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~Tari
Ch.16
When he had realized that in all his evil plotting, he had lost sight of his Precious Thing, Jareth came the closest to panic he had been in a while.
He couldn't bloody well conjure crystals or transport himself in a cloud of glitter in the middle of a crowded dance studio, now could he! Hell, he couldn't even walk across the floor without causing a commotion in his kingly attire... But he had to find his Sarah!
Where could that creep have taken her? He knew his dark-haired darling wouldn't take to anything Adam might force her into quietly, but he wanted to protect her at all times! How was he supposed to do that when he was stuck in this dark corner?
Panicking, he scanned the emotions of the kids around him, hoping one of them could have seen something. But there were so many chaotic emotional roller coasters on and off the floor, that Jareth nearly despaired. Vanity, pride, jealousy, lust, betrayal – it was like a microcosm of humanity's every emotional experience unfolding before his senses. The whole thing was too much to sort through.
Jareth concentrated on the other TAs. What were they feeling? Boredom, mostly. They felt like they were babysitting. Now that feeling he was familiar with. He wouldn't be surprised if they wished the whole lot away. Thank goodness the Labyrinth wish-away age limit is set to 7.
He saw several of the girl TAs exploring what looked like a thin magazine. From what he could see, it contained dance clothing. Hmmm...
What if he were to try a bit of a disguise?
Concentrating, he pulled his fraying sanity together, trying to not let the thought that he still had no idea where Sarah was or what was happening to her get the best of him. Carefully, he concentrated his will and directed it, like a ray, towards Jake.
Maybe if the boy proved himself useful, he would think about not feeding him to the fairies...
Jake felt himself hyperventilate. He was pretty sure the Goblin King was very close. He felt the same strange something that he spent half of last night denying feeling. He turned to look behind him, beads of nervous sweat collecting on his forehead.
And jumped, when he spied his late night visitor standing in the corner of the dance studio, partially concealed by one of the columns. Skin-tight breeches, glitter and all. Knowing that there was no choice in the matter, he made his way softly over the the dark corner, sweating profusely.
"Your... umm.. Majesty!" he said, wincing when he heard his voice go an octave higher than normal. "You're here! Would you like me to get you a glass of ..umm... Doctor Pepper? Or we have some chips and salsa..." he finished lamely, realizing how absolutely inadequate it all was, in the end.
"No, Blake..." Jareth purred, leaning forward just a little bit, until the boy nearly stopped breathing. Dear, what was it with mortals and the way their senses reacted? He wondered again, seeing the reaction. He then proceeded to wonder if Sarah would react the same way to his nearness – if her breath would also come in short, shallow little gulps, if her perfect, creamy skin would flush as her beautiful green eyes grew darker... As if by magic.
He mentally shook himself. First things first.
"... I need you to get me that magazine over there." He indicated the two girls on the opposite side of the room. "I would like to look a little more... ordinary. I'm afraid I may start drawing more attention to my person than is necessary at the moment."
Jake blinked, trying to take in the meaning of what that cruel mouth had just uttered. He didn't even notice that Jareth had gotten his name wrong. In fact, if Jareth hadn't stopped talking, Jake would have happily continued staring at him wthout even attempting to comprehend.
A part of him was very much disturbed by this realization. But it was now in the minority.
"Uhhh... sure.." he said, brilliantly. "It's actually this magazine, we have tons of them in the studio," he mumbled, trying to unscramble his mind and that havoc that this unearthly being had wreaked there. Finally, he handed Jareth a magazine from one of the unoccupied chairs nearby.
"You should hurry... your Majesty," he added, wilting under Jareth's gaze. "Its just that there will be an extra lesson by a guest teacher soon, in a couple of dances."
"Do tell," Jareth asked silkily, a plan already spinning through his labyrinthine mind. "And who is this dear guest?"
"Well.." Jake gulped, suddenly feeling his knees turn to jello, "he's actually a trainer from one of the bigger studios in the city. Our teacher invites him and other trainers too so that the kids can get a taste of what really good dancing is like, get inspired. They do shows and lessons. Sometimes, the better kids and the TAs will take private lessons with them later..."
"I see.." The Goblin Kong murmured. "How very interesting."
Jake nearly glowed with pride at having been "interesting".
"And, would you happen to know where this "guest trainer" happens to be right now? If its nearly time for the lesson..."
"Yeah! Of course!" the boy's enthusiasm was really beginning to get a little tiresome. "He's changing in the back room, its right behind that curtain, down the hall and to the left! Do you want me to get him for you?"
Jareth made a mental note never to get a puppy. The boy looked like he would drool any minute, and if he'd had a tail, it would probably be knocking dancers off the floor with its wagging.
"No, thank you, Blake" he breathed, leaning in as close as he could without blowing his cover and exposing himself to the stray light of the disco ball's many facets, "You've been exceedingly helpful... I must leave you now. Remember about the waltz."
Jake went rigid. The scent that hit him when the Goblin King leaned in and whispered to him, set of waves of pleasure. If he hadn't bitten his lip, he would have moaned from the dizzying aroma. And there was desire. There was definitely desire. Crap! He'd never thought it would come to this!
Not noticing anything out of the ordinary, Jareth stepped stealthily behind the curtain and headed for the changing room, putting his newly-concocted plan into action.