#Runaway Home

[cubbihue]

POV: You just got apprehended by your own lawyer.

Chimmy Changa spent his early years as a Public Defense Lawyer. He had to get really into shape because. For some reason. He kept getting clients who'd bolt from the court room.

[Prev] > [Next]

+ bonus sketches i tossed out becuase i couldnt draw them to my satisfaction >:I !!

[depresso-espresso-5150]

Sometimes it scares me how much I think about going out for a walk, and never coming home. How willing I am to leave everything I have, and everyone I know.

s.m

[varpusvaras]

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Fox turned around on his chair.

Leia was peeking out from underneath her blanket, staring at Fox intently. She really had big eyes, Fox could see them watching him even in the dimness of his office.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" He asked her.

"You're not asleep", Leia said, still staring at him.

Fox was hit with the strangest feeling at that moment. There was a memory, somewhere, trying to come out, one that made the scene he was in appear so terribly familiar.

It was almost like Fox wasn't Fox, but Seventeen, and he was looking at Fox, wide awake in his tube, ready and able to talk in circles for the rest of the night.

Fox had expected the realisation of her being his child to come from something else, something more grandeur, but...perhaps this was just right. Fox wasn't a grand person himself, was he now?

Leia was staring at him, like waiting for Fox to answer.

"I...am not." Fox cleared his throat a bit. "I have work to do."

"Can you do it while sleeping?" Leia asked. Her voice was chirpy and her tone hopeful, and for a split second, Fox almost took her words as a reasonable option.

"No", he said instead.

Leia pouted.

"Can I come sleep over there?" She asked.

Fox raised his brow.

"Sleep over here how?" He asked. Leia jumped up immediately from the couch, and dragged the blanket with her all the way to Fox's desk. She climbed on his lap, with blanket and all, so quickly that Fox was sure that she had practised doing so before.

Well. Most likely, she had. For her whole life.

Leia spread and smoothed the blanket until it was laying all over Fox's thighs and down to his knees, and she was burrowed inside there, curled up in a tiny ball. She was warm through the fabric of Fox's blacks, and Fox was suddenly very glad about taking his cuisses off.

It was all very natural for her, the way she curled in there, content and comfortable, like it was her favorite place to be, and Fox couldn't help but imagine himself and a much smaller Leia, laying on his lap, safe and happy to be with him and still wanting to do it, even though she was bigger now, and it was all making Fox feel so many things all at once.

He was almost jealous of his other self. His other self, in the future, who currently didn't have his daughter curled on his lap, because she was here now instead.

Slowly and carefully, Fox put his hand on Leia's back. She let out a little satisfied giggle and then closed her eyes.

Fox didn't go back to writing immediately. He sat there, slowly twirling the stylus around in his fingers, his other hand on Leia's back, and he listened to her breathe.

She was small and warm, and she wanted to be with him.

Fox thought that she must've been very loved.

He put his stulys back on his datapad, and started to write again.

He would have to make sure nothing bad would happen to her.

Fox wasn't sure if he could look himself in the eyes if he didn't.

[jayrockin]

Some Gillie and Idrisah doodles, also me trying to use up ink dregs so I can switch the pens to new colors. Inktober 10/25/22.

PATREON | STORE | Runaway to the Stars

[twottie-m8]

This is my understanding of what's happening

[hunterbloodknight]

"She was my best friend in the whole wide universe"

[randomnumbers751650]

So, I finished watching Ideon a few days ago and one thing that I thought to be really unique is how Ideon is a theodicy or has elements of a theodicy. Just to let you know, a theodicy is a question on the problem of evil: if God can and wants to prevent evil, and if God is good, then why does evil exist? It should be noted that a theodicy doesn’t necessarily require that God exists or not (I know actual economists and political scientists who unironically call their disciplines theodicies), because questions on the origin of evil are things that are with humanity since immemorial times. Also spoilers for a 40 year old show.

