InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "IN A TRAILER DOWN BY THE RIVER"

sarah_williams (sarah_williams) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2009-02-15 20:10:00

Entry tags:

arrival, complete, day 32, jareth, sarah williams

Day 32: Intro
Who: Sarah Williams & Jareth
What: Sarah arrives
When: Day 32, just before sunrise
Where: Garden
Status: Complete
Rating: PG at the moment

It was so quiet that Sarah could have heard a pin drop. If she had been paying attention. She was more focused on something else. Something that had settled in her stomach like an icy ball of dread. Her knuckles were white as she held the blankets tightly to her chest, eyes wide, staring straight up at the ceiling.

It's finally happening.

The clock was ticking in the hallway. The clock that had been there 3 years ago. The one that was safely at her father's house a thousand miles away with Irene and Toby and their perfectly normal, ignorant lives. She had no clocks in this apartment. None that could tick, that is. Yet there it was. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

He's finally coming back for me.

Something about the room changed. It wasn't as dark anymore. Light was creeping in through the blinds? No, it looked more like cracks in the walls of the room. Sarah sat up straight as an arrow in the bed with a muffled cry in her throat. Tears began to stream down her cheeks and she opened her mouth to scream.

Then the garden.

At first she thought she must have passed out or had been dreaming of being in her own apartment a few moments ago. Because this garden looked exactly like the one in which she had been practicing her lines all those years ago on the night she first visited the labyrinth. Upon inspection she saw she was indeed wearing the long, white dress she had used for playacting then and the wreath of flowers in her long, dark hair.

It was all a dream? All of it?

"Am I fifteen again? That's not f-" and she stopped herself, feeling the old petulance rising and the fear subsiding. And as it did she realized that this garden was nothing like the one she had practiced in. In fact, it was so dissimilar that she reached up to be sure she hadn't imagined the wreath of flowers in her hair. But it was still there.

"Where am I?" she whispered.

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labyrinth_king
2009-02-17 10:49 pm UTC (link)

Jareth knew immediately that it had been a mistake to look into Sarah's green eyes, and yet, he did it anyway. In some ways, he really didn't learn. For a moment, a strange expression crossed his face, but it quickly disappeared. He simply held the door for her and then let it close, stepping past her and heading down the hallway.

It was a very short distance to the plaque, and once there, he stood back a fair distance and gestured to it. She could read it, he wouldn't interfere. It was quite brilliant, actually. If he was ever in the business of kidnapping people en masse, he would certainly be envious of the Planet's ability. It seemed to have thought of everything. But, of course, that would involve him being able to leave, and he clearly wasn't.

As he waited, he leaned with elaborate casualness against a wall, produced a crystal, and began playing with it. First it would turn into a diamond, then an apple, then a snake, and really whatever caught his fancy. His way of fidgetting, but other than that, he was remarkably quiet. Finally, the crystal changed into his black leather riding crop, and he toyed with it as he waited.

She might have questions as she read the plaque, so he would stay until then. After that, well, he wasn't all that sure, to be honest. Though he would never admit it. But he supposed it depended partly on her. The golem thing had given him a tour, perhaps he would do that. Of course, he figured that chances were very good that she would want him gone, so he would figure it out later.

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sarah_williams
2009-02-18 09:43 am UTC (link)

The flowers were already falling apart in Sarah's hair and petals fluttered around her everytime she turned her head. She wasn't sure if they were dying but she expected so. Fitting, she thought. The flowers had it easier than she did. She was so tempted to grumble It's not fair but kept her lips firmly pressed together. He had already admonished her for saying that so often but it felt so true. Especially now, stuck her on some planet against her will. She wondered again if it wasn't just some trick of his.

Giving him a blank look as he gestured to the plaque, Sarah stepped forward in a rustle of white and flowers and read it. His movements in the corner of her eye made her heart pound a bit faster as she instinctively (or at least the instincts she'd programmed in the last few years) worried he was on the brink of destroying her. But he was always just holding some new fanciful thing in his fingers. As a result, she took too long to focus and read the plaque. It must have seemed odd to him but he merely appeared patiently dispassionate.

Her own skiddishness was beginning to be an annoyance to her. Obviously this Planet wanted them there in the same place for whatever reason. It apparently did not want them at each other's throats because it precluded violence turning fatal.

Glancing over at him as she finished reading, she forced a small amount of bravado into her voice though it was very quiet even to her own ears. "Every need provided for? Does that mean I have somewhere to sleep and a change of clothes?" She looked down at the dress, pressing her hands down over her hips and holding them there, akimbo. "I'd rather not wear this for the rest of my life."

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labyrinth_king
2009-02-18 09:56 am UTC (link)

For a second, he continued to fiddle with the riding crop, but slowly he stilled. For a long moment, he simply looked at her. Then, very slowly, a smile broke over his face, and he nodded at her. "Very nicely done, Sarah." His mind flitted back to his own arrival on Mirage. "Personally, I tried to attack the ... thing... that showed me this." For all the good it had done him. The golem had been completely immune to his illusions, as far as he could tell.

