GND223 - Approaching Skittish Wildlife

Godsdamnit Hat, they don't need that. -_-

(and nope, I ain't designing Snorkacks!)
(but these ones are quite cool: fav.me/d2h307a )

What’s with the costume change?
Well, there’s been some adventuring off-screen with our motley crew. After exiting the Fiery Forest they found themselves on the outskirts of the Marshlands of Existential Ennui. This is fed by river water that comes from sources in the mountains that ring the Labyrinth, and then carries on all the way over to Fantasia before widening into the Swamp of Despair – its manifestation within the borders of the Underground is far less perilous, thankfully. So they skirted the Marshlands with barely a dampening of spirits and boots, and eventually reached firmer terrain near the foothills. Jareth was in full Pemberley mode during this lap, amicably answering most of Luna’s questions on Goblin-rearing, and Sarah was watching their interaction most thoughtfully, when she fell into a Sudden sinkhole.*

This resulted in a mildly thrilling interlude quickly solved by a timely Wingardium Leviosa from Miss Lovegood who levitated a mud-sodden Sarah from the sinkhole; but before she could apply one of her custom Squeegee spells, Jareth courteously intervened and magicked Sarah into the nifty little leather number she is wearing here**. This caused some surprise and heated debate and accusations of using her as a decoy, met by the Goblin King pointing out that it better clarified her temporary role to the dimmer Goblins and that the Blikins had already attacked her regardless of her garb. Sarah eventually relented and subsided into glaring at His Majesty because she didn’t feel like voicing her suspicions that he was getting some pervy gratification from dressing her like him (and the rather snug leather jerkin) in front of the others present.
(Pendant worn down the front of her shirt at present. Sarah is in this case correct to assume Jareth is indulging in some discrete thrills of delight thinking of it there.)

And then they came across the shallow valley the Snorkack herd is grazing in.


(*) Sudden Geography is one of the topics covered by cryptogeology, a sadly obscure branch of study on almost every plane save Discworld, where Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography Rincewind is an expert, and the Lancre witches know a thing of two (see: Gnarly Ground). Had Luna chosen to major in that field, rather, she could’ve explained that the sinkhole Sarah fell into was in fact a Whee Groaner (or Wee, the spelling is a matter of controversy). It is a form of Sudden Geography where local trace narrativium in the ground reacts with the passing of questing characters to throw an unexpected and plot-irrelevant obstacle their way (see: Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth); the name comes from the reaction of onlookers and audiences who’ve read the damn book and/or can tell there’s no way a major character is going to get killed off halfway through the first film by a random rockslide…. for example. Their arguable use is to keep things thrilling and the soundtrack rocking, occasionally furthering character interaction, but they do not react when tested for true Plot. At first glance a beginner cryptogeologist may not see the difference between a Whee Groaner and a Cockiness Chute, but their narrativium consistencies are markedly different, and a simple test for dramatica ferrous levels will ascertain which is which. The pit of Helping Hands is a remarkable Cockiness Chute of interest in the Labyrinth; still, nowhere near the impressive sight of the Pridegoethbefora Falls.
(One of the field's great tragedies was that Underground cryptogeologists never encountered Discworld trolls, while their Discworld colleagues would've found Ludo's symbiotic relationship with the landscape equally fascinating.)

(**) Actually recycled from a long-ago collaborative work with MelissaFindley


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This is a work of fanart and solely intended for shits and giggles and vicarious fangirl thrills. Not mine, not making money from it.

Sarah, Sir Didymus&Ambrosius, Bird-hat, glittery sets, Jareth [Labyrinth] (c) Lucas, Froud, Henson; Connelly&Bowie
Luna Lovegood [Harry Potter] (c) JKRowling and WB


Based on the original Roommates comic by AsheRhyder
Colours by LouisaGallie