In Ideon, as they learn more and more about the power of the Ide, the Giant reveals itself more and more of a god. In fact, it is called a god in mid-season episodes, but they stop that after a while, probably the writers thinking it might be too much on the nose. But still, the characters are constantly debating why Ide allows that, if Ide is testing them, if Ide is good or evil, since it is orchestrating the meteor falls. A curious thing is that we have Ide’s perspective just once, with Bes’s dream – it wants to survive – and the rest of the discussions is what humans believe to Ide’s will to be, like as if they were some sort of amateur theologians.

In the end, they conclude Ide is trying to kill them because it deemed them unworthy of salvation due to their inability of stopping the cycle of war, but, again, this is their interpretation. And, in the end, Ideon is finally destroyed…but it was already established it had infinite energy, so it is kinda certain that it just allowed itself to be defeated.

Ideon is a story of how war is hell, using a super robot in a real robot story. It portrays conflict escalation, hypocrisy of ideals of honor in an environment that gives power to petty people, capable of selling their comrades for a promotion, or committing war crimes without any tactical advantage – it’s kinda obvious the Buff Clan is based on Imperial Japan, while humans seem to be inspired from Star Trek’s idea of federation – and, above all, the process of dehumanization: it starts with a sense of technological pride, impulse by miscommunication, which constantly evolves into incapacity of recognizing the other as anything but insects, and overall mutual hatred. It ended with parents disowning their child, a father trying to kill his daughter for a frivolous reason such as “blood purity” and what essentially was an attempt to make a human sacrifice to Ide (with Sheryl). No wonder, Ide decides that enough is enough, its patience wouldn’t last forever. The series goes out of its way to show that humans and buffs brought that to themselves.

Personally, I don’t think Ide is evil. I feel it genuinely wanted for humans and buffs to live in peace. The way it cares for children isn’t just because it’s an amalgamation of children from the previous civilizations, but because it genuinely likes them and see them as symbols of hope (or else it wouldn’t protect and support the adults as well) or innocence (when it protected the giant worm children). I could tell when Sheryl attempted to sacrifice Lou to make Ide work, it was beyond pissed off, to the point of destroying their homeworlds and colonies. This is why I don’t buy Ide was setting up a trap to kill both species, it could’ve done any time. It still preserved the ones in space, using the last of hope that they could solve their differences, but its hope drained with every advance, so if it wanted to destroy them, it wanted to make clear that if it was destroying them, it wanted to make them understand why before doing it.

In spite of that, Ide still loved life, including the lives of humans and buffs until the end. When all of them die in the final moments of the movie, they all reunite and, upon seeing the greatness of the universe, they can see how petty and a waste of time their squabbles and wars were. So, Ide had Messiah to guide them to a new planet, to restart the cycle again, hoping this time they would learn the lesson. In spite of Tomino showing a bleak pessimism throughout the series, I feel the end is optimistic.

[theyanderespecialist]

Run Away, Reborn 4 (Scenarios) Yanderes Upper Moons and Muzan X Female Reader (Final Part For This Specific Scenario) (Demon Slayer)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am back with a new chapter! This one is going to be the last part I think and it will have Gyokko (Upper Moon 5), Gyutaro, and Daki (Upper Moon 6), Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed his chapter here, my muffins!] 

(Disclaimer: Muzan and The Upper Moon Demons in this, are not yandere in canon! This is just for Fun and Not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! You Know Who You Are! You Dirty, Flaky, Biscuits! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life. Also, Remember To Separate Fiction From Reality And Headcanon FromCanon! Thank you!) 

(Gyokko, Upper Moon 5) (His Runaway Muse) 

(Gyokko's POV) 

She had been so beautiful, she was such a beauty and the love of my life. I would make main vases for her, but she never seemed to like them. No matter how beautiful I made them. I had to just get better at making them, to become a better artist for my muse, my beautiful muse. Then she ran for me, and I was so angry at her! How could she, how could my darling Muse leave me? I felt like I could not enjoy my art as much. But then there she was. She was walking down the path and talking to some man.  she had the same birthmark on her neck and I KNEW it was her! I sent one of my fish to kill the man and she screamed falling to the ground. I come out and she stares at me in horror.  "Oh! My Darling, (Name)!" I cry out and let my small hands hold my face~ "You are just as beautiful as you were 100 years ago! Come to me my muse! Let me make the most beautiful art for you once more!"  "NO!" She cries out and scrambles getting up and running away from me. 

