Festival
Usually as chaotic and mysterious as the Labyrinth itself, Jareth was suprisingly regular about this. It had reached the point that Sarah knew to go out ahead of time to buy painkillers, and she even had a count-down chart tacked up in her kitchen.
With a sigh, Sarah set up a new chart and grabbed her bag before stepping through the portal in her mirror.
This time, the portal dropped her just inside the Castle door. That's not good, Sarah thought. It usually set her down in the City, but if it had lead her this close...
He must have a hell of a headache, she brooded. Especially if it's this quiet. And it was quiet-- never a good omen in the Labyrinth. Even the Goblins in the throne room (what few there were, on these days) were silent.
"Stupid festival," Sarah growled under her breath as she slipped up the stairs. "Stupid Fae, come to think of it." The festival she was lamenting was the Mid-Day Festival, which was held bi-monthly, on the sixteenth of thirty-one day months. It was a nice enough concept, a national holiday and a time for Goblins and other denizens of the Labyrinth to make their ways to the Fairgrounds to meet up with old friends and family.
The problem with the Mid-Day Festival was that one of the main attractions was a competition in which various Labyrinthians challenged their King to an ale-drinking contest. Ludo, apparently, was his fiercest competitor, simply because Ludo was so big it took a while for the alcohol to take effect.
And their stupid King had the audacity to complain about hangovers after he'd won. She once suggested that he stop drinking, if the headaches were so horrible, but from the look of horror he'd given her, you would have thought she'd suggested he stop breathing.
She found him, predictably, sprawled across his favourite armchair in the library. She stood akwardly for a moment, debating about waking the snoring King, but then she shrugged and poked him.
Jareth woke with a start. "Who's that?" Sarah snorted.
"Such an articulate King, aren't you?"
"Who are you?" Sarah tsked in response.
"Lazy drunkard, can't even open his eyes. I am the Asprin Faerie."
Jareth groaned. "Good morning, Sarah."
"Afternoon, but sure, whatever, Your Inebriatedness. How's the hangover?"
His response was another groan.
Oro: I don't know where this came from. I rather suspect Quill has been throwing ideas at me again. Tsk.
Quill: (ruffles feathers)
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