The one conceit of this meme: humans (or human-expies, whatever beings they may be) mate for life. With this comes the typical trappings of "mating for life" - indescribable closeness, contentment around your "destined," and, of course, in your all-too-familiar worst case, jealousy and rage should the bond be threatened.
Oh, and there's also the little caveat that, should your mate die, you die as well. But that's not too much to swallow, is it? The whole thing is only a small conceit, you know.
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PROMPTS
romanticism | You approach the potential of mating with a dreamy hope. It will be just like a romance novel! distaste | Ugh, mating? You're going to put it off...or maybe even try not to do it at all. imprint | That's them. That's the one. You both know it, and you can't keep away. first | The first time you come together sets the bond in stone, not to mention sets the stage for the rest of your lives. share | Some mates are able to communicate and share their secrets through a mental link; others have to do it the old fashioned way and just speak up. calm | When one partner goes berserk, there's only one person in this world who can get them to settle down. comfort | Merely being in the presence of your mate can turn your stormy day around. heal | Scars, mental or physical, can be mended with the right love from a mate. need | Your body is going through actual physical withdrawal due to being away from your one and only. protect | Whether the threat be real or jealously perceived, you have to keep what's yours from harm. obsessed | You're beyond jealous. You've taken it too far mistake | Mating with them was not the right decision, but you can't take it back. cheat | Despite your being mated, you've chosen to break a sacred trust and go outside the home. death | There's not much will left to live in you after your mate has passed. Even if there was, it's not like you have much of a choice not to die. old mated couple | You've lasted a long time. This may be your "happy ending."
[Bigby Wolf is, without a doubt, getting too old for this shit. He's always known it was only a matter of time before he caved in and admitted it, but he figured it would come after something earth-shattering and dramatic. A tragedy, maybe. Something that was definitely his fault. Loss of a limb or maybe massive property damage.
Anything but falling for the world's most obvious trap because he took advice from a door-knocker.
There's a lot to be said about being back in a world filled with magic after four hundred years away. It's definitely surreal, and that's owing a lot to the fact that, for all of his and Snow's and Bufkin's research combing through all the records and tomes the Business Office has on the many different kingdoms and realms that make up their old home, he doesn't recognize this part of the Homelands — at all. What did Bufkin eventually end up settling on? The Underground. Didn't seem like a very appropriate name before. Now? Maybe a little. They had gotten the report of a potential way back to the Homelands — and thus, a potential way into the mundane world, the Above, for the Adversary and any other less than savory entities — barely twenty four hours ago, and for all that time they had to come up with a plan of attack, Bigby thought he would be fully prepared to enter the portal, disguised as an graffiti covered door in the basement of a decrepit theater on the edge of the Bronx. All he had to do was figure out how far the land beyond reached, if it was an actual portal into the Homelands or some kind of fucked up pocket dimension, and then gauge how to close it from there. Easy, right?
But blah blah best laid plans, something something mistakes happen, and one thing led to another. And he got lost. Somehow. Backtracking just led him to a crossroads which in turn led to a five-way junction in the middle of a vast courtyard surrounded by a seemingly neverending expanse of stone walls, and then, eventually, in front of two doors guarded by a pair of furry knights and their equally strange door-knocker buddies. And there was a riddle and, if his current predicament is any indication, he supposes his answer was the wrong one.
And now he's falling down a dark shaft with the light of the world above quickly shrinking as he plummets farther and farther, hustled by an innumerable amount of disembodied arms. Yeah.
As if being pawed and prodded wasn't bad enough, they're jeering at him too, laughing in eerie voices. Bigby doesn't see any mouths, though that's never stopped something from talking before, and it doesn't take long for his already taut patience to wear even more thin. As the fingers of one hand tickle his ribs, another that's directly in front of him twists itself into an imitation of a face. Before it has a chance to open its fake mouth, Bigby punches it. And then all of the hands sharply pull back from him, and he's falling faster. Faster and faster until he finally reaches the bottom, landing in a dungeon where the only light is from a thin hole above him. Climbing to his feet, he looks up and follows the light source. Predictably, he can't even see where it ends, only that it's somewhere too far for him to even think about scaling.
Several feet away, something shuffles, the whisper of feet brushing against solid rock, and Bigby realizes he's not alone before his nose fully registers the distinct, heavy-with-tension smell of a person around the sensory overload of other similarly heavy scents — wet moss, the nose-prickly whiff of aged bones on their way to disintegrating, the heady odor of goblins from somewhere beyond the walls — with his brain helpfully specifying, human.]
... Hello? [Halting, wary. Fuck, this isn't a good day.]
Edited (misc typos and grammer) 2019-05-21 08:09 (UTC)
[A pause. All noises cease for a moment and all that's left is a faint dripping of water from somewhere just far off enough to be unidentifiable and yet constant and annoying. The darkness is fiercely heavy, almost alive in how cloying it is for those within the confines of this room to just... forget. That's what an oubliette is for after all.
And then there's noise again, sharply and suddenly. The heavy-with-tension scent of a person comes into more distinct view as something else does as well - a crack of light in one wall. It appears and then gapes wider, barely giving off much more light than the light streaming from the hole in the ceiling itself. And from that open doorway crouches a woman who in her own opinion is far too old for this shit as well.
She sounds relieved though, as if she's sighing out a long-held breath.]
Thank goodness.
[Her form disappears again for a moment and one can hear her speaking again to someone else beyond the door.]
Here they are. Are they the only ones who came in, Hoggle?
Think so. Reckon so? They's the only ones His Royal Highness up there in his castle was having a fit over sneaking in anyhows.
Alright then. And not a word about this to him, got it?
Wouldn't dream of it!
[The crouched form reappears. If his eyes have adjusted to the light he might make out the length of her dark hair against the pale light in the room itself or of the one behind her.
[Now that his eyes have had a chance to fully adjust to the dark, especially once the hidden door slides open and sheds a tiny bit more light into the room, the sight they take in isn't at all far removed from the one his brain was in the middle of concocting. It's definitely a dungeon, an oppressively small one at that. Strange growths stripe the walls, patches of mold with quivering stalks topped with little bulbs that almost look like eyes. He can see chains fixed into the walls. And, at the door, he can see the hand belonging to the (human, woman) figure hurriedly beckoning to him, as if they're on the clock.
Realistically, he must be sitting there gaping like a deer-in-headlights for only three, maybe five seconds, but it feels so much longer than that. He's not just staring at the unusually interesting sight of the woman who's appeared out of nowhere to rescue his ass, and her implication that there's something else in here doesn't hit him as hard either. Instead, he's fixated on the obvious, smaller details of what he's seeing. Long dark hair. Pale skin. Dark eyes that fit right in with their gloomy surroundings.
And her smell, it's... weird. She's definitely human, but there's a lot going on here. He smells flowers — both real and fake, one half light and soft, the other harsh like sugar in his nose — and musty paper, the kind you'd find in a library book. And he smells something a bit more alien, a bit more magical. That's why I couldn't process it, he realizes. She smells like this place, this world. Reeks from it, the same way a person who's walked through rain smells like the earth.
It's weird, she's weird, and now that it's inside his nose and head, he can't get rid of it.
Somehow, that doesn't feel like a bad thing. He thinks.
Time starts moving again. Bigby starts climbing to his feet, sparing a side-glance over his shoulder at unseen corners of the dungeon before he goes to the door. It's small enough for her to have to crouch in front of it, so he follows her lead and ducks down after her. There's no hesitation at all. That bit he does feel flustered at once he realizes how this must make him look.]
[The expression she gives at his words is one of tired amusement. She's so wound up that nothing has struck her yet, though she does note to herself with some further amusement that at least it's a good-looking guy that managed to find his way Underground this time around.
Hah. Oh Sarah, she chides herself. Has she really become this desperate? Poor guy gets dropped abruptly into an oubliette and there she is eyeing him over. Get a grip, Williams, now isn't the time.]
Sure. And I promise I'll answer all of them once we're out of the tunnels.
[Said tunnel outside the oubliette isn't much better lit than inside honestly. It smells of must, moisture and disuse even if creatures end up in these rooms on the regular. Very few of them get out and even fewer trek through these tunnels.
Waiting for them is a grumpy little man bearing a torch, huffing and seemingly unable to stay in one place. He furrows his brow at Bigby and then starts waving a hand in annoyance.]
Come on, come on, you two! Yer both just lucky he hasn't found you out yet!
[Sarah blows out a breath, glancing down the tunnel. Her brow furrows a little.]
I don't see how.
[The dwarf waves his hand dismissively.]
Probably still pouting, I don't know. I try not to go around him if I can help it. He don't exactly like me, you know.
[Sarah huffs out a short laugh and then directs her gaze back to Bigby. She meant to ask a question but she just pauses for a moment, not really noticing that she is in the first place. There's something about him that she can't quite put her finger on. It's like she ought to know him somehow? Does she?]
How did you get down here? Did you find an entrance somewhere?
[He hadn't wished anyone - or himself for that matter - away, she knew that. Jareth would be here capering about if he had, making Bigby's life generally miserable. And probably hers too for daring to help.]
