In Jareth's Castle, Saturday Afternooon

[it-bit-me.livejournal.com]

Well... That hadn't gone quite as planned. The right words have been said, and Jareth has simply laughed in the faces of our would-be rescuers. What now? Three challenges? That wasn't in any of the clues! Play fair, Goblin King!

Then again, saying, "It isn't fair" never really seems to do anybody any good in here anyhow, does it? Drat.

[Follows this post! For Team Jareth and for our pretty pretty Princes and Princesses! If any of you need an NPC for your trials, please, visit us over at this post and we'll send somebody by as soon as we can!]

Comments

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

This isn't just about me.

Ange, Lee, Ev, M. Even Penance, though nobody knew anything about her. Maybe Jonothon was still running from it, but he could name more than a couple of people who weren't.

And even if it was, can you blame me? It isn't my Emma that I'm running from.

It was himself. It always had been. It helped, to some degree, that he'd never heard anybody make dehumanizing remarks about him here on the island. No, 'does he even have feelings?' from his classmates.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"Why should I care about other people, especially ones I don't know?" Emma scoffed. "What has anyone from our world ever done for me?"

For that matter, who at Fandom would even care if she stayed here? Karla had tried to run from everything Jareth offered. Jack had made his choice. Beka, Valentine, and Rose were gone, and everyone else had someone else. No one needed her. Even Peter was over there trying to console Helen.

"Here I've got power. Control. Everything I want at my fingertips. Why should I give all this up, just because some older version of me 'does world of good'? Does she even get anything out of it? Has anyone ever said 'thank you,' or is she just taken for granted?" As usual.

"I don't care about good, I care about me."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono's brow creased at those words. Was Emma Frost taken for granted?

No. No, Jonothon really didn't think she was. He'd still be in London, probably dead, possibly hiding underground like some sort of freakish Morlock if it wasn't for her. He didn't take that for granted. If he did, would he be here right now?

He could have turned back any time between last night and right now.

What do you get out of this? You get to run away. You get to play princess for a self-absorbed berk with bad hair, lording over a bunch of royal subjects who spend most of their time making fart jokes and drooling on themselves. That's some inheritance, Miss Frost. I ought to be jealous, shouldn't I?

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

Jono better think fast, because that was a furious Emma lashing out to slap him right now. She wasn't afraid of his fire, and she wasn't afraid of him, now or ever.

"Fuck you," she spat. "You have no right to talk to me about running away."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono took that slap, shut his eyes tight and felt it. Maybe he did deserve it. He usually did.

The bandages on his face were askew, just underneath the place where his cheek was turning an angry shade of pink. He left them be, for now.

The question still stands. What do you get out of this?

Calm. Level. Stung, somewhere deep down, but he could focus on that later. Now wasn't the time.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"Jareth wants me," Emma retorted angrily. "Someone wants me for me."

"No freaking out about what I might or might-not do with my powers, no throwing me away, and no reservations. I'm wanted here, which is more than I can say for anywhere else."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono considered that, and then looked at the other people around them, still ignoring the curl of flame that was creeping up the side of his face. Now was not the time. Now was not the time.

Is it you he wants? No ulterior motives in th'least? I'd say kidnapping you is a funny way to show it.

But then, what did he know, right?

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"Kidnapping? No..." Something flickered across her face. "Jareth wouldn't do that. He said we could stay if we wanted."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono raised an eyebrow slightly. Something in his bionuclear psionic heart twisted a little for her, though he tried not to let it show, if for the sake of her pride alone.

Emma, luv. You don't remember how you got here?

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"There was a party," she replied, slowly, like Jono should already know this. "I had a stunning dress and a mask, and then I was here."

"I was going to leave...but I ended up staying."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono hadn't been to the party, alas. Jonothon was one of the only people on the island who couldn't possibly have gone.

How did you get to th'party, Emma?

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"I..." Emma's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know."

Great, Jono, make her paranoid. Emma was loads of fun whenever she was paranoid.

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Well, better paranoid than slapping him across the face again. Sort of?

From what I heard, those who had been abducted were at that party, he noted. As well as those who had eaten peaches, that day.

Which just smacked of poison, or at least hallucinogenic drugs. Which might also explain why Emma couldn't quite remember how she'd gotten here. And yes, he was letting those thoughts drift right up close to the surface of his consciousness. Pick up on that, Emma Grace Frost.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"So help me, I will slap you again Starsmore." Paranoid, cranky Emma. "There is nothing wrong with the occasional use of hallucinogens, if used properly."

"I'd offer to let you try the peach wine, but..."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Slap me again. Jono replied, actually reaching up and pulling his bandages down, clear from his face. Here. This ought to help yer aim.

Yes, he was now in the process of trying to have a pissing contest with Emma Frost.

So, sneaking those hallucinogens into th'food of unsuspecting strangers in order to unwittingly manipulate them into doing yer will, that's yer idea of using them properly, is it?

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"No! What fun would that be? I mean..." Emma shook her head, fingers curling into her scalp. "Stop it, Jonothon, you're making it hard to think!"

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

I can't, Jono replied, shaking his head a little. I came all this bloody way for you, Emma. If I had guts, I would've been gored by a bloody minotaur for yer sake. I'm not going to let off now.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"WHY?" she screamed at him. "So why did you? Why didn't you just stay in the dorms and leave me be?"

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Because unlike yer new friend here, Jono thought, casting a quick glance at Jareth before looking back at her, unperturbed by her screaming, I care enough to ask you what it is that you want, before going right ahead and forcing it on you. He didn't even kidnap you in person, did he? He probably sent some of those bloody goblins of his to do his dirty work for him. There's how much you mean to him, Emma. Yer a pretty new toy to him. An item on his shopping list for somebody else to round up and deliver. That's all.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"You're lying," Emma whispered, looking at him in dawning horror. "You're making that up. You're lying."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono shook his head a little, the angry orange fire shifting a little, until it was flickers of blue flaming his face.

You'd know if I was.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

"You're lying," she repeated, although this time it was more to herself, as if to try and convince herself otherwise. "He said we were safe here, Jono. You're lying. He wouldn't do that."

Yes, he would, and Emma was internally fighting for those little bits of herself that weren't completely lost under the Goblin King's magic.

"You have to be lying. It's safe here, he promised."

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Emma, come home, Jono thought toward her, holding out a hand. His thoughts were quieter now, almost pleading. I've been worried.

He could have said 'we.' Could have. But this was as much the truth as that was, and so much easier to prove.

You can be so much more than princess of scurrying things that bump in th'night. You know that.

Re: The Final Test

[icecoldfrost]

'Can be so much more.' That was the crux of it, wasn't it? Emma was never going to be satisfied with what was given to her, and deep inside, she knew it.

"But...no one worries about me." Everything inside her head was jumbled, loud and confusing, and Emma took his hand out of reflex, for something to focus on. "You don't need to worry, I'm..."

Dizzy.

"...you don't think I'd make a good princess of nightmares?"

Re: The Final Test

[furnaceface]

Jono shrugged a little, giving her hand a squeeze.

I think you're far more suited to be Queen than Princess. And you'll never get that while yer here.