Sarah was taking this with a sort of grace that he almost found himself envying. As she finished reading, he wandered closer to her. Not too close, he'd seen the looks she'd given him and sort of wondered if he'd give her a heart attack from fear if he got too close. A couple of feet away, he stopped and looked at her.

"You have already been assigned a room, as I understand it." He wasn't completely sure, though, which infuriated him. This was, after all, his first time greeting someone and welcoming them, so he didn't know that much yet. True, for him, a golem had been there too...

Barely was that thought completed before one of the strange creatures of stone came stumping up. One of Jareth's eyebrows raised as he gestured behind Sarah to the thing with his free hand. "I think this fine fellow may have something to give you." The riding crop beat in an anxious sort of way against his tightly-clothed thigh, but he stayed away other than that.

In it's hand, the golem held out a key. "Mine has my room number on it." He held it out. "Everyone here gets one." Which was a guess, because for all he knew, others simply slept in the woods or whatever. But it seemed like a safe enough guess. "Go on, take it."

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sarah_williams
2009-02-18 08:12 pm UTC (link)

Sarah inclined her head politely as Jareth verbally applauded her. It was no surprise to her though that he had tried to defeat the golem upon arriving. She could imagine his chagrin as he realized that he was trapped and left to his wits to survive. If turnabout was fair play she almost envied the Planet its ability to give the Goblin King some uneasiness and frustration.

She suddenly giggled then smothered her smile in her sleeve. When she was in control again, straight-faced, she lowered her arm and stood still as he stepped toward her. Which was when the strange little creature approached and offered a key.

"Oh what a cute little thing you are! Thank you," she murmured to the golem which looked very much like something out of Jareth's dominion and, forcing herself to move without hesitation, she reached for the key immediately. It was cool and smooth in her fingers. She turned it over in her palm and read out the number she found on it. "Room A150," she said quietly. "Is that nearby? I really want to get rid of this dress before anything else and I'm hoping that 'every need provided for' includes a change of clothing."

She wasn't sure if she was voicing her question to Jareth or the golem but she found herself deferring to the man as though he was now her guide through this bizarre situation that neither of them had created. She stared at him, one eyebrow raised expectantly, though her expression was more curiosity than demand. If he was not going to be a physical threat he would certainly make the most of being a mental challenge. That, as best as she could figure, was very much his nature. Enigmatic and aloof, she couldn't imagine him giving up the opportunity to display the knowledge of this place that he had and she did not. But, as she had realized before, she'd had very little experience with what he was really like and so far he had been the opposite of what she had feared.

This thought, her gaze of curiosity took on a subtle air of respect for the unknown in him.

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labyrinth_king
2009-02-19 01:53 am UTC (link)

The first thing he noticed was how pleasing it was to him when she giggled. It showed that some sort of youthful spirit lived on in her, it hadn't all been killed. But, of course, that wasn't something that he exactly wanted to be shouting out, so he just continued to smile, ever so slightly, at her.

He watched as she interacted with the golem, vaguely amused. He had immediately tried to bend the thing to it's will, and had gotten nowhere. It was a different approach. And, though it was quite ridiculous, he felt a surge of jealousy that she had actually thanked the creature. She'd never thanked him... of course, there could be good reason for that.

His eyes, however, widened, and all that was forgotten as she announced her room number. There was a very long pause, and he snapped suddenly. The riding crop disappeared, and in it's place was a key. Jareth's key. He stared at it blankly, and then looked at her. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and before long, he was chuckling.

"Oh, but you do have a sense of humor, don't you, Planet?" He murmured the words, and then burst into a real, sincere laugh. Not something that happened often, but this was a special circumstance. "It would seem, dear Persephone, that we are conspired against." In truth, he wasn't upset about it, and he didn't really make an effort to seem so.

Jareth held up his own key, the room number clearly displayed on it. 'A166', it read, and he raised an eyebrow at her. He really did have to wonder how she would take this latest bit of news. Of course, in reality, it was going to be hard to think he hadn't orchestrated this entire thing. It was all too convienant. He'd been the one to meet her, and now their rooms were just down the hall from each other. Interesting, to say the least.

"Well, at least I can show you your room quite easily."

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sarah_williams
2009-02-19 10:15 am UTC (link)

Sarah thought she had caught a glimpse of something flutter beneath the surface of Jareth's calm exterior as she'd turned to tell him the number on her key. Had that been ... envy? What he could have to be jealous of in this situation she had no idea and she didn't want to spend any time trying to figure it out because as soon as she thought she'd seen it, it was gone again.

Your imagination is far too colorful, Sarah.

Then he'd snapped, startling her out of her thoughts and the riding crop had disappeared. In its place a key appeared. A key nearly identical to her own. His tricks of illusion never failed to marvel her. Even when he had incited terror in her by tossing a snake-turned-scarf at her throat there had been something fantastic about the magic he weilded with such effortless grace. Still she didn't like it that the Planet had chosen to allow him to continue to have such power even if it was ineffectual in forcing his will on the Planet and its servants.

Stop with the frightened rabbit routine. You're stronger than this.