[Bigby raises an eyebrow at the disgruntled little man. Looks like a goblin, and that's a shock — they aren't usually this friendly to humans. And yeah, he's defining pacing and mumbling and grumbling as friendly.]
Down here as in dungeon-here? Or here in general? [He's keeping one eye on her, the other on the dark tunnel stretching ahead of them, and trying to fit wary glances on their guide in between it all.] I kind of just... walked in. In both cases.
[It's really that simple, his careful but matter-of-fact tone states. Mundy or no, this isn't really the time for elaborate lies or stories, especially when the reality is, where he's standing, not very dramatic.
Unlike the deep booming voice bouncing off the walls ahead of them.]
GO BACK! LEAVE THIS PLACE!
[Aaaand that would be all of his chill evaporating. Bigby immediately tenses up, fists curled at his side, ready for a fight, head whipping around for the source of the ominous bellowing which happens to be...
A rock.
Actually, no — a giant rock head, carved into the wall ahead of them. And unlike the hands, this one has an actual face. Imagine that!]
... The hell?
YES TRAVELER, HELL IS WHAT AWAITS YOU IF YOU CONTINUE UPON THIS PATH!
[Bigby throws Sarah a flat, incredulous look, almost like he's asking for her permission for how exactly he should react to this. Seriously?]
[... She shouldn't smile. She really shouldn't. That incredulous look though when the rock heads start talking. When she was fifteen they hadn't done more than confused her and now they just amused her.
She covers her mouth momentarily just to hide her grin, clearing her throat some as she struggles to suppress it.]
We're just passing through.
OH. IT'S YOU.
[Could rocks sound sad? Because now this one sounds sad. And a few more rock faces further up the hallway throw dust around as they all make sad murmuring noises too.
One of the ones further up pipes out:]
YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HERE ONCE! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD US YOU'D BE BACK!
[Another:]
I DON'T HAVE A NEW SPEECH READY! WHAT A BOTHER!
[Hoggle sighs out loud.]
Be quiet already or you're going to get his attention!
[At that Sarah looks back to Bigby and says in her own matter-of-fact tone:]
He means the Goblin King. I don't know how you got down here but it's for the best if he doesn't know you're here.
[Goblin King? Now things are starting to make sense. Bigby figured this place was a little too lively to be your run-of-the-mill labyrinth, traps included. So, kingdom — that fits a bit more.]
Let me guess — he's not a just and all-loving king, is he?
[He hopes it's too dark for her to see him rolling his eyes, but his sarcasm will probably creep into his voice anyway. He's not very good at keeping his tone level when his mood goes sour, even when he's trying to be tactful.
The corridor is starting to expand outward, and soon they find themselves in a large stone chamber, more of that strange furred moss at their feet, more stone faces cut into the walls. Several of them are mumbling dreary warnings; Bigby supposes that little exchange back there took the wind out of their sails. Up ahead, he can smell thicker foliage, tree bark and grass dense with moisture. Down here, the air feels cool. He wonders if they're close to water.]
What does that make you then? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's not your master.
[One of the rock faces closest to them rumbles out a chuckle. Bigby shoots it a glance, frowning. It was a legitimate question.]
[Sarah and Hoggle both seem more at ease. They're closer to being out of the tunnels, the smell of moisture and foliage giving way to an entrance out into a forest. Or so Sarah hopes and so Hoggle had promised her earlier. No Wiseman this time around but then again they aren't going toward the Castle either.
"I'll lead ya the way I was supposed to take you the first time. Back to the start of the Labyrinth."
Sarah has to mull on her answer a moment and in that time Hoggle pipes up his own answer.]
Oh no, not Sarah! He can bully anyone else around but her! She's the Champion of the Labyrinth, you know.
[The woman lets go of a bemused sort of laugh.]
A long time ago I was.
Time don't matter down here, least of all to him.
[She pauses in her steps there. The smell of greenery is more prevalent and does a fair bit to cut down on the mustiness and dirt of the tunnels. She's never really talked about this with anyone but Toby and that was after his own ordeal. Her expression is serious though and she seems to figure now is as good a time as any to explain things.]
When I was a teenager, I wished away my brother. And the only way to get him back was to reach the castle at the heart of the Labyrinth. So I did.
Only one to beat it too! And that's why Jareth says she's got to be the Queen.
[Now is when Sarah herself rolls her eyes. She does absolutely nothing to disguise it though. She rubs between her eyes a moment, brow furrowing.]
Things got... complicated. Anyhow, Hoggle came to me talking about someone being in the Labyrinth without wishing anyone away. And that shouldn't be possible. There aren't any other entrances but the one from my parent's home.
[She gives Bigby a sharp, searching look now. Sarah had become the suspicious sort during her first trip through the Labyrinth and she had pretty much stayed that way.]
Why would you be down here if you didn't wish someone away? If you were a runner, he would already know you were here.
[» That's horrible » It sounds like a fairy tale » (make a joke) » ...]
Champion, huh? [He's looking from the goblin — Hoggle? — to the woman throughout this explanation, eyebrows lightly raised like he's not sure if he should be surprised or amused. It's not even funny, but the revelation that this is the kind of person who would smell like flowers and stories is. It makes sense, in a cosmic sort of way.] Lucky me. I get the royal package deal — rescue and tour.
[And he can believe she's one, too. A hero. She bailed his ass out of trouble, right? It's a word and an image that pair up nicely with her smell. Sarah. He could believe that a hero queen could be named that. Why the hell not? There are queens named after flowers and seasons. Compared to the ones he's met, she's ordinary. Still beautiful, in the worn sort of way that comes with being exhausted, jumping through hoop after hoop in what he suspects was far too short a span of time. But pleasantly ordinary. He doesn't know the last time he's ever said that about anyone, especially the people he's used to being around, former royalty who flaunt their clout and put their legacy on display like it's a goddamned trophy. You don't see mundies in Fabletown. You just don't see normal.
Although, he's not quite sure if being touched by this place would still make her a mundie. She's definitely not a Fable, but she has a story and it's anything but normal. Before he can pursue this thought for too long, Sarah keeps going and Bigby stops himself to continue listening. He meets her scrutinizing look with an even but open one of his own.]
I'm not running from anything. I came here because I wanted to — because I had to. There's more than one way to get to this world than whatever your friend the king has you thinking. I found my way here through a door in a theater in the Bronx. Bet you I won't be the only one if it stays open.
[And if that happens, will Sarah be the one who shows up to rescue them when they fall down a hole into a dungeon after taking the wrong turn or talking to the wrong animated sculpture?
Bigby slowly shakes his head.]
There's a lot of things that aren't possible, until they are. That's the kind of world we live in. [He says "we" in careful, almost uncertain way. Like he's trying to test the word out and decide if he likes it or not.]
[To say she looks surprised is an understatement. Shocked is a better term. Her gaze immediately darts to Hoggle, practically latches onto him.]
Did you know about this?
[The dwarf is quick to shake his head, waving his free hand and just generally look like he wants to be anywhere but caught by Sarah's pointed gaze.]
No! No, no, honest, I didn't! I didn't know nothing about any ways but the one! Really none of us down here can go up there so why should I?
[Mmmh. That doesn't seem to completely soothe the woman. One arm crosses around her and her hand rubs over her face again. She seems supremely annoyed annoyed now and the scent of flowers and paper likely dance with the spike in emotions.]
That -- [she near bites her tongue] -- he's keeping a secret entrance up to the Above then.
[She had never taken the time to wonder how he had found her after giving up his throne and his magic to Toby for that short bit of time but she was starting to piece this all together now. And it was making her very unhappy with a certain man.
Just in time of course for something to roll their way from the outside. It just bounces on by in the dim light from the exit they're so close to. It rolls and rolls and comes to a stop by bouncing right off of Bigby's foot ever so innocently.
[You know that one friend who's always stuck as the third wheel and has to watch awkwardly as the other two go at it while pretending they aren't right there? That's what Bigby feels like right now. Poor Hogsnout.]
[Blandly:] Are you really that surprised? [He isn't. Hearing how Sarah ended up here as a kid reminds him of something fae would do, not necessarily goblins. He's never seen it happen personally, but knowing what he knows about faeries and how weak-willed most goblins can be, flocking to serve whatever master is cruel or smart enough to take advantage of their stupidity, it wouldn't faze him in the slightest if a fae who crowned himself king over these guys is calling the shots. It worked for the Adversary. It would also explain where the portal came from.
Sarah's scent is getting sharper and Bigby can't stop himself from wrinkling his nose at it when her anger gives a sudden nervous jolt. The flowers have a cloying edge to them like cheap perfume, a sure sign that she's pissed. She doesn't even need to waste the energy looking angry.
They don't have time to get too comfortable though because, as if on cue... Something wicked this way comes. Or rolls. Bigby picks up the sound barely seconds before the little orb bounces into view, the delicate tinkling of glass against stone hitting his ears in just the right way to put him on edge. It's like it materialized out of nowhere.
His foot instinctively steps back when the orb knocks against it and then, ominously, stills itself.
This isn't good, is it. This is the beginning of a really bad time, isn't it.
Fuck.]
Get behind me, both of you. Now. [The order is abrupt enough to sound urgent, though Bigby doesn't look afraid. And if he is, it's not necessarily for him.]
