These Runaways Will Run the Night

The Sun Can't Stop Now

Juliet pulled at her brown ponytail so that it was tighter and ran a hand over her scalp to make sure it was flat. Her hand lingered over the flower she had recently inserted into her curls, the sensation of the stem against her scalp being both foreign and familiar at the same time. After the one she had in her hair had died in the dungeons, she had never had opportunity to put one back in and she had genuinely forgot when her and Varian managed to escape. Varian had surprised her when he had reached over and put in her hair a few hours ago. It had been a welcome surprise, of course, but still.

She looked over at said raven-haired boy as he mixed chemicals on the table, bright colors lighting the darkened room. It was dingy and damp and honestly not very different from the dungeon, but it was the best that had managed to do. Finding this old, tattered shack at the edge of the kingdom had been a God-send. It may be dark, smelly, and with black rocks sticking up from every direction, but it was a definite step-up from where they had been because they at least choose to be here and weren't stuck because of some prissy, pink princess.

Juliet sat on a stool in the corner, Rudiger curled in her lap. Rudiger had been hesitant towards her at first – her being a stranger and all – but gradually the grey and black animal had warmed up to her. She pets his fur calmly as she watched Varian work, hopelessly confused by whatever it was he was doing. He had tried explaining to her what it was exactly, but the only words she had even managed to half-way comprehend were alchemy, sun, and amber.

That had quickly relegated them to their parts of the plan being handled single-handily. Juliet couldn't exactly go out into the public in daylight to converse with animals about possibly following them against Rapunzel, as they were currently public enemy number one, so that meant during the day she was trying not to be hopelessly bored.

"He's been at it for hours!" Rudiger said in that squeaky tone of his.

"I know," Juliet said softly, looking down into the racoon's black eyes and saw deep worry. Whilst most people found it hard to see animal's emotions in their eyes, Juliet almost found it easier to see them in the animals than people. She had practically been raised by a swan and all the animals in the land where she lived, so she had grown up seeing the joy and pain reflected in them and not in the face of her own kind.

"You have to do something!" Rudiger insisted to her.

"Me?"

"He doesn't listen to me like you do, and if he keeps going, he's just going to overwork himself!" Rudiger said. The animal turned towards his first human friend and shook his furry head. "He needs to take a break Juliet. If he doesn't he'll crash within the hour!"

Juliet didn't even need to consider Rudiger's words to know that he was right. Yesterday Varian had come dangerously to crashing before Juliet had managed to pull him outside to help her with the animals, even though he had complained about not being able to help her.

She could he signs again in him. The way his movements were more frenzied, the sharp way he was doing things, his eyelids dropping beneath those goggles of his.

She sighed and petted Rudiger's fur one last time. "Alright."

She stood up and Rudiger scurried off her, making his way towards the vacated stool by the work area Varian had set up. Juliet made her over to Varian and reached to put a hand on his shoulder, to which he screamed in surprise.

Juliet recoiled backwards and took a few steps back at the sound. Varian put a hand to his chest and turned around to face her, his breath heavier than usual from the shock.

"Oh, Juliet! It's only you!" He reached up to replace his goggles in his messy curls. "Don't sneak up on me like that, you scared me half to death!"