"I don't think she's making the transition very well this time, master."
One of the simpering goblins around Jareth's feet made a point of saying as
the Goblin King sat staring into the crystal ball that held her reflection
in it. She had sat in the Room of Stairs for almost as long as she'd been
here, always unmoving, and so it had been for Jareth while watching her. He
leaned forward on his gloved fist and started contemplatingly at her.
Around him, his goblin subjects grew more and more anxious.
"You know, I think that maybe if."
"Don't you think that if I wanted you to think." Jareth growled in dual annoyance over dragging his attention away from Sarah and at the fact that it had been a lowly goblin that had caused him to do so. ". I don't want you to think. Just, be gone from here. Out of my sight!"
"Come now, is that any way to be speaking to loyal subjects of yours?" A new voice entered Jareth's chamber, and this time it was with a slightly different expression that Jareth broke his surveillance, although it was still with perceptible annoyance.
"Karlyn, what are you doing here?" he asked moodily.
"And a fine state I seem to have found you in too!" she said, undauntedly walking towards him. "Here I was thinking that the return of your Sarah would have done something to improve your mood, too."
"She sits there, unmoving. Brooding. And look, I even brought her brother back with her to cheer her along. See how ungrateful she is towards my consideration?"
"Ah Jareth, still the same as always. If you lived in the mortal realm, there would be a word for you." Karlyn paused to wait for a reaction. All she got was a mockingly raised eyebrow. "Spoilt child," she ended with some amount of satisfaction.
Jareth stood up forcefully.
"That's it! I will not take this insolence from all those around me. Her time is up for brooding. And you," he pointed at Karlyn for added emphasis, "Would do well to get out of my sight for a time. Just because you are no goblin, do not think that my rule does not apply to you while you are here."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Karlyn said, barely hiding a smirk from her features.
With a muted growl, Jareth swept from the room. Assuming much, Karlyn moved across the room and landed across Jareth's throne, her legs hanging over the edge as she exhaled deeply and rolled her eyes significantly.
*
"Sarah, you've got to get up. You've got to explain to me what is going on here. Why is all of this so familiar to me?"
"That is because you almost came to belong here. 8 years ago, or did Sarah neglect to ever tell you that?" a silky voice interrupted on the sibling bonding.
Toby stood up and stepped between his sister and this unknown but obviously powerful ruler of these parts.
"And who are you?" he said, trying to appear taller than he was.
"Oh, well haven't you changed since the last time that I saw you?" Jareth said with a disdainfully raised eyebrow. He tilted his head to look squarely over at Sarah. "As I recall, the last time I saw him he was a squalling little baby. I trust that the two of you get along better these days?"
"Much," Sarah replied, refusing to look away from his piercing eyes.
"Sarah, who is this man?" Toby asked, looking from her to him in obvious confusion over what they were both talking about.
"I, dear boy, am the Goblin King. Ruler of these parts, granter of wishes, servant to some desires." As he spoke, Jareth moved around Toby, who found himself quite unable to move into place in time. Jareth lingered beside Sarah, grazing her cheek with a soft caress as his mouth made out the word 'desires'.
Sarah shivered, knowing exactly what he was meaning. Jareth looked up sharply and now it was Toby who could not look away.
"My my, I do see there is quite a lot that Sarah neglected to mention to you over the years. Should we get into some of that now, do you think?"
"No," Sarah croaked out, causing Jareth's gaze to swing around towards her again. She cleared her throat hurriedly. "There is no need for that. Surely this is just between us, this time."
If the Goblin King noticed her significant reference to this time as being different to the last time, he made no visible acknowledgement of the fact. Instead, he moved much closer to her than she would have liked, or not quite close enough if she was being bitterly honest with herself, and tilted his head to the side as though memorizing her every feature behind those ever changing eyes.
"Yes, between us. That means no going to others for help, no pleas that 'it's not fair'."
Sarah cringed as he made a marvelous parody of the way she had spoken to him years before; that everything that had happened had been unfair.
"No," she agreed. "None of that."
Jareth's eyes glinted, as though he had won something that only he was currently aware of. He stepped even still closer to her.
"You know, I do not tolerate lies among those I consider mine, Sarah," he said in that soft but dangerous voice she remembered all too well.
"I'm not." Sarah hastened to argue, but a gloved finger was put over her lips to stop her flow of words.
"From now on, Sarah, the rules are about to change. I didn't decide that. You did. Your subconscious mind brought me back to you, even if you are not yet ready to admit to it. Again, I find myself at the mercy of your wishes. But know I dislike being played with, Sarah. No more games, for I promise you that you wouldn't like the games that I could play."
"Are you threatening my sister?" Toby flared up.
"Threatening?" The twist of Jareth's lips that allowed Sarah a glimpse of his teeth did not fool her for an instant. There was steel behind that smile. He meant every word that he had just said. "More like warning. A warning that neither of you would be wise to ignore. However, I do look forward to finding out how much like your sister you have become. Toby."