[At his question Sarah whips a withering glare in his direction... and then she sighs. Her expression isn't so much surprise or anger as it is hurt. Yes, damn it, despite it all she had thought he was being honest this time around. Yes perhaps she was an idiot for that given everything else he had done but oh if she didn't try to give people -- or fae in this case -- chances. From her lousy never there mother to so many others, she just fumbled at relationships again and again.
A lesson just continuously learned over and over again. A younger Sarah would have decryed it as unfair but this older Sarah understood perfectly. 'That's the kind of world we live in.'
She doesn't get time to respond because while the sound of glass against stone might have been missed the first time, Bigby's response to it can't be. She looks down, catches a glint of light off the sphere and groans out loud.]
Oh no.
[And then there comes that chipper, swaggering tone with it's pompous accent.]
Well now, we have guests, do we? Sarah darling, you never mentioned you would be visiting today. And down around the oubliettes even? If you want to forget something so badly you could have just asked me, precious.
[The last word is near purred out. And then. Then his attention turns to Bigby, upgrading him from third wheel status quickly.]
And what do we have here? A guest who snuck his way in?
[Oh who the fuck is this now. Once again, Bigby's found himself in the uniquely him predicament of meeting someone for the first time that he's already instinctively, absolutely and confidently sure he's not going to like. This always happens to him. It never happens to Snow, it never happens to Bluebeard (god knows why), it never happens to Bufkin (again, why) but it always happens to him. One more time: why.
Of course the way the... guy, whoever or whatever he is, His Highness the Asshole, is talking to Sarah doesn't help matters at all. There's nothing royal about the way that voice carries itself, all slime and sleazy charm. Bigby's heard it before, from the displaced royalty of Fabletown to the ordinary run-of-the-mill shitbags you don't have to go any farther than downtown Manhattan on a Saturday night to see out in full force. He doesn't have to know who he's talking to on a personal level to know that this guy is a) bad news, and b) a royal piece of work.]
It's not sneaking if I walked in. [Asshole. Can that be His Highness' new nickname? Bigby steps slowly around the ball as if to give it some distance, coming to a stop next to Sarah — in front of her actually.] Let me guess: you're the king. Must be a slow day if you have enough time to come down here and spend time with the little people.
[It must be his animal magnetism. Hyuk. Or he's just more prone to attracting assholes. Honestly Sarah could sympathize given she only really seems to attract creeps or... well, assholes.
She's more than ready to put the King in his place verbally but Bigby rounds the sphere and ends up putting himself between her and it. He had been trying to usher her behind him earlier too, hadn't he? It's oddly... comforting. For some reason. She wishes she could put her finger on it and maybe she could if she wasn't so exasperated with Jareth himself.
Hoggle has more or less crowded behind Sarah with absolutely no qualms. He ain't taking the blame yet again, no sir. He's rather not have time spent with him if you don't mind!
The sphere meanwhile not so subtly rolls to one side. Jareth lets his smug expression come right on through the crystal, his own personal video phone. And he would really like to keep the camera on her, thank you.]
Yes I know, how magnanimous of me. I always have time for particular company.
[That said Jareth gives a sigh as if this all wears him out far too much.]
It's sneaking in if the entrance isn't meant for you. Tsk tsk, I would think someone like you would know the laws of one land needn't necessarily match the laws of another.
[Oh, of course he's not really here. That would be too easy; it'd put him in harm's way, and we can't have that, nope. It's a sensible move, but a cowardly one. Jareth's particular flavor of Dislike is climbing to another level and it hasn't been a full two minutes. Bigby stays the course, rooted to his (rather possessive) place in front of Sarah. And Hogsmeade too, he guesses.]
And what's that supposed to mean?
[Dread isn't the right word for it, but the unease that the king knows more than Bigby has been trying to let on is thick enough to clump in his chest. Especially since he's been trying to keep a low profile since the moment he got here, not barreling through the door in full wolf form or even half, though that may have helped him blend in a little better — a talking beast in a kingdom of magical, chatty hands, skeevy hands, goblins and other creatures he's sure he hasn't even seen yet. The less that can be traced back to Fabletown, the better.
[Frankly Sarah would be more shocked if he was here in the flesh. Then again she didn't put it past him to just suddenly show up but too she had some comfort in knowing she would mostly likely feel him long before he showed up. Maybe? If she hadn't been so angry earlier, would she have noticed him long before his crystal rolled up on the scene?
This whole being connected to the Labyrinth business was still something she was trying to get used to, the shape and weight of what abilities or powers she did or didn't have now like an ill-fitting dress she hadn't had tailored yet. Beyond the initial burst of her will that she had given to Jareth so the Labyrinth wouldn't crumble under the weak wills of Toby or even Jareth himself, she had never tried to stretch whatever connection she had here.
She could have noticed that entrance sooner. She ought to practice more. Mentally she fans her berating thoughts away because now really isn't the time for any of that.]
What, do you think I don't know the difference between humans and others?
[The crystal rolls again, grating and clinking against the stones. Jareth gives a full, robustly amused laugh that would send shivers down the backs of weaker people.]
You're in my Labyrinth! I might not know who you are but I certainly know what you are. I'm no fool.
[And now, the purring tone again.]
And I know you're the one who's been letting people out of the oubliettes as well, precious. Just because the Labyrinth favors you now doesn't mean what you do is so concealed.
[A noise comes from Sarah, the distinct sound of someone sucking in a breath between their teeth. There's that spike of anger again and there's a passion in her tone that wasn't present before. Thirteen years of being separated from her dreams and the passionate nature of her youth certainly haven't seemed to dim her now that her ablation Moppet has been returned to her.]
I wouldn't have to let anyone out if you didn't keep those rooms open. Do you even know what happens to people who stay in them long enough? They lose everything. They're forgotten and then even they forget and eventually --
[Eventually as Toby put it they just pop out of existence. Completely, thoroughly forgotten. And if they don't do that and reach a critical point they simply wander lost through the Labyrinth, remembering nothing whatsoever.
Now she's more or less edging Bigby out of the way, a hand against his shoulder in a thoughtless maneuver. She's coming forward like she's going to fight that crystal with her own bare fists.]
And you lied to me, you bastard. I ought to kick you and see how far you fly for that!
[Feeling Sarah's hand on him makes Bigby tense up. It's so small, so light, but there's enough warmth in its touch to keep him grounded. Make him realize that, Champion or no, she's still human. Probably. The shit hasn't officially hit the fan but he can read the writing on the wall well enough to know it's close. Like it or not, he's fighting for two now.
And Hogwallace.
As much as he'd like to see her punt that orb like a football, he isn't finished; he hasn't even really started. Wordlessly and with no small amount of care, he reaches out to hold Sarah back, this time on her shoulder. His touch doesn't settle, but he holds it long enough and with enough weight for her to hopefully register the meaning behind it: It's okay. We've got this.]
And the door to your Labyrinth is in MY backyard. And if you know what I am, you should know that it's not in your best interest to fuck with me.
[He's harshing his words through gritted teeth. Whether or not he actually has the power to fight this guy head-on is irrelevant, but he means what he says 100% and that's enough to carry the point across for now. Though, given this new little development Sarah's shared, he may have no choice but to follow through with his threats anyway.]
I didn't come here to watch you peacock all day. The door to your kingdom is in the middle of my city where anyone can get to it. I did. I'm not going to be the last one either.
[Mundie or Fable, it doesn't matter. The threat is very real for anyone who ends up in or around that theater, and even if it doesn't come calling to Fabletown immediately, it will eventually. And what if the threat comes from both sides? What if another corrupt piece of raging shit like the Crooked Man finds it first? What if he finds a way to appeal to this smug fuck's pride and starts the old you-scratch-my-back routine? What then?
[Sarah almost starts at the touch, so focused on Jareth and his lies and just punting that crystal. She turns her gaze briefly in Bigby's direction, brows raised over those green eyes of hers in brief surprise.
Oh. He has her back... more or less? Some tension eases out of her shoulders before she lets her gaze drift back to that crystal in time to actually see said smug fuck actually look attentive now.]
In your city?
[A beat. His frown is obvious.]
In the theater. That should be enchanted though. If it's not...
[Now he directs a pointed look to Sarah.]
It was your will that reconstructed the Labyrinth when it began to fall apart. I suppose since you didn't know of the door you didn't know to enchant it.
[Sarah's shoulders now droop. Oh god, she feels so tired all of a sudden. Her hand is back against her face once more. This man.]
I don't know how to enchant anything. Unless you've forgotten, Jareth, I'm human. And what the hell do you mean by having a hidden entrance to begin with.
How else did you wish for me to visit when I lost my powers, love?
[His tone is the plaintive sort a person takes with their angry spouse. She gives a long sigh and Hoggle behind her finally makes some sort of sound to indicate he hasn't completely died with worry over the two of them completely pissing Jareth off.]
Fix it then.
And lose my way to come visit when you will not wish for me? Even if you and I do share ownership here, I can't freely cross to you unless you want me to.
[She gives the crystal a wondering, somewhat flabbergasted look. Why should she be surprised? She's not, not in the least but she had held some small hope...]
How can you be so selfish?
