Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any of the characters associated with the Labyrinth. I do not own the Beauty and the Beast either.

AN: I know I have a few readers from the UK and I am…so saddened and shocked about the Ariana Grande concert. Hope you guys and your family members are safe. I checked with every single relative and friend (too old for Ariana Grande, as it seems) and they're safe.

Credit to Anneige—Delirious is a perfect song for this chapter.

Chapter 25: Masochism

By the time Iselin had arrived, I had sobered down considerably. We said our awkward hellos, and she sat down, choosing to stick to irrelevant small talk instead of getting to the point. Being new at this game, I didn't quite know how to begin the conversation I was supposed to conduct. It had been much easier to manipulate General Arges than Iselin.

She sat across from me, her usually cold gray eyes seemed nervous. Perhaps I imagined it, but her hands shook as she held her cutlery. This was getting ridiculous—I stabbed my salad angrily. Just as I was wracking my brain to think of something to say, the Nastrondisian Princess looked at me and raised a cool eyebrow.

"You're eating leaves?" she asked in her low, throaty voice—breaking the tension that had accumulated around us.

I laughed. Trust her to notice something unusual about my dietary choices and blurt out a question. "You would too if you had my wardrobe for the Goblin Feast," I replied, a smile on my face. That was true enough—I'd cut out dairy products and breads from my meals as Renya's dresses had become gauzier and sleeker as she refined her designs. She'd also taken some of my shoes and created some new ones that'd make Jimmy Choo eat his heart out.

Iselin didn't seem to register my answer as she smiled vaguely, her eyes hazy, as if lost in her own thoughts.

"Princess Iselin?"

She looked back at me, startled for a few moments. "Defeater," she began, her voice hesitant. Her entire body tensed as she clenched her fork in her hand. "I…I shouldn't be here."

Instinctively, I understood that I needed Iselin to calm the fuck down or this conversation wouldn't go anywhere. She was beginning to panic.

I smiled reassuringly before reaching across the table and placing my hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Something drastic must have happened in Nastrondis for you to have come here, Princess," I spoke in a coaxing tone—much like the tone Jareth used with me when he wanted something. I knew I had to deflect attention back to her own land, a land where she was clearly unhappy and felt unsafe.

Iselin's couldn't mask her confusion. "Things have become unbearable lately…Astre…she's not an easy cousin to have," she looked away, pausing uncomfortably. "But the Goblin King-"

"You're not speaking to the Goblin King, Princess, you're speaking to me," I interrupted, making sure to keep my voice soft. Me—Sarah Williams, the weak little human possession of the Goblin King who had no power to harm anyone, let alone a princess. "I won't judge you," I added, the smile still glued to my face. Ha.

Iselin looked even more hesitant. "I suppose…"

Wondering how I should play my next move, I scrutinized her expression—her eyes were wide, and her breaths shallow, her lower lips trembled just a little. All in all, she seemed terrified. I doubted she would spill any Nastrondisian secrets at the moment, so I decided to ask her a question of my own. "Would you tell me something, Princess…?"

She looked at me sharply, her eyes frosty once again, and her expression wary.

Giving her hand another reassuring squeeze, I continued, "It's nothing complicated. I was wondering if you had the chance to see the Aviary at the Marble Palace." That's where Astre had told me she was eating dinner the night at the Mosaic Hall—incidentally, also where Calestos found me when I went for my run. A small frown furrowed my brows as I wondered whether I would have entered the Aviary had Astre not mentioned it the night before…

A raised a brow—Iselin clearly hadn't been expecting that question. "No, I not too fond of birds."

"Neither am I," I lied, stifling a laugh—I suppose that was one more reason for her to fear Jareth. Truth was, I didn't care about birds either way, but I needed a common ground. No matter how silly it was.

Her eyes softened a tad. "That's where you were taken by Calestos, weren't you?"

My heartrate spiked by reflex, as memories of my time in the below ground, Agean temple played through my head. "Yes," I agreed, "I guess I dislike birds even more now."