I felt a vein in my head throb. She wanted to run! Again! How dare she leave me! I will not let her leave me! Not Again!  I rush after her, I will break her legs if I have to!  (Daki, One Half of Upper Moon 6) (The Beauty and The Beast Part 1) 

(Daki's POV) 

I did not remember much of my human life, and neither did my brother, but we did remember one person. (Name). She had seen my brother and me when we had to turn into demons. She was so afraid that she ran away. We did not realize who she was, not until a year later and we remember who she was. We lost the love of our life! We would never be able to see her again. Or at least that is what we had thought.  One week ago, I found that she was reborn. when I saw the new girl in the house I work as an Orain at. She looked just like (Name), and had the same name! Not to mention everything about her was the same. I had to know if it was her. 

"You girl!" I snapped and she came over.  "Yes ma'am?" She asks bowing to me.  "Your name is (Name), right?"  "Yes," she says and keeps her head down. "What do you think of me!?"  She looked up at me, I felt my heart race. "I-I do not know why, but I feel like I have seen you before." She admits and I knew she was (Name) my (Name). 

I am not going to let her go, I refuse to lose her ever again! I will need to tell my brother! He will be so happy that our (Name) has been reborn. 

(Gyutaro, The Other Half of Upper Moon 6) (The Beauty and The Beast Part 2) 

(Gyutaro's POV)  I remember her, she was the only woman to ever love me. She told me my looks did not matter, and that she would always love me. But then she ran when she saw me and Daki as demons. It pissed me off, did she lie to me, did she always think that I was gross!? Then when Daki told me that she had been reborn I was even more angry. 

She had lived a life and died, but even worse she was reborn and lived a whole life without us by her side! She got to live a life without us, where any man or woman could touch her! It pissed me off. So we killed plenty of people to get a shit load of money. I would come in and hire her and my sister. So that me and my sister can get her alone.  I walked into the whore house and they of course dismissed me, I dropped a satchel of money down and glared at them as their eyes go wide. 

"Bring me, them now!" I snapped and they nodded. 

"Of course, right this way sir!" They sad and I smirked, that is more like it. 

I and led to them and that is when I saw her, (Name). The love of my life. She was alive and here! 

(Daki and Gyutaro, Both Upper Moon 6) (The Beauty and The Beast Part 3) 

(No One's POV)  

Dakie looked at (Name) as she locked the door. (Name) stares at Gyutaor, she is shocked and feels uneasy. She swore he looked like Gyutaro from her past life, she did remember her past life all the much. 

"(Name)~" He purrs. "Do you remember us~"  He reached out to her and she flinched away and he growled.  "So you think you are too good for me?" Gyutaro asks. "Is that why you ran, you think that I am ugly."  You stare at him and shake your head. "No, I just feel like I've seen you before."  He grabbed her face and Daki wrapped his arms around her. "Do you remember us?" He asks her. 

"Gyutaro? Ume?" She says slowly shaking and they both smirk.  "That is it~," Daki says. "But my name is Daki now~ You are ours~"  She turned her head to Daki and then she was knocked out. They were not going to lose their sweet little darling again.  [YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Another chapter is done! I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, and stay sexy all of my sexy muffins!

[starfyhero2]

I Can't Take It Anymore (Youngest Runaways AU)

John Dory was the first to storm into the pod, with the others following. Floyd dragged his feet as he already began to hear the three eldest brothers began to argue about their performance.

"See what happens when you don't follow my lead?" the eldest brother ranted as Spruce glared daggers right behind him.

"Dude, that is exactly what happens when we follow your lead!" he immediately hissed back at him.

Baby Branch looked at the developing argument with growing concern and fear in his eyes as Floyd inched over next to his side.

"Yeah, dude! This used to be fun! Now it's all about being perfect," Clay joined in at some point.

The youngest siblings stared in shock when Spruce suddenly declared that he was quitting the band, tearing off his purple vest.