The same way you can be so cruel, Sarah. Now then, what will it be - shall you invite me in and let me release the entrance? Or shall I keep it open until you finally do?
[And he smiles a smile of pure, smug satisfaction. If she wouldn't bend to him in the dream he created for her twice over then perhaps she would bend out of worry for others as she had for the Labyrinth itself.
Sarah stands stock still in place a moment. A war rages with her emotions, flitting over her like breaths of wind. From anger to dread to sadness, they shift as her fingers worry the hem of her shirt before she finally looks more determined than anything.]
Then I'll go close it if you won't.
[For my will is as strong as your own and my kingdom just as great.
And with that the crystal darkens just as his High and Mighty Goblin King's expression does. Now his voice seems to echo around the room and the entrance to the forest outside? Well that slams shut with a resounding, dreadful clanging sound.]
Then run, my dear.
[And from where that exit once way comes a sound. A roar, a thud, the clanging of metal and the acrid tang of smoke.
[This is getting too intense, and going to places Bigby didn't even know existed. He only understands half of what's going on, but it's the vital parts.
So Sarah does know magic. And the portal isn't really a backdoor into to the Underground so much as a backdoor into the mundane world. A way in for King Asshole to slither his way through for... what exactly? To stalk Sarah? That's what it sure sounds like to Bigby's ears. The resulting repulsion and anger is so strong that when he bites down it's tight enough to feel his teeth creak. So that's what this all comes down to in the end. Someone who just won't take no for an answer.
(like Crane, exactly like Crane—)
Fucking freak.
Bigby's already taking a step toward the orb, words pushed out of his throat with a snarl. Good for Sarah if she wants to get dibs on crushing it into dust but he needs to get his fill too.]
HEY! We're not done you fu—
[Or at least he would if the situation didn't finally, resoundingly and hopelessly descend into mayhem in short, predictable order. Jareth's face disappears as the crystal goes dark, and from behind them, a thundering clanging shriek comes barreling down the hallway to cut Bigby off in mid-sentence to accompany the terribly loud, terribly final thud of their way out slamming shut. It's an insane chaotic jumble made up of so many dissonant sounds that it's hard to pinpoint what exactly he's hearing, but if Bigby forces himself to push past the ear-splitting volume, it sounds sort of like...
Knives.
Blades and wheels and sharp, rusty metal grinding against stone.
And if he follows that sound to the source, he'll see that's exactly what it is. It's some kind of crazy looking machine. One that just so happens to be the size and width of the corridor, large enough for him to almost mistake it for the wall itself coming toward them.
Okay. Okay, okay, okayokayokayokay. Time to move.]
Come on!
[He doesn't wait for an answer or hear any worth stopping him from grabbing Sarah by her arm to yank her back from the path of the whirling-knife-thing. He sees Hogsworth practically trip over himself following suit, and just like that, they're off racing in the opposite direction. Back into the depths of the dungeons, right where they came from.]
So— [Yeah, he can run and yell at the same time. That's how a conversation works, right?] You're queen to THAT guy?
[She's yanked into action before she gets a second to think about any of what's going on now. Here she had come down with every intention of sneaking around Jareth's notice and simply letting out whoever it was Hogwa-- Hoggle was yelling about in her mirror that afternoon. She had been so studiously avoiding him since everything with Toby and now this.
In the middle of running she reaches back to grasp Hoggle's wrist and appropriately groans at Bigby's question.]
Not you too!
[They keep running deeper and deeper, the clanking and whirring and grinding eating up the passageway behind them. Behind them flailing in Sarah's grip Hoggle manages to get out:]
Here! Hurry!
[It's a side passage and after fumbling with the door a moment Hoggle in turn literally jerks Sarah inside, catching the brunette tripping over her own feet and falling to the dusty, dirty stone floor below. She in turn grasps Bigby's wrist as he grasps her arm and with any luck he doesn't kiss the ground too.
The whole group only barely manages to land themselves inside this side passage seconds before the cleaner barrels on by. Sarah makes an annoyed sound from where she lays face down against the stone floor, panting out her breath as she attempts to slow her racing heart.]
The least he could do... [she pants] is come up with some new traps.
[Bigby and luck go together as well as oil and water. If he has a daily allotment, it must be just about spent by now, the majority of it going to the literal get out of jail free card that saved him from from a fate worse than death. "They lose everything. They're forgotten and then even they forget and eventually—"
And maybe in some very rare cases they escape, only to be run down by this thing. Knife-tank-thing.
He supposes there's still some scraps left at the bottom of his luck jar, though, because now he's the one being jerked back and pulled in a totally different direction. It's enough to save him from getting mangled by the machine head-on. Sadly, it's not enough to stop him from catching something else with his face.
Faceplanted on the floor, Bigby's body is a coiled ball of tension. When the whirring, clanking cacophony reaches an apex and he's still alive, he braces himself up by his arms and looks up, eyes flashing luminous yellow. The machine passes noisily by their hiding place and continue down the corridor, manned by a pair of goblins operating it by a peddle system. Eventually, the noise becomes distant.
Uneasily, Bigby eases himself back against the wall. He blinks, holds his eyes closed for a moment. When he opens them again, the yellow is back to being brown.
» Don't give him ideas. » That wasn't enough? » Can you be serious? » ...]]
Don't. If that thing shows up again [he exhales raggedly] and it can fly—
[He turns his full attention to Sarah now, catching the full overpowering brunt of her scent. Everything smells like adrenaline and fear and flowers, it's actually making him a little sick. Still, he doesn't hesitate to offer her a hand as he pulls himself to his feet.]
[By the time he offers a hand Sarah has dragged herself up onto her elbows. She's not fifteen anymore but she shouldn't feel this worn out. She decides as she winces against what she knows is going to be a few bruises somewhere on her body that she's going to finally recommit to the gym after all of this.
He doesn't hesitate to offer, she doesn't hesitate to accept. She bends a moment to dust herself off, down the legs of her jeans first and then straightens back up as she brushes off the front of her shirt. And then finally she huffs out an amused if ragged breath, a quirk of a smile against her lips. It's more like a smirk than anything though.]
Sure, if it makes you feel better.
[He can join the legions of students who curse her name as they study for their midterms or rage over their graded papers.
Meanwhile Hoggles seems to find what he knew would be in here - a ladder leading topside. He grunts in apparent annoyance.]
I know I told ya I'd take ya one way but--
[Sarah waves a hand dismissively.]
That idea is over with. He knows we're here so he's not going to make it easy for us to leave again.
[But. Sarah pauses in place and seems to listen to something. Then she directs a fully amused smile at Hoggle as he starts up the ladder. He's already pushing open a hatch above it, letting light flood into the passageway.
Sarah's tone is damn near perky considering how ticked off she was moments before.]
If he can control this labyrinth then so can I.
[Hoggle pauses a moment to stare down at the brunette. And then he gives a long sigh as he continues upward.]
Well if you think you can do something then be my guest. I wasn't looking forward to ending up at that castle anytime soon.
[It hadn't occurred to her until Jareth said a fair few words he probably shouldn't have to her. Just because the Labyrinth favors you now doesn't mean what you do is so concealed. So she couldn't conceal what she did in the Labyrinth -- or maybe even the whole Underground -- from him but so what? The idea of him being able to see her bend his own Labyrinth to her will and only being able to slow her but not stop her entirely is very satisfying to her right about now.
It was your will that reconstructed the Labyrinth when it began to fall apart.
This shouldn't be half as satisfying a realization as it is. Sarah had been a harsh teacher, sure, but her edges had softened some once she and Moppet reunited. She wasn't one to play with anybody or deliberately hurt them... at least if she didn't think it would help them grow. With Jareth though... well, he deserved it for all of this current bullshit she's been going through. And maybe for the years she had been parted from her dreams and desires too, even if she had agreed to it without realizing the full consequences of such an agreement.
She pauses near the bottom of the ladder, glancing back at Bigby with her smile intact. She looks equal parts happy and reveling in this new realization as she gestures with the tilt of her head to the ladder.]
Age before beauty?
[Look at her, telling a joke moments after nearly dying. Again. Yeah, that's Sarah for you.]
[Third wheel time again. It's like being back home. You take one step into the Business Office and nine out of ten times the first thing you see is Snow or someone else engaged in heated discussion with another party, usually someone with a problem caught up in all sorts of red tape — typical bureaucratic stuff. That, or Bufkin drinking in the rafters.
Point is, watching this play out from the sidelines and coming to terms that he's walked in on a story that's long since played out but has never really finished isn't something he's totally unused to. Does he like it? Hell no. He hates feeling helpless. Hates feeling like he's fumbling around in the dark not knowing if he's in control of the situation or just unwittingly following
But, when all's said and done, he'd take perky optimism over the opposite any day. Even if it's a hell of a rebound from the near-death experience they just got out of. Bigby's not one to dwell on misery for too long, but his idea of practical thinking is usually a bit more aggressive. A tiny more sullen. Definitely not smartassed.]
Don't push it, [resigned, but then he adds on his way to the ladder,] Highness.
[Okay, maybe a little smartassed.
Following Hogfather up, Bigby waits until he feels Sarah behind him before he speaks again. See? Multitasking.]
