Exchange Fic #16: An Entire World, Within Its Bounds

[dmacabre]

The actual identity of the writer will remain secret until all the submissions are in and posted.

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Title: An Entire World, Within Its Bounds
Author: jamethiel_bane
Recipient: owl_songs
Prompt: 1) Sarah is Queen… without Jareth. How did she become monarch of the Labyrinth and why does she rule alone? How long has she reigned? What has it been like for her, her

Comments

[faeries_midwife]

And we don't get to see the messenger's results? Gah. o-O I want more, but this doesn't say part one. :( This really intrigues me and makes me want the back story, and what happens next. Nicely done if you wanted everyone to wail "no!" at the ending, lol.

[faeries_midwife]

Thank you!

[arynwy]

I think Jareth is about to get schooled again. He might be correct about one aspect of the Labyrinth, but Sarah seems to have an idea...

[arynwy]

Both of them are right, in a lot of ways. The early days of the new Labyrinth are going to be completely chaotic.

Thank you!

[tallulah99]

I love how this plunks us right down in the middle of a story that, clearly, has a beginning and ending that we aren't seeing. It's dissatisfying in a way, but only because I would love to actually READ the beginning and ending! That said, it's like a quick peek through a telescope at what is going on and lets you do a bit of fill-in-the-blanks for yourself.

I love that Sarah is trying to set up a parliament for the goblins, though I suspect it is NOT going to work out the way she hopes. The saying is that people get the government they deserve though, so maybe?

Completely randomly, it did make me wonder who, if anyone, has been keeping up with all the wished away babies for the last twenty years.

Lovely fic, thanks so much!

[faeries_midwife]

You hit the nail on the head with your first paragraph! So very true, all of it.

[tallulah99]

I was going for the "Vignette" style of writing, so I'm glad I captured it.

Sarah's ability to step down as Queen is predicated on her not accepting and never using her power. So Didymus and Hoggle have been picking up the slack regarding the wished away babies.

I was actually reading an article on how prison actually unfits you to the outside world because individual thought is completely discouraged and you get no autonomy. Ex-prisoners were saying "I couldn't remember how to cook." It struck me that people grow and shrink to fit the responsibilities they're given, which is sort of what I was going for here.

And thank you!

[moon_lover68]

I agree, it's like a little snapshot without the notation scrawled on the back to give any idea of what came before or after. But really, it's such a delightfully rich and intriguing scene, it could take a reader anywhere they want it to go.

[moon_lover68]

Thank you.

[owl_songs]

This is so, so perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mystery Author! I love the way you totally turned my prompt on its head--of course Sarah wouldn't just accept that she is Queen; she has things to do and wants the freedom to do them.

I love the goblin humor--very appropriate. ;)

Your fic provokes so many questions, which is wonderful. What happened to Jareth? What happens if Sarah touches the crystal? Will Sarah be successful? If so, where would that place Jareth and Sarah's relationship? What news does the messenger bring?

Thank you so much!

[owl_songs]

Thank you! One of the things that always struck me from the movie is that it's a fable about acceptance and questioning. Sarah grows from being a "typical" teenager, and rebelling for the sake of rebelling to actually objectively observing. It doesn't mean she won't try to change things that are unfair, but that she's capable of analysis