It did not amuse her as much as it seemed to amuse him that they were roomed so closely together. An entire country between them would not have made her feel safe enough to go to sleep. Though, conversely... well she wouldn't think about that.

Smiling tersely she tilted her head. "How convenient. So you can show me to my room then? Did you have it decorated like my old bedroom to try to fool me into staying with you again?"

As soon as the words left her mouth she bit her lower lip as if she could keep them from being spoken if she bit hard enough. She mistrusted him, yes, but in admitting it aloud again she knew she sounded weak and petulant. He'd start talking about hatred or destruction again now, she was sure of it.

All of a sudden she realized that while vacillating about how she felt about Jareth, she was unconsciously trying to force her will on him. She wanted him to walk between two lines within her comfort zone. He was to have no power but the same attraction to her she'd seemed to feel each time he'd appeared to her in the labyrinth so that she could have the upper hand. Ridiculous! She could no more control him than she could control the fear she'd felt by self-destructive behaviors. Nothing was fair and no "upper hand" would change that. That was the lesson. It was an epiphany and her green eyes suddenly sparkled. She took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eyes.

"If we're going to be stuck here in the same space, forever running into each other because it won't be helped, I think we need to put the past to rest."

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labyrinth_king
2009-02-19 10:40 am UTC (link)

Jareth tilted his head to the side and his eyes narrowed. Though clearly he had changed with the destruction of his world, it had really only been a couple of days ago for him. Old habits had not died, not completely, and though he was far more resigned now than he had been while she was in the labyrinth, it wasn't complete. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes, and he opened his mouth as if to snap at her. His fingers twitched, crystals wanting to be produced and used.

But the problem with illusion is that, once it's been penetrated, it loses most of it's power. So what would the point be? She said he had no power over her, so his illusions would simply be pretty, or not so pretty, pictures. So he took a deep breath and let it out with a shake of his head. "No. You design your room. Make a wish, tell the Planet how you want it to be, and it shall be done."

This whole dynamic was strange. While he'd been scrying on her before the labyrinth incident, she'd been unaware of him. In the Underground, she'd been subjected to his will numerous times. Now, however, it seemed the only control he had was over himself. And there were no goblins here to do as he told them. Was it destined, then, to be a constant power struggle between himself and the pretty girl?

Well, if so, so be it. At least she was here. And in reality, if he understood it correctly, this was the safest place for he and Sarah to be in the same place. By the rules, neither of them could kill the other, so he need not fear destruction. And of course, the same went for her, since surely his anger had concerned her at least a little. After all, when you broke someone's world, it was probably better if they didn't see you again. Safer.

The chain of thoughts that he was having were completely dispelled as he turned back to her. He was going to talk, he was going to say something, only he hadn't figured out what just yet... but her eyes were practically throwing off sparks, or so it seemed to him, and though he probably could have looked away, he didn't want to. Not even remotely. So he returned her level gaze with one of his own, and even half-smiled.

"Oh? And how exactly is that going to happen?" His voice was slightly sardonic, but at the same time, interested. "Are you going to put me in a Labyrinth, and I must find my way through? Then, I can destroy your world and we'd have symmatry." But of course, that wouldn't be allowed, not here. So while it might be fair, it wasn't possible. "Although, of course, it could be said that we've already played that out. Yes, I kidnapped both you and your brother, and yes, I put you into my labyrinth. But you won through, took back the child, and destroyed my world. And almost me." He grimaced, not liking to admit that. "So perhaps that's the only fairness we can expect."

It hardly seemed fair to him, but that didn't matter. He'd come to the conclusion many centuries ago that life wasn't fair, even for powerful fae illusionists. Not while there were others around.

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sarah_williams
2009-02-19 11:01 am UTC (link)

Jareth seemed to go through his entire repertoire of emotional responses in a brief moment and it was a little frightening. Sarah knew he would constantly be reminding her of his vast power, even if it was done unconsciously, every time she was in his presence. It was funny that he credited her with such large scale destruction. She had known he would. That was why she’d feared him. But she had no powers of destruction unless it was aimed inward. The words had done the damage. “You have no power over me” had been a line in a play. Whatever had empowered them to destroy his world had not come from her, she was sure of it. She thought about saying so but figured it was neither here nor there anymore.

Instead she sighed longsufferingly at his grandiose assumption of her idea on burying the hatchet. “No, Jareth. I didn’t say I wanted to be on equal footing. I said put the past to rest. Rest. No destruction. No revenge. We can either decide here and now to avoid each other. Didn’t you say once that it’s only forever - not long at all? Or we could…”

She smiled slightly at herself, turning her face away toward the golem who seemed to look a bit impatient. What she was going to suggest sounded so absurd in her mind and she didn’t think he’d even be vaguely interested considering how sarcastic he sounded. She wondered briefly if he was so acerbic because it was just the natural position of an immortal king to be elevated or he masked other things with it, using it as a defense mechanism as she did sometimes. That also was neither here nor there.

Brushing hair from her face, she looked back at him. “We could have coffee and try to find a way to get past this thing.”

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