Look... Sarah, right? I get it. There's a lot of things I don't know about you and... whatever's going on between you and him. [He's not sure how to even broach that issue or if he even should. Uhhh.] But do you even know what you're doing?
[This is a pretty long ladder. The further they climb, the louder the world topside is getting. Bigby can hear something that sounds like the gentle trickle of water. Maybe a stream, or a fountain. And if he squints, he can make out a ring of light streaming around whatever circular plate is covering the way out.]
You don't know how to use magic. You just told him yourself back there.
[Highness. There's a slight sigh from Sarah but other than that she doesn't seem particularly put out by his Highness reference. Every kid had a nickname for her, some good and some bad. If his nickname was Highness and not something with more bite to it, she'd take it.
He starts talking again when she's a step or two up the rungs just behind him. If he wanted her to delve further into her and Jareth and that whole tangled mess she would. He deserved that much after all the pain it sounded like Jareth was causing him. She wasn't going to just randomly exposition on it though. Somehow she got the idea that the last thing he needed was the tale of how she had a fae just a little too into her.
She pauses in her steps and for a moment uncertainty swims through her. It tightens her stomach much the same way it did all those years ago. She almost feels more fifteen than twenty-eight for a good second or two.]
Not really.
[She's going to just be bluntly honest here. She starts coming up the ladder behind him soon after, steps deliberate and firm.]
The most I know about magic is what I've read in fairy tales and experienced here. And what I've put in my own stories too, of course.
[That explains the scent of paper at least, though frankly all of her writing is nicely stored on an external harddrive.
Mm, you're off to a good start. [Is he smiling? Hard to say.] But there's a lot more to it than that. Or all of this. Magic's... [He pauses to figure out the best way to put it, and if he didn't have his arms occupied, he'd probably just shrug.] ... complicated. Either you're born with it or you have to learn it yourself, and both are hard for different reasons.
[It definitely was for him. As a kid, he didn't have anyone around to teach him what he needed to know — controlling his strength, harnessing the wind, combining both in a way that wouldn't backfire and hurt him.
He's only had himself to depend on, but he did learn. Much of it, through trial and error involving everything around him: animals, nature, monsters.
And people. Especially people.]
And there's rules, too. Lots and lots of rules.
[And the majority of them don't make a bit of sense, but that's okay because it's not his job to figure them out most of the time: just to put a stop to them if they get out of hand. The other bit? That would be the Thirteenth Floor's. Boy, is he excited for the riveting discussion he's going to have with them once he gets back.
Hogrid reaches the end of the ladder which is only three or so feet away from where Bigby's at on it. He pushes the plate away and a flood of blinding white sunlight pours into the passageway, leaving Bigby squinting through it as he's left to finish climbing up. He hears the little goblin man grumble to himself — something about how one time's bad enough, but two times... — and then he vanishes up and out of the shaft, giving Bigby the room to poke his head out and take stock of their new surroundings.
He was right about the water: there's a fountain here. A large one in the middle of what is readily apparent to be a courtyard. Everything is made of stone. Statues of strange creatures dot the landscape, some of which are hands with fingers pointing down different pathways. Great, like he needed more of those. The sky is pleasantly sunny without a single cloud, and the air smells fresh compared to what he was choking down back there.
It almost looks... nice. In a very medieval kind of way.]
Do you know where we are? [It's addressed to Hogsfinkle from over his shoulder once he gets out and gives Sarah enough room to follow him, ready to help her get her bearings if she needs it. What is this guy's name again anyway?]
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bakerstreet2019-05-20 09:28 am
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Anything but falling for the world's most obvious trap because he took advice from a door-knocker.
There's a lot to be said about being back in a world filled with magic after four hundred years away. It's definitely surreal, and that's owing a lot to the fact that, for all of his and Snow's and Bufkin's research combing through all the records and tomes the Business Office has on the many different kingdoms and realms that make up their old home, he doesn't recognize this part of the Homelands — at all. What did Bufkin eventually end up settling on? The Underground. Didn't seem like a very appropriate name before. Now? Maybe a little. They had gotten the report of a potential way back to the Homelands — and thus, a potential way into the mundane world, the Above, for the Adversary and any other less than savory entities — barely twenty four hours ago, and for all that time they had to come up with a plan of attack, Bigby thought he would be fully prepared to enter the portal, disguised as an graffiti covered door in the basement of a decrepit theater on the edge of the Bronx. All he had to do was figure out how far the land beyond reached, if it was an actual portal into the Homelands or some kind of fucked up pocket dimension, and then gauge how to close it from there. Easy, right?
But blah blah best laid plans, something something mistakes happen, and one thing led to another. And he got lost. Somehow. Backtracking just led him to a crossroads which in turn led to a five-way junction in the middle of a vast courtyard surrounded by a seemingly neverending expanse of stone walls, and then, eventually, in front of two doors guarded by a pair of furry knights and their equally strange door-knocker buddies. And there was a riddle and, if his current predicament is any indication, he supposes his answer was the wrong one.
And now he's falling down a dark shaft with the light of the world above quickly shrinking as he plummets farther and farther, hustled by an innumerable amount of disembodied arms. Yeah.
As if being pawed and prodded wasn't bad enough, they're jeering at him too, laughing in eerie voices. Bigby doesn't see any mouths, though that's never stopped something from talking before, and it doesn't take long for his already taut patience to wear even more thin. As the fingers of one hand tickle his ribs, another that's directly in front of him twists itself into an imitation of a face. Before it has a chance to open its fake mouth, Bigby punches it. And then all of the hands sharply pull back from him, and he's falling faster. Faster and faster until he finally reaches the bottom, landing in a dungeon where the only light is from a thin hole above him. Climbing to his feet, he looks up and follows the light source. Predictably, he can't even see where it ends, only that it's somewhere too far for him to even think about scaling.
Several feet away, something shuffles, the whisper of feet brushing against solid rock, and Bigby realizes he's not alone before his nose fully registers the distinct, heavy-with-tension smell of a person around the sensory overload of other similarly heavy scents — wet moss, the nose-prickly whiff of aged bones on their way to disintegrating, the heady odor of goblins from somewhere beyond the walls — with his brain helpfully specifying, human.]
... Hello? [Halting, wary. Fuck, this isn't a good day.]
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And then there's noise again, sharply and suddenly. The heavy-with-tension scent of a person comes into more distinct view as something else does as well - a crack of light in one wall. It appears and then gapes wider, barely giving off much more light than the light streaming from the hole in the ceiling itself. And from that open doorway crouches a woman who in her own opinion is far too old for this shit as well.
She sounds relieved though, as if she's sighing out a long-held breath.]
Thank goodness.
[Her form disappears again for a moment and one can hear her speaking again to someone else beyond the door.]
Here they are. Are they the only ones who came in, Hoggle?
Think so. Reckon so? They's the only ones His Royal Highness up there in his castle was having a fit over sneaking in anyhows.
Alright then. And not a word about this to him, got it?
Wouldn't dream of it!
[The crouched form reappears. If his eyes have adjusted to the light he might make out the length of her dark hair against the pale light in the room itself or of the one behind her.
She gestures a hand, waving him toward her.]
Hurry before anything else in there comes out.
[... There are other things in the dark?]
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Realistically, he must be sitting there gaping like a deer-in-headlights for only three, maybe five seconds, but it feels so much longer than that. He's not just staring at the unusually interesting sight of the woman who's appeared out of nowhere to rescue his ass, and her implication that there's something else in here doesn't hit him as hard either. Instead, he's fixated on the obvious, smaller details of what he's seeing. Long dark hair. Pale skin. Dark eyes that fit right in with their gloomy surroundings.
And her smell, it's... weird. She's definitely human, but there's a lot going on here. He smells flowers — both real and fake, one half light and soft, the other harsh like sugar in his nose — and musty paper, the kind you'd find in a library book. And he smells something a bit more alien, a bit more magical. That's why I couldn't process it, he realizes. She smells like this place, this world. Reeks from it, the same way a person who's walked through rain smells like the earth.
It's weird, she's weird, and now that it's inside his nose and head, he can't get rid of it.
Somehow, that doesn't feel like a bad thing. He thinks.
Time starts moving again. Bigby starts climbing to his feet, sparing a side-glance over his shoulder at unseen corners of the dungeon before he goes to the door. It's small enough for her to have to crouch in front of it, so he follows her lead and ducks down after her. There's no hesitation at all. That bit he does feel flustered at once he realizes how this must make him look.]
Okay... I have a few questions.
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Hah. Oh Sarah, she chides herself. Has she really become this desperate? Poor guy gets dropped abruptly into an oubliette and there she is eyeing him over. Get a grip, Williams, now isn't the time.]
Sure. And I promise I'll answer all of them once we're out of the tunnels.
[Said tunnel outside the oubliette isn't much better lit than inside honestly. It smells of must, moisture and disuse even if creatures end up in these rooms on the regular. Very few of them get out and even fewer trek through these tunnels.
Waiting for them is a grumpy little man bearing a torch, huffing and seemingly unable to stay in one place. He furrows his brow at Bigby and then starts waving a hand in annoyance.]
Come on, come on, you two! Yer both just lucky he hasn't found you out yet!
[Sarah blows out a breath, glancing down the tunnel. Her brow furrows a little.]