Iselin laughed at that—her posture now significantly more relaxed. She eyed me intently for a few moments as if calculating what to say. "I wasn't there, but I heard Jareth killed him quite brutally. Deimos was furious. I suppose, the Goblin King must really…value you."

Value me indeed. That was one way of putting it. I gave her a tight lipped smile, knowing I had to praise Jareth so that she'd see him as something other than a creature from her nightmares. "He's a better King than Deimos, Iselin—I'm sure you already realize that."

She didn't reply immediately as her gaze drifted off to the tapestries on the wall before returning to mine. "I suppose so." Although her words weren't very convincing, her tone was resolute. Perfect.

Now that my question regarding Aviary had been answered, I moved onto a topic I had become increasingly curious about. "What do you know of General Arges, Princess?"

"He is known for being extremely loyal to the High Queen," she said with a shrug, a questioning expression on her face.

That part I already knew. "What of him and the Goblin King?"

Comprehension dawned in her eyes—she knew the particular piece of information I was fishing for. "The rumors vary, but about a century and a half earlier, Jareth and Deimos were…inseparable."

"What!?" I couldn't help but blurt out, my mouth wide open. Jareth and Deimos?

"Well, them and my perfect cousin," she added with a harsh laugh. "What do you know of the Demi Soldiers, Defeater?"

Not much—my history lessons with Daemora hadn't really covered Demi Soldiers. "That they're part mortal…that's about it."

"The Demi are mortal mixed Ageans who are known to breed faster than the rest of us. They make up most of the Agean Army…the men do, anyway. Some women become soldiers as well, but that's rare. Their lives aren't easy—some become part of the domestic staff in noble houses, some learn the arts of pleasure, some leave Agea for other lands." Iselin paused, as if considering how she should word her next sentence. "Some walk into the Turquoise Sea."

I took in a sharp breath. "They choose to die?"

Iselin shook her head, no. "They transform into the Daughters of the Sea—mostly in the seas around Agea, but some venture as far as the coast of Gaelia."

"Daughters of the Sea?" I repeated, frowning as I tried making sense of what she was saying. Did she mean mermaids? Were they one of the creatures Arges had warned me about before I jumped into the water?

"They adapt to marine life," she explained, "They're quite dangerous to those who enter the seas, but sometimes they are caught for sport or pleasure."

As curious as I was about the mermaids, I was far more curious about the Demi General. "What does this have to do with Arges?"

Iselin fidgeted with her fork. "Deimos took an interest in one of the Demi girls…"

Ah. The story was beginning to make sense. "A girl Arges was in love with?"

She nodded. "Yes, he was quite young then. What happened next…varies from person to person. Many believe that Deimos asked Jareth to use a compulsion spell on the woman, so that she wished a child to the Goblins."

Blood roared in my ears. "Whose child?"

The Princess gave me a nonchalant shrug, as if she wasn't really concerned about the child. "Just some Demi child—they have lots of children in their military camps."

I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. "What did Jareth do?"

Iselin hesitated before answering. "Rumors say he terrified her so that she forfeited the Labyrinth's challenge."

Jesus. This was before he'd started handing over forfeiters to the Bone Priestesses. "What happened next?"

"I only know bits and pieces of what Astre told me, but the girl's dream was to be a Daughter of the Sea and the Goblin King allowed it to happen given that she'd return with him. He took her to a lake deep within the Labyrinth and deposited her there soon afterwards."

Fuck. No wonder Arges hated Jareth. Keeping my emotions tightly under control, I took in a shaky breath. "What did Arges do?"

"Arges traveled through the veils and fought a legion of goblins. He demanded that the Goblin King release the girl…which Jareth did, in a manner of speaking."

I paled, knowing that 'in a manner of speaking' meant he'd released her body. "How do you know all of this, Princess?"

"Astre was there—she was very close to Jareth at that point. I remember all the rumors going around the Nastrondisian Court that Dagir refused to marry her until Uncle Oren promised to give him the throne."

My chest tightened with guilt when I thought of the events that occurred this morning. I'd manipulated Arges into thinking Jareth was playing some sadistic game with me—it must have brought back painful memories.

