[Fic] "Balance" -- Labyrinth
This is a story that grew out of four things:
1. Labyrinth, to me, reads subtextually as a story of a girl's rejection of her sexuality. That's far from the only thing in the film, and even that interpretation is somewhat debateable -- I've had people debate it when I brought it up, and I'd rather not rehash the arguments, thanks -- but I've always been a little uncomfortable with both Jareth's offered bargain and Sara's rejection of it and him.
2. Jareth and the Labyrinth are not explained in the film. Many fanfiction stories interpret him as one of the Fair Folk, and consider the Labyrinth as part of the Otherworld. Some of these stories are damn good. But there's no particular evidence for that theory in the movie, and I wanted to explore another option.
3. Magic is not explained in the film, neither Jareth's power nor Sara's more intriguing ability to A) draw the Labyrinth's attention when she wishes Toby away or B) call her friends to her world through her mirror. I wanted to play around with that.
4. I like Jareth. I like Sara. I like them together. But there is no way on earth that a romantic relationship between them is going to be easy.
So.
( Balance )
A story about the prices of power, and about two stubborn, lonely people learning to live with each other.
1. Labyrinth, to me, reads subtextually as a story of a girl's rejection of her sexuality. That's far from the only thing in the film, and even that interpretation is somewhat debateable -- I've had people debate it when I brought it up, and I'd rather not rehash the arguments, thanks -- but I've always been a little uncomfortable with both Jareth's offered bargain and Sara's rejection of it and him.
2. Jareth and the Labyrinth are not explained in the film. Many fanfiction stories interpret him as one of the Fair Folk, and consider the Labyrinth as part of the Otherworld. Some of these stories are damn good. But there's no particular evidence for that theory in the movie, and I wanted to explore another option.
3. Magic is not explained in the film, neither Jareth's power nor Sara's more intriguing ability to A) draw the Labyrinth's attention when she wishes Toby away or B) call her friends to her world through her mirror. I wanted to play around with that.
4. I like Jareth. I like Sara. I like them together. But there is no way on earth that a romantic relationship between them is going to be easy.
So.
( Balance )
A story about the prices of power, and about two stubborn, lonely people learning to live with each other.