As the two other older brothers began to argue with more intensity, Floyd glanced over to Branch and saw the fear and heartbreak in his eyes.

Now, Floyd was not only the sensitive one of the group, but also the peacekeeper and mediator. He knew that he should have spoken up right there, but after seeing Branch's eyes, something in him snapped as he made a decision. Neither of them should have to tolerate this fighting anymore.

He crouched to Bitty B's level and looked him in the eyes.

"Branch, we need to leave," the redhead held his shoulders, not realizing that there was fear showing in his eyes.

"...Huh?"

Before the trolling realized what was happening, Floyd scooped him up into his arms and held him tight as he bolted past the other brothers and out of the pod.

JD, Spruce and Clay immediately stopped fighting and tried to run after the redhead in confusion.

"FLOYD! PLEASE WAIT!" JD tried to call out to him, now sounding more distressed as the other two brothers pleaded for the redhead to stop.

"Don't look back," Floyd kept on repeating in his head as tears fell from his face.

Branch, who was pressed against the older brother's chest, began to cry as he didn't understand anything that was happening except that Floyd was very upset and also crying.

After turning a few more corners as the chase continued down the Troll Tree, the pair lost their pursuers as Floyd hopped into a hidden entrance on the ground floor, leading to a small underground hideout he made a while ago to escape from the world.

As the pair hushed down under the hatch door, they could hear the faint screams of their older brothers.

But Floyd knew that they could never go back.

[varpusvaras]

The days continue like that.

Fox tries his best to continue focusing solely on Leia. He feeds her, plays with her, puts her down for a nap. Feeds her, bathes her, puts her to bed.

They continue to keep watch in turns. Ben stays up first, while Fox sleeps the best he can, and then he stays up until the suns start to rise.

Then they do it all over again.

Ben does most of the housework. Fox thinks that he takes pity on him, and lets him focus on taking care of Leia, instead of making him do any of the maintenance that the house needs every day. Fox tries not to feel too bad about it.

The days and nights go by.

Leia starts to get a little restless. Fox hasn't had the courage to let her outside, in case they are spotted. Or in case there are any of the gangs or other dangers lurking around. Or because the days are hot, and Leia's skin is light and sensitive, and Fox doesn't want to expose her to the suns too much.

He sees Ben watching them. It almost looks like he is getting a little restless, too.

That night, after Fox has gotten Leia to fall asleep, Ben speaks.

"I think we are out of immediate danger now", he says. "Of course, it might just be because they haven't managed to track us down yet, but perhaps we can afford to relax a little."

Fox is not sure if he wants to relax a little.

He is, quite frankly, a little afraid of what will happen if he does so.

He can see that there is something else tied to what Ben is saying, though.

"Are you getting tired of staying inside the house with us around the clock, Kenobi?" He asks.

Ben makes a little huff. Fox doesn't know if it's a laugh or a sigh.

"Not that I don't enjoy your company", he says. "But I do have a job. Or at least I had a few days ago. I might already be laid off for not turning up for my shifts. Things are a bit scarce here, and even though there are various jobs available, getting one that is at least somewhat on the side of legality is always a bothersome thing. And, since things are scarce, they cost credits. Even more so now, as there are three mouths to feed, instead of one."

He looks at Leia, and smiles slightly.

"Even if one of the mouths is smaller than the other two", he says. He sounds fond as he speaks, and there is a look in his eyes that Fox knows.

He wonders who exactly Ben is thinking about when he looks at her.

"I do have credits on me", he says. "A lot of them."

Ben turns to look back at him. He raises a brow.

"And they cannot be traced back to you?" He asks.

"No", Fox answers. "They were reserved exactly for a situation like this. Just like everything else we have with us."

He decides not to think too much about that right now. He's doesn't have the energy to start and really think about how everything they have with them is everything they currently have left.

Ben nods. He is quiet for a while, clearly thinking.

"I will still go out tomorrow, to see if I still have a job", he says. "We do need to get more supplies as well at some point. Might as well do it at the same time."

That is true. Fox has supplies with him, but they are not going to last forever, and they need to keep up a stock, in case they need to leave again.

So he nods.

