Challenge #35: Number Nine
Wednesday, 4 July 2018 17:38![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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labyficTitle: Number Nine
Summary: Follow-up to Principia Mathemagica, where we find out exactly what Jareth’s ninth try to tempt Sarah in the Escher Room looked like, courtesy of the what-if magic they formalized together in the world where Jareth’s attempt finally worked. Inspired by the challenge prompt “superhero”.
Word count: 744
I looked again at the tiny goblin king image doing a very respectable bribe-seduction attempt on a tiny teenage me hellbent on her quest, surrounded by a rainbow horizon of possibility. "How many times did it...did you…"
He looked at the fractal pictures splaying forth and closed his eyes briefly. "I think...thirteen."
I blinked. "Thirteen?"
"Thirteenth time's the charm, I suppose." He peered into the what-if depths and cringed. "Some of them were rather...inept. How embarrassing. Don't look at number nine."
I had to look, of course.
. . .
The overall color scheme of the Escher Room in the crystal ball suddenly looked...heroic. That blue was downright noble. And that shade of red on Jareth’s cape, together with the gold highlights...
Dear God, he looked like Superman. I squinted. Yup, there it was — a little J in a triangle on his chest, which bore more than a passing resemblance to the curved pendant villain-Jareth had previously worn.
Tiny teenage me did a doubletake. “What’s going on?”
Tiny super-Jareth had his arms crossed, his chin lifted just so. “Surely you realize that heroes come in many guises?”
Tiny-me blinked hard. “You’re trying to tell me you’re a hero?”
He gave a pointed glance down at his ensemble.
“Look here, Mr. Super-pants --
The face that tiny-Jareth made at that moniker was priceless.
Tiny-me blazed on, unfazed. “--I’m pretty sure heroes don’t steal away the heroine’s baby brother and threaten to turn him into a goblin.”
Tiny-Jareth clucked his tongue. “And why are you so sure of that? Haven’t you heard of heroic trials?”
“What, like Yoda with Luke Skywalker that first time on Dagobah?”
You could see tiny-Jareth’s eyes flickering as he tried to sort out that reference.
Tiny-me huffed out an annoyed breath. “You’re trying to tell me this whole thing was just a test.”
Tiny-Jareth nodded once, heroic poise emanating from every tendon and sinew.
Tiny-me crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t buy it.”
Tiny-Jareth tilted his head to the side, and utterly hid any debilitating panic that had surely begun to set in. “I’m telling you nothing but the simple truth.”
“Dressed up as Super Jareth? Please. How naive do you think I am?”
That comment brought a pained look to his face and what looked suspiciously like a flush of embarrassment. “This realm has needs, and you’ve proven yourself capable of fighting by my side to handle them.”
“By your side...you auditioned me as your sidekick? What, like Super Girl?”
Tiny-Jareth smirked just a little, and waved his hand.
Tiny-me found herself bedecked in a matching blue and red costume, complete with flowing cape and an S-emblem on her chest. She looked down at herself and then back at super-Jareth with a very furrowed brow.
Tiny-Jareth piped up in a thoroughly temptatious voice. “Time is short, Sarah. We could be great together, you and I.” Swirls of rather absurdly heroic futures floated in crystal balls around tiny-me and tiny-Jareth. “Fighting for what is good and noble and true here.” A crystal floated by at just that moment showing a very tiny super duo battling something with a lot of flailing barbed tentacles that had climbed its way across half the castle. “But you must make your choice now.” The thirteen hour clock suddenly loomed into view, its pendulum swinging pointedly.
Oooh, that was a mistake, my love. I’m about to call your bluff.
Sure enough, tiny-me crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “Why the sudden rush? If all of this was just a test before, why are we still on a time limit?” She smirked then. “This is just another one of your tricks. Well, I’m through with those. I’ll be calling the shots from now on, thank you very much.” Tiny-me struck a rather heroic pose with her hands balled at her hips, and began to intone, “Through dangers untold —“
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, not again,” grumbled tiny-Jareth, as he waved his hand and caused that reality to splinter, shatter, and branch off.
I glanced at my Jareth, who shrugged with an arched eyebrow.
As I turned back to watch cycle ten unfold, I felt his lips brush the side of my neck. “You’ll have to admit, my dear, I was getting a touch frustrated. Teenage-you is a singularly difficult woman to persuade.”