I don't see how.
[The dwarf waves his hand dismissively.]
Probably still pouting, I don't know. I try not to go around him if I can help it. He don't exactly like me, you know.
[Sarah huffs out a short laugh and then directs her gaze back to Bigby. She meant to ask a question but she just pauses for a moment, not really noticing that she is in the first place. There's something about him that she can't quite put her finger on. It's like she ought to know him somehow? Does she?]
How did you get down here? Did you find an entrance somewhere?
[He hadn't wished anyone - or himself for that matter - away, she knew that. Jareth would be here capering about if he had, making Bigby's life generally miserable. And probably hers too for daring to help.]
no subject
Down here as in dungeon-here? Or here in general? [He's keeping one eye on her, the other on the dark tunnel stretching ahead of them, and trying to fit wary glances on their guide in between it all.] I kind of just... walked in. In both cases.
[It's really that simple, his careful but matter-of-fact tone states. Mundy or no, this isn't really the time for elaborate lies or stories, especially when the reality is, where he's standing, not very dramatic.
Unlike the deep booming voice bouncing off the walls ahead of them.]
GO BACK! LEAVE THIS PLACE!
[Aaaand that would be all of his chill evaporating. Bigby immediately tenses up, fists curled at his side, ready for a fight, head whipping around for the source of the ominous bellowing which happens to be...
A rock.
Actually, no — a giant rock head, carved into the wall ahead of them. And unlike the hands, this one has an actual face. Imagine that!]
... The hell?
YES TRAVELER, HELL IS WHAT AWAITS YOU IF YOU CONTINUE UPON THIS PATH!
[Bigby throws Sarah a flat, incredulous look, almost like he's asking for her permission for how exactly he should react to this. Seriously?]
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She covers her mouth momentarily just to hide her grin, clearing her throat some as she struggles to suppress it.]
We're just passing through.
OH. IT'S YOU.
[Could rocks sound sad? Because now this one sounds sad. And a few more rock faces further up the hallway throw dust around as they all make sad murmuring noises too.
One of the ones further up pipes out:]
YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HERE ONCE! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD US YOU'D BE BACK!
[Another:]
I DON'T HAVE A NEW SPEECH READY! WHAT A BOTHER!
[Hoggle sighs out loud.]
Be quiet already or you're going to get his attention!
[At that Sarah looks back to Bigby and says in her own matter-of-fact tone:]
He means the Goblin King. I don't know how you got down here but it's for the best if he doesn't know you're here.
no subject
Let me guess — he's not a just and all-loving king, is he?
[He hopes it's too dark for her to see him rolling his eyes, but his sarcasm will probably creep into his voice anyway. He's not very good at keeping his tone level when his mood goes sour, even when he's trying to be tactful.
The corridor is starting to expand outward, and soon they find themselves in a large stone chamber, more of that strange furred moss at their feet, more stone faces cut into the walls. Several of them are mumbling dreary warnings; Bigby supposes that little exchange back there took the wind out of their sails. Up ahead, he can smell thicker foliage, tree bark and grass dense with moisture. Down here, the air feels cool. He wonders if they're close to water.]
What does that make you then? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's not your master.
[One of the rock faces closest to them rumbles out a chuckle. Bigby shoots it a glance, frowning. It was a legitimate question.]
no subject
"I'll lead ya the way I was supposed to take you the first time. Back to the start of the Labyrinth."
Sarah has to mull on her answer a moment and in that time Hoggle pipes up his own answer.]
Oh no, not Sarah! He can bully anyone else around but her! She's the Champion of the Labyrinth, you know.
[The woman lets go of a bemused sort of laugh.]
A long time ago I was.
Time don't matter down here, least of all to him.
[She pauses in her steps there. The smell of greenery is more prevalent and does a fair bit to cut down on the mustiness and dirt of the tunnels. She's never really talked about this with anyone but Toby and that was after his own ordeal. Her expression is serious though and she seems to figure now is as good a time as any to explain things.]
When I was a teenager, I wished away my brother. And the only way to get him back was to reach the castle at the heart of the Labyrinth. So I did.
Only one to beat it too! And that's why Jareth says she's got to be the Queen.
[Now is when Sarah herself rolls her eyes. She does absolutely nothing to disguise it though. She rubs between her eyes a moment, brow furrowing.]
Things got... complicated. Anyhow, Hoggle came to me talking about someone being in the Labyrinth without wishing anyone away. And that shouldn't be possible. There aren't any other entrances but the one from my parent's home.
[She gives Bigby a sharp, searching look now. Sarah had become the suspicious sort during her first trip through the Labyrinth and she had pretty much stayed that way.]
Why would you be down here if you didn't wish someone away? If you were a runner, he would already know you were here.
no subject
» It sounds like a fairy tale
» (make a joke)
» ...]
Champion, huh? [He's looking from the goblin — Hoggle? — to the woman throughout this explanation, eyebrows lightly raised like he's not sure if he should be surprised or amused. It's not even funny, but the revelation that this is the kind of person who would smell like flowers and stories is. It makes sense, in a cosmic sort of way.] Lucky me. I get the royal package deal — rescue and tour.
[And he can believe she's one, too. A hero. She bailed his ass out of trouble, right? It's a word and an image that pair up nicely with her smell. Sarah. He could believe that a hero queen could be named that. Why the hell not? There are queens named after flowers and seasons. Compared to the ones he's met, she's ordinary. Still beautiful, in the worn sort of way that comes with being exhausted, jumping through hoop after hoop in what he suspects was far too short a span of time. But pleasantly ordinary. He doesn't know the last time he's ever said that about anyone, especially the people he's used to being around, former royalty who flaunt their clout and put their legacy on display like it's a goddamned trophy. You don't see mundies in Fabletown. You just don't see normal.
Although, he's not quite sure if being touched by this place would still make her a mundie. She's definitely not a Fable, but she has a story and it's anything but normal. Before he can pursue this thought for too long, Sarah keeps going and Bigby stops himself to continue listening. He meets her scrutinizing look with an even but open one of his own.]
I'm not running from anything. I came here because I wanted to — because I had to. There's more than one way to get to this world than whatever your friend the king has you thinking. I found my way here through a door in a theater in the Bronx. Bet you I won't be the only one if it stays open.
[And if that happens, will Sarah be the one who shows up to rescue them when they fall down a hole into a dungeon after taking the wrong turn or talking to the wrong animated sculpture?
Bigby slowly shakes his head.]
There's a lot of things that aren't possible, until they are. That's the kind of world we live in. [He says "we" in careful, almost uncertain way. Like he's trying to test the word out and decide if he likes it or not.]
no subject
Did you know about this?
[The dwarf is quick to shake his head, waving his free hand and just generally look like he wants to be anywhere but caught by Sarah's pointed gaze.]
No! No, no, honest, I didn't! I didn't know nothing about any ways but the one! Really none of us down here can go up there so why should I?
[Mmmh. That doesn't seem to completely soothe the woman. One arm crosses around her and her hand rubs over her face again. She seems supremely annoyed annoyed now and the scent of flowers and paper likely dance with the spike in emotions.]
That -- [she near bites her tongue] -- he's keeping a secret entrance up to the Above then.
[She had never taken the time to wonder how he had found her after giving up his throne and his magic to Toby for that short bit of time but she was starting to piece this all together now. And it was making her very unhappy with a certain man.
Just in time of course for something to roll their way from the outside. It just bounces on by in the dim light from the exit they're so close to. It rolls and rolls and comes to a stop by bouncing right off of Bigby's foot ever so innocently.
A bland clear orb.]
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[Blandly:] Are you really that surprised? [He isn't. Hearing how Sarah ended up here as a kid reminds him of something fae would do, not necessarily goblins. He's never seen it happen personally, but knowing what he knows about faeries and how weak-willed most goblins can be, flocking to serve whatever master is cruel or smart enough to take advantage of their stupidity, it wouldn't faze him in the slightest if a fae who crowned himself king over these guys is calling the shots. It worked for the Adversary. It would also explain where the portal came from.
Sarah's scent is getting sharper and Bigby can't stop himself from wrinkling his nose at it when her anger gives a sudden nervous jolt. The flowers have a cloying edge to them like cheap perfume, a sure sign that she's pissed. She doesn't even need to waste the energy looking angry.
They don't have time to get too comfortable though because, as if on cue... Something wicked this way comes. Or rolls. Bigby picks up the sound barely seconds before the little orb bounces into view, the delicate tinkling of glass against stone hitting his ears in just the right way to put him on edge. It's like it materialized out of nowhere.
His foot instinctively steps back when the orb knocks against it and then, ominously, stills itself.
This isn't good, is it. This is the beginning of a really bad time, isn't it.
Fuck.]
Get behind me, both of you. Now. [The order is abrupt enough to sound urgent, though Bigby doesn't look afraid. And if he is, it's not necessarily for him.]
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A lesson just continuously learned over and over again. A younger Sarah would have decryed it as unfair but this older Sarah understood perfectly. 'That's the kind of world we live in.'
She doesn't get time to respond because while the sound of glass against stone might have been missed the first time, Bigby's response to it can't be. She looks down, catches a glint of light off the sphere and groans out loud.]