Iselin's gray eyes studied the emotions that must have clearly shown on my face. "I'm sorry if knowing this has made things difficult for you." Her voice was soft and her expression gentle—she meant what she was saying.

I shook my head. "Jareth has changed, Iselin." I tried keeping my voice steady, trying to believe my own words.

"I believe you, Defeater," she paused, and I sensed a 'but' coming, "but everything I know about him…"

"Is probably exaggerated," I finished for her.

"Perhaps you are correct."

"I want you to think carefully before committing to helping us, Iselin," I said, using a reassuring technique—letting her know she had a choice. "But consider who you would rather win this imminent war, Jareth or Deimos?"

Iselin didn't blink. "Jareth," she replied almost immediately.

I smiled at her, wincing as I pulled a muscle in my jaw. My whole damned face ached as I'd smiled a thousand times during lunch. "Then gather some information for us and report back during the Goblin Feast. We'll keep you safe." If you manage not to get caught, I added silently to myself.

The Princess looked away for a few moments before turning back to me. Her eyes weren't nervous anymore—they held icy determination instead. "I'll do everything I can."

I stepped into my room, choosing to change into my pajamas by the fire instead of the freezing cold bathroom. Unfortunately, there was no magic hairdryer in the Underground and that meant I had to towel dry my hair thoroughly and wait for it to dry before heading to bed. The conversation I'd had with Iselin was still fresh on my mind as I brushed my hair.

It had been a long, long day indeed. Right after lunch I had resumed my practice sessions with Daemora and we'd practiced my ability to deflect and shield, right until dinner. Neither Jareth nor Amer had been present for dinner and I had been able to eat in peace. Still, I knew I'd eventually have to face Jareth and it wouldn't be pleasant—not with all the stories I'd heard from Iselin.

Just as I was about to change into my pajamas, I heard the faintest of music playing in the background, disrupting me from my troubled thoughts. My curiosity piqued instantly—I'd never heard music in the halls of King's Castle before. Hell, I hadn't even seen a single instrument displayed in the halls or various sitting rooms throughout the castle. So where the hell was the melody coming from?

I found myself swaying to the slow beat, humming along, as if I already knew the notes. The melody was deep and melancholic, but also intense and consuming. All my anxieties, every single worry in my mind, just faded away into nothingness. The day's events were insignificant, so were the terrible things that Jareth had done—nothing else was important. The only thing that remained was the beautiful music.

So beautiful…painfully exquisite…I laughed…all my problems seemingly erased…everything would be alright.

I could feel tears stream down my face as I moved towards the door that lead to the corridor, I needed to get closer to the source. It didn't matter that I only wore a thin bathrobe, or that my feet were bare—I knew I had to get to the source or else I'd surely die.

And like a moth to a flame, I moved towards the haunting tune.

"Sarah."

Sarah—Sa-rah. That's my name, isn't it? Why does he keep saying it?

I make my way down the various stone hallways and corridors. The music is louder now—loud enough that my ears hurt, but I don't care—it's such a blissfully painful sensation.

"Sarah, stop immediately!"

I laugh—silly Jareth—why would I stop? Why should I stop, for that matter?

The melody takes my pain away. Every scrambled thought in my head feels like it's unwinding and evaporating—leaving me joyously empty. My bare feet take step upon step on the cold, stone floor—my thin bathrobe is unable to keep my human body warm and violent shivers run down my spine. But even as my body trembles, I cannot sense the bitter coldness. The music keeps me safe.

"Sarah! I order you to stop."

I laugh even louder—but the music drowns out my voice. Who is he to order me anyway? He sounds so desperate—I laugh some more at the thought. Still, my feet do not stop, and I don't turn around to look at him. I need the music, I need to feel it vibrate against my very bones.

"Sarah!" He roars into my ears and holds me by the shoulders—shaking me violently until my teeth rattle.

Just like that, the music disappears and a sudden blast of utter coldness hits me, freezing me to my very core. Strong arms wrap around me as icy wind flares—sifting us away.

"Sarah." Jareth's forbidding voice surrounded me.

