Pep Talk

Sarah hated the dress. More correctly she loathed it. Almost as much as she currently hated Jareth. She turned away from it in complete disgust. Her mind going back to the events of last Wednesday.

Upon being confronted with the walking fashion atrocity that was the Seelie High King, Sarah had sent him to Jareth because as a commoner she couldn't tell Iain "no" herself. It wasn't that she hadn't tried, she had several times in fact. But as a "commoner" she'd had to talk to him through one of his retainers despite the fact that the fool was standing directly before her. She'd only given in and used the retainer as a middleman after Iain had refused to talk to her directly and continuously told the retainer to explain to her that she was "being most forward and taking liberties."

She didn't understand why he even wanted to court her if he wasn't going to talk to her directly. She'd have punched Iain in his too perfect face if he'd not had so many retainers with him. Sarah had a sneaking suspicion that he'd spelled his face into what he thought was perfection. A surprisingly cruel sounding laugh escaped her as she thought of his face being filled with magical botox that covered that fact that he was the Underground's only truly hideous elf, that his face was as much a monstrosity as his clothes. Her eyes caught sight of the dress again and began to water. She rubbed at them as if to remove the image currently burned into her retinas.

"I see I'm not the only one that is picking up someone else's habits. My laugh is rather becoming of you, precious… Sarah, love, your going to hurt yourself if you keep crying like that over me. Don't glower at me, woman, it marres your pretty face… Are you still not talking to me? Really, Sarah, must you be so childish- What is that thing? Put it away so I can talk to you, my eyes are more sensitive to such colors than yours-

"Save me your self-pity crap, Jareth. Don't talk to me when you just want to hear the sound of your own voice. And no, I'm not putting it away, I need to get ready... It's my dress for the ball."

"Your what? Sarah, dear, that thing does not even look like a dress."

"Iain had it made for me. I'm-"

"Did he…" Sarah turned to Jareth as his tone sent icy tendrils of fear racing through her veins. He'd never used that tone before and in combination with the silent, seething fury that had twisted his face, before her stood a side of the Erlkönig she never wished to see again. He stood tall and erect, his head tipped down slightly making his appearance all the more sinister.

Just to look at him brought memories of nightmares and horrors past. Fear and panic inducing things she tried so very hard to fight down and ignore but couldn't as long as he stood in front of her looking like that. Not as long as his face was so marred with hate.

He didn't acknowledge her as she took one shaking step after another towards him. Didn't so much as glance her way as her hand rose up to cup his cheek. His eyes darted down to hers as her hand came to gently rest against his jaw. His face soften into a look of surprise as she smiled up at him. He frowned at the traces of fear that he could smell, his anger turning towards himself at the thought that he had caused such emotions in her.

The anger dissipated to be replaced with awe and dawning realization as he blinked down at her in wonder. She'd move to him in her fear, to see to his aid and comfort, not away as countless humans before her had when confronted with the dark fury of his Erlkönig self. Jareth fought to keep a passive face so that she might not see how the loss of her touch affected him as her hand returned to her side.

"Would you like to play a game, Jareth? It's called 'rescue the princess' and it currently is in need of someone to fill the role of hero-"

"Hero, Sarah? Can a villain be a hero?"

"Yes, my people call them anti-heros."

"Indeed... You'll have to teach me of them."

"As you wish, Jareth. So shall we play the game? And how shall we play it I wonder… Shall I go in the dress Iain had made and you be the hero for all to see as you poof me more appropriate clothing befitting of one of the Labyrinth while at the ball?

"I have no idea how being Iain's date will work seeing as he talks to me through a retainer because I'm a 'human' and therefore a commoner. With that being said, how would we even dance when all contact I've had with him he wouldn't get within less than three feet of me. And he's told who knows how many people that he's going with the Champion of the Labyrinth to this ball of his? Gwenhwyfar and Mahthildis told me. They were quite surprised that you were letting him since we're quote, unquote dating. They asked me if it was a rumor then asked me what you were thinking by letting me go with him. Like I'd know… I've often no idea what goes on in that birdbrained head of yours."

"I may have an owl form but that does not make me birdbrained, Sarah."

"Whatever. Are you game?"

"This is a game that you've no idea the consequences-"

"Jareth," Sarah sighed as she shook her head, "I'm flattered, really, that you wish to protect me but an elf and his retainers are nothing compared to going head to head with a certain Goblin King and his Labyrinth. Iain and his groupies will truly be a piece of cake compared to that-"

"Why Above and Below did you feign ignorance if you knew what was going on!"

"You seemed to wish that I was so I played along…"

"Sarah... We shall play your game then but I must be true to character. I've a reputation to uphold."

"What reputation?"

"Exactly."