Oh no.
[And then there comes that chipper, swaggering tone with it's pompous accent.]
Well now, we have guests, do we? Sarah darling, you never mentioned you would be visiting today. And down around the oubliettes even? If you want to forget something so badly you could have just asked me, precious.
[The last word is near purred out. And then. Then his attention turns to Bigby, upgrading him from third wheel status quickly.]
And what do we have here? A guest who snuck his way in?
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Of course the way the... guy, whoever or whatever he is, His Highness the Asshole, is talking to Sarah doesn't help matters at all. There's nothing royal about the way that voice carries itself, all slime and sleazy charm. Bigby's heard it before, from the displaced royalty of Fabletown to the ordinary run-of-the-mill shitbags you don't have to go any farther than downtown Manhattan on a Saturday night to see out in full force. He doesn't have to know who he's talking to on a personal level to know that this guy is a) bad news, and b) a royal piece of work.]
It's not sneaking if I walked in. [Asshole. Can that be His Highness' new nickname? Bigby steps slowly around the ball as if to give it some distance, coming to a stop next to Sarah — in front of her actually.] Let me guess: you're the king. Must be a slow day if you have enough time to come down here and spend time with the little people.
[No offense, Hogbrain.]
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Hyuk.Or he's just more prone to attracting assholes. Honestly Sarah could sympathize given she only really seems to attract creeps or... well, assholes.She's more than ready to put the King in his place verbally but Bigby rounds the sphere and ends up putting himself between her and it. He had been trying to usher her behind him earlier too, hadn't he? It's oddly... comforting. For some reason. She wishes she could put her finger on it and maybe she could if she wasn't so exasperated with Jareth himself.
Hoggle has more or less crowded behind Sarah with absolutely no qualms. He ain't taking the blame yet again, no sir. He's rather not have time spent with him if you don't mind!
The sphere meanwhile not so subtly rolls to one side. Jareth lets his smug expression come right on through the crystal, his own personal video phone. And he would really like to keep the camera on her, thank you.]
Yes I know, how magnanimous of me. I always have time for particular company.
[That said Jareth gives a sigh as if this all wears him out far too much.]
It's sneaking in if the entrance isn't meant for you. Tsk tsk, I would think someone like you would know the laws of one land needn't necessarily match the laws of another.
never
And what's that supposed to mean?
[Dread isn't the right word for it, but the unease that the king knows more than Bigby has been trying to let on is thick enough to clump in his chest. Especially since he's been trying to keep a low profile since the moment he got here, not barreling through the door in full wolf form or even half, though that may have helped him blend in a little better — a talking beast in a kingdom of magical, chatty hands, skeevy hands, goblins and other creatures he's sure he hasn't even seen yet. The less that can be traced back to Fabletown, the better.
But what if he knows?]
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This whole being connected to the Labyrinth business was still something she was trying to get used to, the shape and weight of what abilities or powers she did or didn't have now like an ill-fitting dress she hadn't had tailored yet. Beyond the initial burst of her will that she had given to Jareth so the Labyrinth wouldn't crumble under the weak wills of Toby or even Jareth himself, she had never tried to stretch whatever connection she had here.
She could have noticed that entrance sooner. She ought to practice more. Mentally she fans her berating thoughts away because now really isn't the time for any of that.]
What, do you think I don't know the difference between humans and others?
[The crystal rolls again, grating and clinking against the stones. Jareth gives a full, robustly amused laugh that would send shivers down the backs of weaker people.]
You're in my Labyrinth! I might not know who you are but I certainly know what you are. I'm no fool.
[And now, the purring tone again.]
And I know you're the one who's been letting people out of the oubliettes as well, precious. Just because the Labyrinth favors you now doesn't mean what you do is so concealed.
[A noise comes from Sarah, the distinct sound of someone sucking in a breath between their teeth. There's that spike of anger again and there's a passion in her tone that wasn't present before. Thirteen years of being separated from her dreams and the passionate nature of her youth certainly haven't seemed to dim her now that her ablation Moppet has been returned to her.]
I wouldn't have to let anyone out if you didn't keep those rooms open. Do you even know what happens to people who stay in them long enough? They lose everything. They're forgotten and then even they forget and eventually --
[Eventually as Toby put it they just pop out of existence. Completely, thoroughly forgotten. And if they don't do that and reach a critical point they simply wander lost through the Labyrinth, remembering nothing whatsoever.
Now she's more or less edging Bigby out of the way, a hand against his shoulder in a thoughtless maneuver. She's coming forward like she's going to fight that crystal with her own bare fists.]
And you lied to me, you bastard. I ought to kick you and see how far you fly for that!
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And Hogwallace.
As much as he'd like to see her punt that orb like a football, he isn't finished; he hasn't even really started. Wordlessly and with no small amount of care, he reaches out to hold Sarah back, this time on her shoulder. His touch doesn't settle, but he holds it long enough and with enough weight for her to hopefully register the meaning behind it: It's okay. We've got this.]
And the door to your Labyrinth is in MY backyard. And if you know what I am, you should know that it's not in your best interest to fuck with me.
[He's harshing his words through gritted teeth. Whether or not he actually has the power to fight this guy head-on is irrelevant, but he means what he says 100% and that's enough to carry the point across for now. Though, given this new little development Sarah's shared, he may have no choice but to follow through with his threats anyway.]
I didn't come here to watch you peacock all day. The door to your kingdom is in the middle of my city where anyone can get to it. I did. I'm not going to be the last one either.
[Mundie or Fable, it doesn't matter. The threat is very real for anyone who ends up in or around that theater, and even if it doesn't come calling to Fabletown immediately, it will eventually. And what if the threat comes from both sides? What if another corrupt piece of raging shit like the Crooked Man finds it first? What if he finds a way to appeal to this smug fuck's pride and starts the old you-scratch-my-back routine? What then?
Bigby can't let that happen.]
You don't want intruders? Fine. Get rid of it.
hello i wrote a novel
Oh. He has her back... more or less? Some tension eases out of her shoulders before she lets her gaze drift back to that crystal in time to actually see said smug fuck actually look attentive now.]
In your city?
[A beat. His frown is obvious.]
In the theater. That should be enchanted though. If it's not...
[Now he directs a pointed look to Sarah.]
It was your will that reconstructed the Labyrinth when it began to fall apart. I suppose since you didn't know of the door you didn't know to enchant it.
[Sarah's shoulders now droop. Oh god, she feels so tired all of a sudden. Her hand is back against her face once more. This man.]
I don't know how to enchant anything. Unless you've forgotten, Jareth, I'm human. And what the hell do you mean by having a hidden entrance to begin with.
How else did you wish for me to visit when I lost my powers, love?
[His tone is the plaintive sort a person takes with their angry spouse. She gives a long sigh and Hoggle behind her finally makes some sort of sound to indicate he hasn't completely died with worry over the two of them completely pissing Jareth off.]
Fix it then.
And lose my way to come visit when you will not wish for me? Even if you and I do share ownership here, I can't freely cross to you unless you want me to.
[She gives the crystal a wondering, somewhat flabbergasted look. Why should she be surprised? She's not, not in the least but she had held some small hope...]
How can you be so selfish?
The same way you can be so cruel, Sarah. Now then, what will it be - shall you invite me in and let me release the entrance? Or shall I keep it open until you finally do?
[And he smiles a smile of pure, smug satisfaction. If she wouldn't bend to him in the dream he created for her twice over then perhaps she would bend out of worry for others as she had for the Labyrinth itself.
Sarah stands stock still in place a moment. A war rages with her emotions, flitting over her like breaths of wind. From anger to dread to sadness, they shift as her fingers worry the hem of her shirt before she finally looks more determined than anything.]
Then I'll go close it if you won't.
[For my will is as strong as your own and my kingdom just as great.
And with that the crystal darkens just as his High and Mighty Goblin King's expression does. Now his voice seems to echo around the room and the entrance to the forest outside? Well that slams shut with a resounding, dreadful clanging sound.]
Then run, my dear.
[And from where that exit once way comes a sound. A roar, a thud, the clanging of metal and the acrid tang of smoke.
Hoggle outright yells.]
THE CLEANERS!
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So Sarah does know magic. And the portal isn't really a backdoor into to the Underground so much as a backdoor into the mundane world. A way in for King Asshole to slither his way through for... what exactly? To stalk Sarah? That's what it sure sounds like to Bigby's ears. The resulting repulsion and anger is so strong that when he bites down it's tight enough to feel his teeth creak. So that's what this all comes down to in the end. Someone who just won't take no for an answer.
(like Crane, exactly like Crane—)
Fucking freak.
Bigby's already taking a step toward the orb, words pushed out of his throat with a snarl. Good for Sarah if she wants to get dibs on crushing it into dust but he needs to get his fill too.]
HEY! We're not done you fu—
[Or at least he would if the situation didn't finally, resoundingly and hopelessly descend into mayhem in short, predictable order. Jareth's face disappears as the crystal goes dark, and from behind them, a thundering clanging shriek comes barreling down the hallway to cut Bigby off in mid-sentence to accompany the terribly loud, terribly final thud of their way out slamming shut. It's an insane chaotic jumble made up of so many dissonant sounds that it's hard to pinpoint what exactly he's hearing, but if Bigby forces himself to push past the ear-splitting volume, it sounds sort of like...