"Jareth?" I managed to squeak between the violent shivers that rand own my spine. I felt so damn cold. The tips of my ears and nose felt like they had turned into solid ice. Fortunately, Jareth had sifted me right next to a roaring fire, so my body warmed almost immediately.

He stared at me, his eyes dispassionate, until my shivers died down. Once the shock wore off, my legs gave out and I fell onto the floor—still confused as to where the hell I was.

"Does the urge remain?"

I frowned—urge? What the hell had happened? "What do you mean?" Looking around, I noticed I was in his study—he'd placed me on the rug, right by the fireplace. Stars twinkled in the dark, new moon sky—feathery snowflakes were falling upon the crystal ceiling.

"The urge to follow your…compulsion," Jareth clarified, eyeing me with the acute scrutiny of a hawk. He stood a few feet away from me, his arms crossed.

My compulsion? I looked at myself—grimacing a little when I noticed I was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. I didn't even have any shoes on. "What do you mean?" I repeated, my brows furrowed in confusion.

A harsh sigh. "Focus, Sarah—I sensed a powerful compulsion spell and found you wondering the hallways."

"I…" my gaze drifted into the roaring fire, and I huddled just a little bit closer, trying to stave off the cold which I could feel right to my bones. "I heard the most beautiful melody I'd ever heard…I was so…happy, so sad, every emotion I'd ever felt came up to the surface and I just had to get closer. I couldn't stop myself."

"Precious thing," he said, a hint of resignation in his voice as he sauntered over to an arm chair and sat down, his movements graceful. "What am I going to do with you?"

I looked up at him, my eyes wide. "Is that what compulsion feels like?"

A deep look. "Yes." I noticed that he wore a pair of form fitting black pants and a black leather jacket that looked informal—I couldn't help but wonder where he'd been for dinner.

"How did you find me?"

Jareth's dual eyes darkened just a little. "This is my castle, Sarah. It is not difficult for me to sense magic that takes place here—especially a spell as strong as the one placed on you. I found you on the way to the inner door."

Considering that I'd only ever walked through three levels of the sprawling castle, I had no idea where the inner door was located. "Where's that?"

"The inner door is the first exist out of King's Castle—there are two others, after which you can exit the castle through the main entrance. I believe someone was trying to lure you out."

I let out a short laugh at that, "I'd die of hypothermia in a matter of minutes."

His expression turned grim. "I doubt they know enough about human physiology to realize that."

"In that case, they would be exceptionally stupid if they didn't think you'd stop them."

Jareth smiled a slow smile. "They probably did not anticipate my return to the castle tonight."

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask 'why not?' but I refrained. None of my business—there were more important matters at hand to discuss. "You seem to know exactly who this person is, Jareth." I eyed him intently, knowing he'd never answer a direct question. "Just like you seem to know who sent me the nightmare in Agea."

"I'll take care of it." Jareth's tone indicated that there was no room for arguments.

Fuck that. "That's what you said when I had the nightmare. Didn't pan out that way, did it?"

Sitting up abruptly, Jareth held my gaze. "Do you truly wish to know, Sa-rah?" His face was hard, like it was made of marble—yet there was a hint of anger just under the surface.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Answer the question, Sarah. Do you truly wish to know? Do you believe you have something to gain from this…knowledge? That it would help you somehow?"

What could I say to that? "I don't know whether it'll help or how it'll help," I answered, choosing my words carefully, "But I really do want to know who has it in for me."

He studied me in cold silence for a few moments. "I believe it was Beina Nae."

My mouth fell open and my heartrate skyrocketed. "Well then, I'm fucked for sure. It was nice knowing you."

Jareth didn't smile at my words—fury blazed in his dual gaze. "Oh, the Head Priestess and I will exchange some words over this. Be assured that she will not try anything similar in the future."

Right. I raised a brow. "That's what you said the last time—how can you know for sure?"

Jareth barked a laugh, the sound startling me a little, making me jump. "I'll place wards against her magic within you. I will make it clear, in no uncertain terms, that I shall place her at the heart of the Labyrinth, allowing it to swallow her whole, should she try…interfering…with you again."

