Just a bit of light reading

[littlesummers]

Who: Dawn and Jareth
When: Mid afternoon
Where: The library
What: Dawn is minding her own business, having no idea she is about to be stumbled upon by a Goblin King who has a thing for teenage girls who like to read.

Comments

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth often wandered through the library, though he rarely touched the books. This particular afternoon, however... well, if he'd had a concept of Christmas, it would have felt like that.

The girl couldn't have been more than fifteen at the most, and was utterly absorbed in her book. Some ridiculous fantasy, no doubt. No. He considered her a moment longer. It was something too old for her and she enjoyed it and thought that made her more grown up. He smirked a little. A ridiculous fantasy that was a little too old for her.

He walked over slowly, almost savouring the approach, and settled in the chair kitty-corner to the one she was using for a foot-rest, draping himself over it regally more than merely sitting in it, his booted feet near her right ear. It might as well have been his throne. He crossed one ankle over the opposite knee and watched her for a moment longer before commenting.

"That must be a very charming tale, indeed, to have captivated you so thoroughly."

[littlesummers]

Dawn choked on her pretzel and tossed her book in the air in surprise, thankfully catching it before it came back and hit her in the head, when it became apparent that she was no longer alone.

"I don't know if I'd call Interview With a Vampire charming," she recovered, pulling her feet off the chair, sitting up and spinning around so she could face him. "But it's good. A bit ironic though all things considering," she mused to herself.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she questioned, one eyebrow raised as she took in the apperance of the man across from her.

[gobking_jareth]

"I only just sat down," Jareth told her. "I haven't seen you here before, and I visit often. Would I be correct to assume that you're new here?"

[littlesummers]

Dawn nodded, finding the page she was on and dog-earring it before putting her book down in her lap. "About a week or so."

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth nodded. "It must be very difficult for someone so young to be taken so far from their home so suddenly," he sympathized.

[littlesummers]

"It hasn't been too bad," she shrugged. "I have some family here," she mentioned, including Xander and Spike in that comment, "so that makes it easier. And at least here no one is trying to kill me," she added lightly.

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth chuckled indulgently at her comment about people trying to kill her, even as he wondered who among the hotel's guests constituted her family. Young girls were so dramatic.

"Still, you must miss your home and your friends," he supposed. He looked at her thoughtfully. "Is your mother here?" he asked. "Your father?"

[littlesummers]

"I haven't seen my dad in years," Dawn revealed. "So no big difference there. My mom though, we were really close. She was sick, but had brain surgery a couple weeks ago and got better. I miss Mom alot." She was quiet for a moment. "But at least my sister is here," she said looking on the bright side of things

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth nodded. "Thank goodness for small blessings," he agreed. "As you're the youngest person I've yet seen here, I'm going to guess that your sister is older than you are," he ventured.

[littlesummers]

"She's six years older than me," Dawn confirmed, snagging a couple pieces of chex mix from the bowl sitting next to her. "Well now I guess now she is eight years older than me," she amended with a small frown as she thought about it while she chewed. "Time is majorly of the weird in this place."

[gobking_jareth]

"She was taken from a different time than you," he noted. "Many people I've met here know others from the outside, but have found they've been brought from different times."

He leaned forward as though her opinion were of very great interest to him.

"Why do you think that is?"

[littlesummers]

"Because magic is like that," she replied as if it was just a simple fact of life. Which in her world it was. "It's just another way for the hotel to mess with our heads, like not only kidnapping us, but also our things from home."

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth smiled at the girl, pleased with her answer.

"Yes," he agreed. "Magic is like that. Very good." He crossed his arms and regarded her appraisingly. "They are attempting to keep us off balance. They use what they find inside our heads to distract us, they rob our power..." He leaned forward again. "I am a powerful sorcerer where I come from. Would it surprise you to learn that?"

[littlesummers]

"No, not really," Dawn replied truthfully, shaking her head slightly. "I figured you had to be something to make your hair do that. I just didn't know what, and figured it would be rude to ask."

[gobking_jareth]

"I don't 'make' my hair do anything," he told her patiently. "But I am not human, so I expect that is the reason it looks the way it does." He studied her for a moment. "Everyone here asks everyone where they're from and what they do. Why did you think it would be rude to ask me?"

[littlesummers]

"Asking where you are from and what do you do, is different then asking what are you," Dawn replied sensibly.