Knives.
Blades and wheels and sharp, rusty metal grinding against stone.
And if he follows that sound to the source, he'll see that's exactly what it is. It's some kind of crazy looking machine. One that just so happens to be the size and width of the corridor, large enough for him to almost mistake it for the wall itself coming toward them.
Okay. Okay, okay, okayokayokayokay. Time to move.]
Come on!
[He doesn't wait for an answer or hear any worth stopping him from grabbing Sarah by her arm to yank her back from the path of the whirling-knife-thing. He sees Hogsworth practically trip over himself following suit, and just like that, they're off racing in the opposite direction. Back into the depths of the dungeons, right where they came from.]
So— [Yeah, he can run and yell at the same time. That's how a conversation works, right?] You're queen to THAT guy?
[He is so, so sorry.]
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In the middle of running she reaches back to grasp Hoggle's wrist and appropriately groans at Bigby's question.]
Not you too!
[They keep running deeper and deeper, the clanking and whirring and grinding eating up the passageway behind them. Behind them flailing in Sarah's grip Hoggle manages to get out:]
Here! Hurry!
[It's a side passage and after fumbling with the door a moment Hoggle in turn literally jerks Sarah inside, catching the brunette tripping over her own feet and falling to the dusty, dirty stone floor below. She in turn grasps Bigby's wrist as he grasps her arm and with any luck he doesn't kiss the ground too.
The whole group only barely manages to land themselves inside this side passage seconds before the cleaner barrels on by. Sarah makes an annoyed sound from where she lays face down against the stone floor, panting out her breath as she attempts to slow her racing heart.]
The least he could do... [she pants] is come up with some new traps.
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And maybe in some very rare cases they escape, only to be run down by this thing. Knife-tank-thing.
He supposes there's still some scraps left at the bottom of his luck jar, though, because now he's the one being jerked back and pulled in a totally different direction. It's enough to save him from getting mangled by the machine head-on. Sadly, it's not enough to stop him from catching something else with his face.
Faceplanted on the floor, Bigby's body is a coiled ball of tension. When the whirring, clanking cacophony reaches an apex and he's still alive, he braces himself up by his arms and looks up, eyes flashing luminous yellow. The machine passes noisily by their hiding place and continue down the corridor, manned by a pair of goblins operating it by a peddle system. Eventually, the noise becomes distant.
Uneasily, Bigby eases himself back against the wall. He blinks, holds his eyes closed for a moment. When he opens them again, the yellow is back to being brown.
» Don't give him ideas.
» That wasn't enough?
» Can you be serious?
» ...]]
Don't. If that thing shows up again [he exhales raggedly] and it can fly—
[He turns his full attention to Sarah now, catching the full overpowering brunt of her scent. Everything smells like adrenaline and fear and flowers, it's actually making him a little sick. Still, he doesn't hesitate to offer her a hand as he pulls himself to his feet.]
I'm going to blame you.
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He doesn't hesitate to offer, she doesn't hesitate to accept. She bends a moment to dust herself off, down the legs of her jeans first and then straightens back up as she brushes off the front of her shirt. And then finally she huffs out an amused if ragged breath, a quirk of a smile against her lips. It's more like a smirk than anything though.]
Sure, if it makes you feel better.
[He can join the legions of students who curse her name as they study for their midterms or rage over their graded papers.
Meanwhile Hoggles seems to find what he knew would be in here - a ladder leading topside. He grunts in apparent annoyance.]
I know I told ya I'd take ya one way but--
[Sarah waves a hand dismissively.]
That idea is over with. He knows we're here so he's not going to make it easy for us to leave again.
[But. Sarah pauses in place and seems to listen to something. Then she directs a fully amused smile at Hoggle as he starts up the ladder. He's already pushing open a hatch above it, letting light flood into the passageway.
Sarah's tone is damn near perky considering how ticked off she was moments before.]
If he can control this labyrinth then so can I.
[Hoggle pauses a moment to stare down at the brunette. And then he gives a long sigh as he continues upward.]
Well if you think you can do something then be my guest. I wasn't looking forward to ending up at that castle anytime soon.
[It hadn't occurred to her until Jareth said a fair few words he probably shouldn't have to her. Just because the Labyrinth favors you now doesn't mean what you do is so concealed. So she couldn't conceal what she did in the Labyrinth -- or maybe even the whole Underground -- from him but so what? The idea of him being able to see her bend his own Labyrinth to her will and only being able to slow her but not stop her entirely is very satisfying to her right about now.
It was your will that reconstructed the Labyrinth when it began to fall apart.
This shouldn't be half as satisfying a realization as it is. Sarah had been a harsh teacher, sure, but her edges had softened some once she and Moppet reunited. She wasn't one to play with anybody or deliberately hurt them... at least if she didn't think it would help them grow. With Jareth though... well, he deserved it for all of this current bullshit she's been going through. And maybe for the years she had been parted from her dreams and desires too, even if she had agreed to it without realizing the full consequences of such an agreement.
She pauses near the bottom of the ladder, glancing back at Bigby with her smile intact. She looks equal parts happy and reveling in this new realization as she gestures with the tilt of her head to the ladder.]
Age before beauty?
[Look at her, telling a joke moments after nearly dying. Again. Yeah, that's Sarah for you.]
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Point is, watching this play out from the sidelines and coming to terms that he's walked in on a story that's long since played out but has never really finished isn't something he's totally unused to. Does he like it? Hell no. He hates feeling helpless. Hates feeling like he's fumbling around in the dark not knowing if he's in control of the situation or just unwittingly following
But, when all's said and done, he'd take perky optimism over the opposite any day. Even if it's a hell of a rebound from the near-death experience they just got out of. Bigby's not one to dwell on misery for too long, but his idea of practical thinking is usually a bit more aggressive. A tiny more sullen. Definitely not smartassed.]
Don't push it, [resigned, but then he adds on his way to the ladder,] Highness.
[Okay, maybe a little smartassed.
Following Hogfather up, Bigby waits until he feels Sarah behind him before he speaks again. See? Multitasking.]
Look... Sarah, right? I get it. There's a lot of things I don't know about you and... whatever's going on between you and him. [He's not sure how to even broach that issue or if he even should. Uhhh.] But do you even know what you're doing?
[This is a pretty long ladder. The further they climb, the louder the world topside is getting. Bigby can hear something that sounds like the gentle trickle of water. Maybe a stream, or a fountain. And if he squints, he can make out a ring of light streaming around whatever circular plate is covering the way out.]
You don't know how to use magic. You just told him yourself back there.
[Unless she was bluffing. Somehow, he doubts it.]
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He starts talking again when she's a step or two up the rungs just behind him. If he wanted her to delve further into her and Jareth and that whole tangled mess she would. He deserved that much after all the pain it sounded like Jareth was causing him. She wasn't going to just randomly exposition on it though. Somehow she got the idea that the last thing he needed was the tale of how she had a fae just a little too into her.
She pauses in her steps and for a moment uncertainty swims through her. It tightens her stomach much the same way it did all those years ago. She almost feels more fifteen than twenty-eight for a good second or two.]
Not really.
[She's going to just be bluntly honest here. She starts coming up the ladder behind him soon after, steps deliberate and firm.]
The most I know about magic is what I've read in fairy tales and experienced here. And what I've put in my own stories too, of course.
[That explains the scent of paper at least, though frankly all of her writing is nicely stored on an external harddrive.
... Hoggle. Just how long is this ladder?]
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[It definitely was for him. As a kid, he didn't have anyone around to teach him what he needed to know — controlling his strength, harnessing the wind, combining both in a way that wouldn't backfire and hurt him.
He's only had himself to depend on, but he did learn. Much of it, through trial and error involving everything around him: animals, nature, monsters.
And people. Especially people.]
And there's rules, too. Lots and lots of rules.
[And the majority of them don't make a bit of sense, but that's okay because it's not his job to figure them out most of the time: just to put a stop to them if they get out of hand. The other bit? That would be the Thirteenth Floor's. Boy, is he excited for the riveting discussion he's going to have with them once he gets back.
Hogrid reaches the end of the ladder which is only three or so feet away from where Bigby's at on it. He pushes the plate away and a flood of blinding white sunlight pours into the passageway, leaving Bigby squinting through it as he's left to finish climbing up. He hears the little goblin man grumble to himself — something about how one time's bad enough, but two times... — and then he vanishes up and out of the shaft, giving Bigby the room to poke his head out and take stock of their new surroundings.
He was right about the water: there's a fountain here. A large one in the middle of what is readily apparent to be a courtyard. Everything is made of stone. Statues of strange creatures dot the landscape, some of which are hands with fingers pointing down different pathways. Great, like he needed more of those. The sky is pleasantly sunny without a single cloud, and the air smells fresh compared to what he was choking down back there.
It almost looks... nice. In a very medieval kind of way.]
Do you know where we are? [It's addressed to Hogsfinkle from over his shoulder once he gets out and gives Sarah enough room to follow him, ready to help her get her bearings if she needs it. What is this guy's name again anyway?]
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ow the edge 2019
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#lethogglesayfuck