I trembled at the imagery—the fact that he could command the Labyrinth to swallow anyone at will was unnerving. This gave me the perfect opening for the other topic I wanted to broach. "Infighting during war is not a good strategy, Jareth—whether it's the Head Priestess or the Demi General."

"I'll take that into consideration," Jareth replied with a toothy smile. "I find your concern for the General quite touching, precious thing. Since you are awake and I happen to be unoccupied at the moment, should we discuss what happened with Iselin during lunch?"

I kept my gaze steady, not making a move to get up from the floor. "I'm guessing you saw us through your crystals, Jareth. You already what happened."

A cruel smile and a glint of teeth. "Perhaps I'd rather hear a firsthand account from your lips, Sarah dearest. Permit me the joy of hearing your lovely voice."

I gritted my teeth and decided to be as blunt as possible. "She agreed to spy on Astre and Oren. She most definitely wants you to win the war and not Deimos."

He didn't as much as blink as he took this in. "Is that all?"

"She said she never went to the Aviary at the Marble Palace…and that you killed a Demi girl Arges was in love with." My face felt warm, but I was grateful that my voice did not waver. General Amer had been correct, the best way to address uncomfortable subjects was to confront them head on.

Jareth's gaze sharpened. "Did she say exactly those words?" Icy threat laced his deadly calm voice.

I sighed—I didn't know how much of our conversation he'd heard, but I didn't want Iselin on his bad side. "No. She said the girl was already dead by the time Arges arrived to claim her. That you let him claim the body."

Jareth looked into the fire. I could see his knuckles turn white as he held onto the arms of the chair.

Feeling equal measures of curiosity and dread, I pushed him for more information. "I never thought there was a time when you were at Deimos's beck and call."

He didn't turn towards me. "There wasn't."

I pushed on. "Calestos seemed surprised you'd somehow gotten Arges to help you find your possession. He said as much, right before plunging his knife into my chest—I just never thought backstory would be something this drastic."

Tilting his head, Jareth assessed me, an unknown emotion flickering in his eyes—I couldn't make out what. "Anything else I should know regarding Iselin?" It didn't escape me that he'd changed the subject. I guess I wouldn't hear his side of the story tonight.

"Just about. Oh, and she also said she didn't like birds."

A slow smile and a flash of teeth. "That piece of information may be useful in the future, precious thing."

I swallowed—"Will you use it against her?"

Jareth's rich laughter vibrated against the cold stone walls as he took in my guilty expression. "Do not fear for Iselin, dearest," he drawled. "I will not harm her. It is, however, only prudent that we note all of her…weaknesses."

Weaknesses. Shivering involuntarily, I nodded.

He eyed me acutely for a few moments. "What do you make of the Demi General, Sarah?"

My eyebrows shot up—I hadn't expected that. I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. "He's like a hero in a Greek play. Strong and righteous but also flawed." Dramatic, Williams, really dramatic.

A dark chuckle. "Much like yourself, precious Sarah." It was a statement, not a question.

I laughed harshly at his declaration. "I was a spoiled child who fucked my life up forever by wishing Toby away. I'm hardly a hero."

"So bitter, my heroine. So eager to put the Demi General on a pedestal," Jareth rumbled, still chuckling with cruel amusement.

I took the bait and bristled, my anger getting the best of me. "I know he couldn't possibly have climbed up Agea's military ranks by being some perfect hero, Jareth. He's probably capable of doing many things that I would find absolutely horrific. Just nothing to your extent."

That put an end to Jareth's laughter. "You've been asking Amer some questions, I see."

"I'm learning to accept the reality I'm in," I replied, suddenly exhausted. I simply wanted to crawl into bed and fall into a dreamless sleep. "Could you sift me to my room, now?"

Shifting in the armchair, Jareth raised an amused brow. He didn't pay the least bit of attention to my request. Instead, he kept evaluating me with his intense gaze, as if studying my every reaction. "You played the victim today, dearest…and you played it quite well." He added the latter half as an afterthought.

