on. "A ritual of farewell?"

As a wizard, Snape was very familiar with ritual. A wizard used rituals for many purposes, both happy and sad, and once the sequence of gestures and words had been begun, it was very dangerous to interrupt it, no matter how unpleasant. Perhaps being a Summoner was not so different from being a witch.

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lady_summoner
2009-04-15 06:00 pm UTC (link)

Yuna stopped dancing, her eyes shining briefly with grief, though she didn't cry, didn't even really tear up. But there was definitely emotion there. He looked up at him, her face half obscured by the mask, and slowly nodded. "The Sending... it frees the spirits of the dead to go to the Farplane, and not become fiends."

She sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Only a Summoner can do this, Send the spirits on. If we don't, then more become fiends, more innocents die, and on it goes until there's no one left."

With a slight incline of her head, she stepped away from the Potions Master. "Forgive me, Professor. It is late. I feel I should go. Thank you for the dance."

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severelyseverus
2009-04-15 11:31 pm UTC (link)

Snape stopped dancing when Yuna did, respecting her emotional needs. She was clearly moved to grief by this topic, and he briefly wondered if it had been too callous of him to ask about it. Truth be told, however, he was fascinated by her explanation, containing, as it did, so many other fascinating and unexplained concepts. Her Sending was definitely a ritual, and clearly a significant one in her spiritual culture. Yuna was clearly an important person where she came from. How different to the old days in Britain, before the separation, when the village wizard was the object of fear and hatred.

Snape didn't even notice that he still held the girl in the dance hold until she stepped away from him. Nodding, he indicated his acquiescence to her gesture of intended departure.

"You are most welcome, Yuna. I enjoyed it very much. I wish you a good night. May we meet again."

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