“At least you got it right after, what, four more times?”
“Thank all the powers that be.”
Summary: Follow-up to Principia Mathemagica, where we find out exactly what Jareth’s ninth try to tempt Sarah in the Escher Room looked like, courtesy of the what-if magic they formalized together in the world where Jareth’s attempt finally worked. Inspired by the challenge prompt “superhero”.
Word count: 744
I looked again at the tiny goblin king image doing a very respectable bribe-seduction attempt on a tiny teenage me hellbent on her quest, surrounded by a rainbow horizon of possibility. "How many times did it...did you…"
He looked at the fractal pictures splaying forth and closed his eyes briefly. "I think...thirteen."
I blinked. "Thirteen?"
"Thirteenth time's the charm, I suppose." He peered into the what-if depths and cringed. "Some of them were rather...inept. How embarrassing. Don't look at number nine."
I had to look, of course.
. . .
The overall color scheme of the Escher Room in the crystal ball suddenly looked...heroic. That blue was downright noble. And that shade of red on Jareth’s cape, together with the gold highlights...
Dear God, he looked like Superman. I squinted. Yup, there it was — a little J in a triangle on his chest, which bore more than a passing resemblance to the curved pendant villain-Jareth had previously worn.
Tiny teenage me did a doubletake. “What’s going on?”
Tiny super-Jareth had his arms crossed, his chin lifted just so. “Surely you realize that heroes come in many guises?”
Tiny-me blinked hard. “You’re trying to tell me you’re a hero?”
He gave a pointed glance down at his ensemble.
“Look here, Mr. Super-pants --
The face that tiny-Jareth made at that moniker was priceless.
Tiny-me blazed on, unfazed. “--I’m pretty sure heroes don’t steal away the heroine’s baby brother and threaten to turn him into a goblin.”
Tiny-Jareth clucked his tongue. “And why are you so sure of that? Haven’t you heard of heroic trials?”
“What, like Yoda with Luke Skywalker that first time on Dagobah?”
You could see tiny-Jareth’s eyes flickering as he tried to sort out that reference.
Tiny-me huffed out an annoyed breath. “You’re trying to tell me this whole thing was just a test.”
Tiny-Jareth nodded once, heroic poise emanating from every tendon and sinew.
Tiny-me crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t buy it.”
Tiny-Jareth tilted his head to the side, and utterly hid any debilitating panic that had surely begun to set in. “I’m telling you nothing but the simple truth.”
“Dressed up as Super Jareth? Please. How naive do you think I am?”
That comment brought a pained look to his face and what looked suspiciously like a flush of embarrassment. “This realm has needs, and you’ve proven yourself capable of fighting by my side to handle them.”
“By your side...you auditioned me as your sidekick? What, like Super Girl?”
Tiny-Jareth smirked just a little, and waved his hand.
Tiny-me found herself bedecked in a matching blue and red costume, complete with flowing cape and an S-emblem on her chest. She looked down at herself and then back at super-Jareth with a very furrowed brow.
Tiny-Jareth piped up in a thoroughly temptatious voice. “Time is short, Sarah. We could be great together, you and I.” Swirls of rather absurdly heroic futures floated in crystal balls around tiny-me and tiny-Jareth. “Fighting for what is good and noble and true here.” A crystal floated by at just that moment showing a very tiny super duo battling something with a lot of flailing barbed tentacles that had climbed its way across half the castle. “But you must make your choice now.” The thirteen hour clock suddenly loomed into view, its pendulum swinging pointedly.
Oooh, that was a mistake, my love. I’m about to call your bluff.
Sure enough, tiny-me crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “Why the sudden rush? If all of this was just a test before, why are we still on a time limit?” She smirked then. “This is just another one of your tricks. Well, I’m through with those. I’ll be calling the shots from now on, thank you very much.” Tiny-me struck a rather heroic pose with her hands balled at her hips, and began to intone, “Through dangers untold —“
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, not again,” grumbled tiny-Jareth, as he waved his hand and caused that reality to splinter, shatter, and branch off.
I glanced at my Jareth, who shrugged with an arched eyebrow.
As I turned back to watch cycle ten unfold, I felt his lips brush the side of my neck. “You’ll have to admit, my dear, I was getting a touch frustrated. Teenage-you is a singularly difficult woman to persuade.”
“At least you got it right after, what, four more times?”
“Thank all the powers that be.”