I shrugged. "Assuming that one of the reasons Arges allied himself with you is his concern for me, my victim act ended in your favor, didn't it?"

Jareth laughed, a deliberately slow, cruel laugh. His eyes grew cold. "My precious, precious thing—you've adapted marvelously. I never imagined you, my perfect heroine, to be cruel enough to taunt the Demi General in such a manner."

I gaped at him as my temper flared at the sheer condescension in his voice. "I was cruel? If I had known that you forced his…that Demi girl to wish away a child and then killed her once she forfeited, I would never have put him in that position."

The room went deathly quiet—I couldn't hear anything, not even the crackling fire. I felt Jareth's magic slither along my skin.

"Jareth…?" I whispered. Adrenaline started pumping in my veins, preparing me for 'fight or flight.'

Hearing his name from my lips seemed to undo him. Eyes flashing dangerously, he closed the distance between us. One second he was lounging back on the armchair and the next, he was kneeling on the floor, holding my shoulders roughly. "Do you have any understanding of what can happen if I lose control, Sarah?"

"Yes. I remember running the fuck away from you just last night, or have you forgotten?" I, too, could answer a question with another one.

He bared his jagged teeth, his magic pulsing against my skin—vibrating through the thin material of my robe. "Then why do you tempt fate, Sarah? Are you a masochist?" His grip on my shoulders tightened as he pulled my body closer to his.

I smiled in spite of the sudden rush of fear and arousal I felt at his closeness—the smell of leather and pinecones made me lightheaded. "Where you're concerned, Jareth? I'm the fucking queen of masochism."

I'd expected a sarcastic comeback, or a derisive laugh. Surprisingly, Jareth looked almost shaken. His grip loosened and his breath came out in a sigh. "I could have killed you," he whispered, his voice so low, I barely heard him. He closed his eyes, leaning in until his forehead touched mine.

I breathed in his scent—this was the most vulnerable I'd ever seen the Goblin King. I could either laugh off his concern, or I could ease his fears. For reasons I didn't quite understand myself, I chose the latter.

"But you didn't," I whispered, raising a hand to trace his cheekbones with my fingers.

And just like that, his eyes glazed with fire once again. Jareth caught my wrist in a vice like grip. "You hesitated last night," his voice came out harsh—suddenly, he seemed furious. "You promised you wouldn't."

I stared at him, mouth parting slightly. Was he serious? "I was fucking frozen, Jareth. I didn't expect you to turn into the incredible-fucking-Hulk." If Jareth wasn't looking at me with fury blazing in his dual eyes, I would have laughed at my own joke.

He didn't seem to get the reference. "A few more seconds, and I would have…" his voice died out, but he held my gaze.

Memories of him flashed through my mind—the only time I'd seen him this vulnerable was right before I'd said the words that rendered him powerless.

"You would have what?" I asked quietly, leaning into him so that my lips were centimeters from his. I smiled when he didn't answer. "Would you have continued to kiss me? Continued making me bleed?"

"Sarah." His voice was hoarse, his breathing turned heavy. Perhaps it was because of our so-called connection, but I could almost sense the haze of lust that rushed through his veins.

This is what power feels like, I marveled, drinking in the heady rush. I had him at my mercy, and I knew it. "Would you have ripped off my dress, Jareth? Marked my body with your teeth?" I raised my other hand to lightly trace his lips with my fingers.

"Stop." Jareth's voice came out hoarser still, he tensed as I placed my free hand on his, gently removing it from my shoulder.

"What else would you have done?" I questioned softly, my fingers now tracing the lines of his throat. "Bound me to the Irym naked and helpless, before you…consumed me?"

Jareth's breathing grew more laborious as his dual eyes darkened, holding equal parts lust and desperation. The Goblin King was lost, in turmoil, and he needed little old me to ease whatever it was that he was feeling.

I smiled. "Why didn't you?"

"You play with fire," he half growled.

"From what I can gather I'm either going to be consumed by you or the Labyrinth's magic, Jareth. And if that doesn't happen there's always Deimos and your priestess. Maybe you should let nature take its course—then you can leave my body for the vultures just like you told Arges you would."