"Good. I will leave more weapons for you. But do not stay and fight. If they come, flee. Do not worry about me or anyone else."

Fox nods again.

It's for the best. If he flees, they will probably not go after the boy.

"I don't think I could even fight against all of them", he admits. "It would be a losing battle from the start. Most likely Vader himself would come after her-"

He stops talking when he sees the expression on Ben's face.

He looks like he has seen a ghost.

He stands there, his face white and his eyes wide, and Fox isn't sure if he is even breathing anymore.

He looks more like a ghost himself.

"Ben?" Fox calls. He doesn't seem to hear him. "Ben? General Kenobi?"

Nothing.

"Obi-Wan?"

That gets him to move again. Ben breathes in sharply, and his eyes focus fully back on Fox.

"He..." His voice comes out as a strained whisper. "He's...alive? Anakin is alive?"

Fox nods.

Ben sits down on the floor. He stares at the wall, and when he doesn't get up after a while, Fox stands up, and carefully pulls him back to his feet. He walks him all the way to the bed and makes him sit down on it, next to Leia, who is thankfully still sleeping.

Ben doesn't say anything. He just keeps staring somewhere, somewhere beyond the walls of the house.

Fox takes the first watch for the night.

[ohumokay]

I'm rewatching Buffy the series (S3E2) and I hate everyone but Buffy in this episode

Long ass Buffy rant under cut 😗✌🏾

No Joyce, Buffy can't just tell a few people she's the slayer for superhero benefits. She fights monsters nightly, she travels to different realms, she gets prophecies of her death. SHE HAD DIED. SHE JUST KILLED HER (low-key pedophilic) BOYFRIEND. SHES NOT A SUPERHERO, SHES TRAUMATIZED.

Yes Willow, we know you've been thru some things and you're experiencing new things (witchcraft, werewolf boyfriends, slaying vampires) that you want to share with you bestie, but again, SHES BEEN THRU A LOT TOO. Plus, both you and Joyce wanna act like nothing happened bcuz you want to "go back to normal", but nothing was ever normal

So, when y'all throw a whole ass rave AT HER HOUSE, WITHOUT her knowledge, RIGHT AFTER she got home and she feels like a burden and she's expressed feeling avoided, y'all can't get mad when she gets overwhelmed and feels abandoned and reverts to her old trauma response of running away; when she tries to communicate (which y'all seem to lack the capability) that she feels like no one really wants her back and everyone seems to be fine without her, YALL HAVE NO RIGHT TO CHOOSE THAT MOMENT TO SNAP

THE ONLY ONE WITH THE RIGHT TO SNAP IN THAT MOMENT IS BUFFY, AND THE FACT THAT SHE WAS REALLY FUCKING PATIENT AND REALLY FUCKING NICE TO YALL INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLES SHOWS SHE'S THE ONE ACTUALLY TRYING.

YALL. ARE. FUCKING. NOT

[maefansblog]

There was a question on reddit that was wondering how they could possibly do Eloise's season based on the character development based on the show compared to the book. How would they be able to keep the essence of TV Eloise but still follow the plot of her book?

I had some thoughts on Eloise that I wanted to share which could go into Spoiler Territory.

Long Post:

I was thinking when we saw Violet dancing with Marcus Anderson in the trailer, what Eloise must be thinking and how lonely she would be. Daphne and Anthony are married. Colin is getting married, and her best friend, who she thought she was going to spinsters together, is now getting married. Even though their relationship is broken, and even if their relationship gets repaired, it's not going to be the same because she has to share time with Colin-just like the books. Everyone in her life has fallen in love, moving on in their lives, and it might feel like they are almost leaving her behind.

A lot of Eloise's fears stem from her parents. Edmund and Violet were deeply in love. Then her father dies, and Eloise sees Violet crumble. We saw Anthony's flashback in Season 2. She is probably pushing back on marriage because of this. Of course, she doesn't want to be trapped in a marriage and lose who she is. Yet she also doesn't want to love someone only to have them leave her (like Anthony). Eloise also saw what a difficult pregnancy and birthing process her mother had with Hyacinth. Violet also had 8 kids!!! She has a lot of trauma seeing her mother in such pain. Eloise almost lost both of her parents. She is also the middle child. She knows she has to be loud to be heard or she will be forgotten.

