fh_adventures | The Oubliette and Surrounding Corridors, Saturday

The Oubliette and Surrounding Corridors, Saturday

There's no hope. No one's coming for you. No one wanted you, that's why you were taken. Except now, even Jareth doesn't want you. No one does. No one's coming. No hope. No hope. No hope no hope no hope nohopenohopenohopenohope...

The three captives had been in Jareth's oubliette for days now, with the mantra getting ever-louder in their ears and minds. Whether it was just a trick to get them to beg Jareth to take them back, or you're just setting an example for the others still left in the throne room remains to be seen. Whatever the case might be, things are looking pretty grim. The constant litany of 'no hope' and 'no one wants you' is getting awfully hard to ignore...

[For a few members of Team Distraction and a couple of brave would-be princess and prince escape artists! If any of you need an NPC for this post, please, visit us over at this post and we'll send somebody by as soon as we can!]

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"Karla?" 'Dite couldn't believe she'd heard that. Karla didn't seem to know who she was. "Sweetheart, it's me, it's Aphrodite. We came to find you." Carefully she put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's time for you to come home."

Instantly after she said the word 'home' she worried. Karla's tone sounded much like a child. Would that child know she meant Fandom? Or would she think Glacia and be afraid?

Karla flinched away from 'Dite's hand. "Don't!" she said. "Leave me alone! I don't...have a home to go back to."

She sounded so broken when she said that.

Just the sound of her voice, so defeated, made 'Dite want to rage, want to cry. Whatever this Jareth, Goblin King, had done, this was something unforgivable.

She took a moment to get hold of herself, fighting back the anger. Then she thought about it. Maybe that anger was the key.

"Karla. Do you remember when Dinah and I came to your door, in Glacia? You didn't want to open it, but we told you a story, about a Queen who had to go away from home so she could be safe, and grow up to lead her people. And you came out of the door, and we took you home -- to Fandom. Do you remember that?"

It took a moment, but Karla gave a listless nod. "I remember," she mumbled. "I think it was a dream. No one wants me. I'm worthless."

'Dite swallowed and went on. "Do you remember . . . when I was so angry, and I wasn't acting like myself . . . and you and Raven and Max hatched a plan to save me. You put yourself in danger, just to help me." She touched Karla again. "Remember?"

Please remember!

Oh, she remembered that, all right! "It was a horrible plan," she cried out. "Raven was forced to reveal her demon-side and everything just went horribly, horribly wrong! All my plans do! Go away, 'Dite. Everyone's better off with me here."

'Dite closed her eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. "But it worked. Karla, it worked, and that's the most important thing." She shifted closer. "And if you would put yourself in such great danger for me . . . how could you believe that I wouldn't come for you?"

She tugged slightly on her friend's shoulder. "I love you, Karla. You're important. Now come home with me."

Karla just shook her head, shrinking back away from 'Dite's touch. "No, I'm not," she whispered. "My parents barely had time for me even when they were alive. My uncle wants me dead or worse. If my own blood doesn't want me, why should anyone else? Everyone who says they love me lies!"

Before the oubliette, she'd dreamed of Warren coming to free her. He'd said he'd loved her, too. And where was he? Not here, that was for damn sure.

Dite was probably here out of obligation. Or because she needed help in the store on Mondays. Either of those was easier to believe.

Obligation, her ass.

'Dite sighed. "I didn't want to do this." Closing her eyes, she brought up her power, the part of her she seldom touched. Others in the cell might have seen a slight golden outline about her.

Moving her hands so that she could cradle Karla's face, 'Dite ignored the flinch and looked firmly into her eyes. "Karla. You are loved." And she kissed Karla's forehead, holding her lips there, bringing her power to bear with the hope she could finally break whatever spell Jareth had been working.

She couldn't break the spell. Jareth's power was at its height and he was the supreme ruler of the Labyrinth and everything in it. But that didn't mean that Karla couldn't feel the love 'Dite was offering. It felt a lot like standing outside a window on a cold, winter's night, peering inside at a warm family scene. Karla wasn't part of it--but, oh, how she wished she were.

"I..." she faltered. "I am?"

Looking into her eyes again, 'Dite smiled. "Yes. You are. And if you come outside with me, I'll prove it." She slipped her hand into Karla's, then curled her fingers tight to hold on. Maybe she couldn't break the spell yet, but she sent as much love as she could through that connection.

It had to break through at some point.

"I still don't believe you," Karla warned, though she wasn't hiding her face anymore. "But I want to...I want to leave," she amended hurriedly, like admitting that she wanted to believe 'Dite was some horrible embarrassment. "Let's get out of here."

"Let's." She squeezed Karla's hand once more, then helped her up. "The sooner we get out of here, the better you'll feel."

'Dite glanced up to see Rinoa helping her Knight, and yet a third captive being talked down. Just three. She wondered where the others were, and hoped the other teams had found them.

"Come on, Sweet Pea. Time to go."

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The Oubliette and Surrounding Corridors, Saturday

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