That seemed to do it.

Jareth stood up in one fluid motion, pulling me roughly to my feet. His eyes burned into mine. "I will never allow that to happen Sarah. You'll never escape us—even in death."

Okay. That wasn't creepy at all.

Before I could question him about what the hell he meant, Jareth coiled his hand into my hair and tilted my face—roughly. I could feel a few strands break because of sheer force and pain engulfed my senses.

AN: the plot is moving forward. Yay! Those two need to screw each other silly. The Goblin Feast is going to be one complicated hot mess. I haven't gotten any complaints regarding grammar or spelling, but if you guys think I'm slacking off (Honoria Granger, I mean you) then let me know.

This could be seen as an addition to the last chapter, but I thought it could stand on its own. Question though: should I make my chapters longer? I feel like 5k words aren't cutting it anymore. Reviews are finally sorted out. But still, *hem, hem* it's easier for me to address reviews on Ao3.

I'm going to address Qs regarding Sarah's personality. Some people seem to think she's too 'socially savvy' in an unknown world—that her personality is very different when compared to the average reader, therefore unrelatable. That perhaps I based the character on myself (lol, no). Some issues with vegetarianism (lol, of all things…).

Sarah, in this story, is an ENTJ through and through—I think she acts exactly like one. Personally? I'm more of a cross b/w INTP and an ENTP. I'm not a vegetarian—I just tried a dish made out of beaten camel meat, another one that was scrambled goat brain—I think? It was all chewy so some animal's brain, haha. I've also eaten a giant cockroach type thing on the sidewalks of Bangkok once…crunchy!

When I write either fanfics or my own stuff, I make sure characters have a solid personality structure and detailed life histories. I haven't disclosed everything about her character yet but I'm sure you can make out that she has a strong sense of justice, has the 'first born' trait of conscientiousness, slightly neurotic (commitment-phobe), claustrophobic, played soccer in school (scored a few goals but wasn't the star champion), got decent grades mostly Bs and B+s, some As, has mommy issues b/c her mom was kind of screwed up (not abusive or anything—more like flighty and perhaps a bit hyper, irresponsible with a flawed view of reality).

Higher than average IQ (but not significantly higher)—top 90th percentile when taking standardized aptitude based tests like the SATs. She's good at socializing without being too much of an attention whore. She was raised by a loving dad so she's not trying to get 'fatherly affection' from Jareth. Has [unconsciously] only gone out with dark haired men. Has good peace keeping skills like most kids of divorced parents. You get the idea? There's a whole person mapped out *wink*

As for relatable, I just can't write her as an 18-year-old, socially awkward couch potato with more than average cellulite and deathly pale skin (like she's never gone to the fucking beach ever) looking for someone to take care of her…KWIM…that's super unrelatable, to me. And if I were to base her on myself, she'd be short, small framed, skinny, slightly manic, always energetic, a bit extreme in partying, only child with loving non-divorced 'bleeding heart liberal' organic eating parents, curious about anything and everything, extremely competitive in the job scene, not too compassionate or emphatic, impatient, designer wear obsessed, skin care obsessed, cat obsessed person, with an insane passion for (…wait for it…) statistics and pattern recognition. Now that'd be an unrelatable character I'm sure. LOL.

Jareth is more of an INTJ (with an E of maybe 40%). If you notice, he's not the most social character going and he gets all broody at times. He's quite discreet about his lovers too, so…not a man-whore. He's not good at management, but he's brilliant at delegating. More of his history in later chapters.

Amer is probably ENFJ. Daemora—ESFP.

Q—based on a convo or two where people were shocked I didn't find the role of 'teacher' or 'professor' sexy.

Come on guys. Teachers make me think 'does Barry Manilow know you raid his closet?' Or haggard people who get paid dismally to babysit children or worse, teenagers all day. And barring one or two profs in the Law Dept. or Business School, all profs are overgrown nerds who dress horribly. Fun to have an interesting conversation with, but fuck senseless? Nope. So I really do hope Jareth doesn't come across as either.