I don't know if Benedict or Eloise will be next. I have a feeling Benedict will be next. In the books, Marina passes away. Eloise has turned down several proposals already. Sir Philip starts writing Eloise. Eloise would be losing another brother to marriage/love. Her favorite brother. She is starting to see how love has made her siblings' lives have a purpose and begins to heal the hurt that she has.

I think Eloise's story will stem from a place of loneliness and the wanting to connect with someone. A friend who is grieving the loss of his wife possibly. Sir Philip and Eloise begin writing letters. Then their story begins.

Eloise can still have thoughts about wanting to be an individual, and anyone who would be with her would love that about her-not clip her wings. Philip is an honorable man thirsty for love after his loveless marriage with Marina. He is well traveled, educated, and would want to nurture Eloise's spirit. Yes, he needs a mother for Amanda and Oliver. By this time, she has quite a few nephews and nieces. She also has dealt with her younger siblings. She would have to heal her child trauma for her story to make sense.

(Added just now) If you want to read the rest of Eloise's story, read "To Sir Philip With Love." I'm more versed with the show and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Polin is my go-to. I've read TSPWL, but not as much as RMB. I'll re-read one of these days, but honestly, I wasn't a fan. Hope the show does a better job with Eloise's story!!!

[cubffections]

thank u wardance ... thank you berri much 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[yoshifawful64]

See you, Space Man.

[softquietsteadylove]

Another drama for the runaway bride? Maybe Eros really comes over and tries to get Thena back? And it comes to the point where Gil has to intervene 😃

Gil cracked the reins on the horse again, forcing the poor creature onward. But he knew where he needed to go, and he needed to get there before Eros did. "Come on!"

The horse voiced its concern but sped through the trees and towards the higher roads. He was heading in almost the opposite direction really. But the road for horses spiralled down the mountain. He needed to get to the steepest part, where he could cut him off.

He had Thena.

Gil had been out on his usual day. He was meeting his quotas. He had actually been staying out a little longer than necessary. Everyday, after he had fulfilled the work he needed to do for payment, he would find some good trees and work on getting boards and beams from them.

He wanted to expand the cabin. He wanted it to feel like a home for Thena as much as him. And while she was quite at home, he wanted to make more of a house than his open bodied bachelor hut. He would add onto the cabin's end and make a real, proper bedchamber for them. Maybe he could even add a bath room, if the winter was late this year.

He was just heading home when he heard it--the sound of hooves. He had taken off in a sprint towards home. He didn't hear the loud rattling of a carriage on the road, and there wasn't a whole infantry this time either. But the running of a horse was unmistakable.

When he did get home, he had found the door open, Thena's berry basket on the porch and its contents spilled everywhere, as if she had been dragged away by the ankles. The tracks of the horse were fresh. He knew what he had to do. Her captor being on horse was a good thing. No one could navigate the woods well enough to run a creature through it. He had moved around the side of the house. The guard sent with the prince - and to apprehend Gil, no doubt - was waiting in the garden for him.

Gil didn't like violence. He was a peaceful man. But he picked up the shovel and struck the man with such force that the metal against his helmet sounded like canon fire. The man went down and Gil had taken his horse without a second thought.

He was no rider, but he knew what he had to do.

Now, he was barrelling towards a cliffside, waiting for their paths to align. He had to time it right. And he couldn't risk Thena getting seriously hurt in the process. His timing had to be perfect.

As he began to see the road laid out below, curving along with the shape of the mountain, he heard it. He craned his head backwards. A horse was speeding down the road, right in the middle of it. The prince was riding with one hand on his reins and another over his shoulder.

Thena was slung over it, bound like a wild boar he had captured (disgraceful treatment of a lady).

Either he couldn't hear her over the two horses unknowingly racing each other, or she was gagged as well as bound. For a prince, he had truly treated Thena the way a barbarian would.