Then, convincing Sarah that she had blinked and missed it, Jareth was again gone from their sight.
*
"You know, I think that maybe if."
"Don't you think that if I wanted you to think." Jareth growled in dual annoyance over dragging his attention away from Sarah and at the fact that it had been a lowly goblin that had caused him to do so. ". I don't want you to think. Just, be gone from here. Out of my sight!"
"Come now, is that any way to be speaking to loyal subjects of yours?" A new voice entered Jareth's chamber, and this time it was with a slightly different expression that Jareth broke his surveillance, although it was still with perceptible annoyance.
"Karlyn, what are you doing here?" he asked moodily.
"And a fine state I seem to have found you in too!" she said, undauntedly walking towards him. "Here I was thinking that the return of your Sarah would have done something to improve your mood, too."
"She sits there, unmoving. Brooding. And look, I even brought her brother back with her to cheer her along. See how ungrateful she is towards my consideration?"
"Ah Jareth, still the same as always. If you lived in the mortal realm, there would be a word for you." Karlyn paused to wait for a reaction. All she got was a mockingly raised eyebrow. "Spoilt child," she ended with some amount of satisfaction.
Jareth stood up forcefully.
"That's it! I will not take this insolence from all those around me. Her time is up for brooding. And you," he pointed at Karlyn for added emphasis, "Would do well to get out of my sight for a time. Just because you are no goblin, do not think that my rule does not apply to you while you are here."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Karlyn said, barely hiding a smirk from her features.
With a muted growl, Jareth swept from the room. Assuming much, Karlyn moved across the room and landed across Jareth's throne, her legs hanging over the edge as she exhaled deeply and rolled her eyes significantly.
*
"Sarah, you've got to get up. You've got to explain to me what is going on here. Why is all of this so familiar to me?"
"That is because you almost came to belong here. 8 years ago, or did Sarah neglect to ever tell you that?" a silky voice interrupted on the sibling bonding.
Toby stood up and stepped between his sister and this unknown but obviously powerful ruler of these parts.
"And who are you?" he said, trying to appear taller than he was.
"Oh, well haven't you changed since the last time that I saw you?" Jareth said with a disdainfully raised eyebrow. He tilted his head to look squarely over at Sarah. "As I recall, the last time I saw him he was a squalling little baby. I trust that the two of you get along better these days?"
"Much," Sarah replied, refusing to look away from his piercing eyes.
"Sarah, who is this man?" Toby asked, looking from her to him in obvious confusion over what they were both talking about.
"I, dear boy, am the Goblin King. Ruler of these parts, granter of wishes, servant to some desires." As he spoke, Jareth moved around Toby, who found himself quite unable to move into place in time. Jareth lingered beside Sarah, grazing her cheek with a soft caress as his mouth made out the word 'desires'.
Sarah shivered, knowing exactly what he was meaning. Jareth looked up sharply and now it was Toby who could not look away.
"My my, I do see there is quite a lot that Sarah neglected to mention to you over the years. Should we get into some of that now, do you think?"
"No," Sarah croaked out, causing Jareth's gaze to swing around towards her again. She cleared her throat hurriedly. "There is no need for that. Surely this is just between us, this time."
If the Goblin King noticed her significant reference to this time as being different to the last time, he made no visible acknowledgement of the fact. Instead, he moved much closer to her than she would have liked, or not quite close enough if she was being bitterly honest with herself, and tilted his head to the side as though memorizing her every feature behind those ever changing eyes.
"Yes, between us. That means no going to others for help, no pleas that 'it's not fair'."
Sarah cringed as he made a marvelous parody of the way she had spoken to him years before; that everything that had happened had been unfair.
"No," she agreed. "None of that."
Jareth's eyes glinted, as though he had won something that only he was currently aware of. He stepped even still closer to her.
"You know, I do not tolerate lies among those I consider mine, Sarah," he said in that soft but dangerous voice she remembered all too well.
"I'm not." Sarah hastened to argue, but a gloved finger was put over her lips to stop her flow of words.
"From now on, Sarah, the rules are about to change. I didn't decide that. You did. Your subconscious mind brought me back to you, even if you are not yet ready to admit to it. Again, I find myself at the mercy of your wishes. But know I dislike being played with, Sarah. No more games, for I promise you that you wouldn't like the games that I could play."
"Are you threatening my sister?" Toby flared up.
"Threatening?" The twist of Jareth's lips that allowed Sarah a glimpse of his teeth did not fool her for an instant. There was steel behind that smile. He meant every word that he had just said. "More like warning. A warning that neither of you would be wise to ignore. However, I do look forward to finding out how much like your sister you have become. Toby."
Then, convincing Sarah that she had blinked and missed it, Jareth was again gone from their sight.
*