Gil pulled back on his reins, only slightly. He had to get this right. He patted the horse's neck, muttering his apologies to it. Poor thing didn't deserve what was about to happen. But it was for a good cause.

Eros rounded the bend swiftly, Thena in hand. Of course, with such a sharp curve, and at the speed he was travelling, he had to take it as widely as possible. Gil watched until he was at the thinnest part of the road, closest to the edge.

He cracked the reins.

The horse brayed, screaming as it leapt over the edge of the elevation and plummeted over the edge, legs flailing. Gil reached out, plowing into the prince from behind and wrapping his arms around Thena. It was chaos, everything hurt and his eyes were barely open. But he wrapped his arms around her and kept rolling.

The two horses lay in the road, crying out in distress and probably pain. Gil dragged him and Thena both off the edge and below the road. Somehow, they managed to slither into the trunk of a tree. It was a very familiar tree, with a base large and hollow enough for someone to use as shelter. It was tight with both of them.

"Thena?!"

Gil held her head against his shoulder as Eros wailed for her. He had thought the prince a spoiled and perhaps delicate creature. But listening to him bellow her name with rage in his bones, perhaps he was a man of drive after all.

"Thena!!!"

Gil worked on the rope around Thena's wrists. He would let Eros tire himself out up there. If he didn't fully know what happened, all the better. He could scream his head right off his shoulders. He pulled the cloth from within her mouth like a horse's bridle. He whispered, "Thena?"

She winced, but her sparkling green eyes opened. Her mouth opened but he pressed it against his chest again.

"I know you're there, lumberjack!"

Thena's newly unbound hands clutched at him. He held her tightly. They could keep running as long as they needed, as far as he was concerned. He would sooner burn down the cabin - his life's work - and start anew somewhere than hand Thena over to that cretin.

"Your highness!"

It was harder to hear as the new voice joined them. The two men spoke amongst themselves, the guard no doubt explaining how he had been assailed and woken up to his horse missing. Eros knew he had something to do with it, but there was no substantial evidence that he had. Right now, it just seemed that a horse had gotten spooked and run right over the edge in its panic.

"Another day, Thena dear!" Eros promised in a menacing tone (at least Gil found it very menacing). He was hovering close to the edge, looking into the woods below for evidence of his escaped prey.

"Your highness, what of the horse?"

There was a long pause, and then Eros was yelling again. "Put it down! And next time you see the lumberjack, do exactly the same!"

Thena clutched at him again but he rubbed her back. He was quite sure Eros didn't have that kind of mettle to him. Even if he did, that would have to be addressed at a later date. He held her still, waiting until there no sounds of distressed horses, or the clatter of armour and swords. He waited much longer than that.

Eventually he shifted. His legs were all pins and needles. Even if they had laid a trap for them, he doubted they were going to wait all night. He shifted Thena in his arms, pressing his finger to her lips. Even if they were waiting, they couldn't know she was with him.

Gil crawled out of the tree, looking around furtively as a fawn with every movement. He peeked up the hill, trying to determine if their hunters were lying in wait. He crawled on his belly, through the pine needles and twigs. He made it to the road's edge.

The horse was gone. Perhaps Eros was more bluster than substance after all. Gil had to admit he hoped the horse would not be put down for what he had demanded of it. He slid back down to their tree shelter.

Thena looked at him, tears in her eyes.

He just nodded, holding out his hand for her. It was a long walk if they took the roads. Her feet were bare, proving that they had broken into the cabin and snatched her away.

She crawled out to join him, collapsing into his chest. He rubbed her back, letting her sob into his shirt. What a fright for his runaway bride to have. And he had failed to protect her, yet again.

They made it back to the road, at least. He looked at Thena, who seemed completely in a daze. Her feet were covered in mud from the road, probably scratched and wounded all over again. He would prepare one of her favourite foot baths when they got home.

Would it still feel like home to her? After having been taken from its very steps?

Gil moved deftly, sweeping her up into his arms so she wouldn't have to walk a single more step. She didn't say anything as he looped her arm around the back of his neck. He didn't say anything either, although he looked at her as her fingers touched his cheek.

"Are you hurt?"

He smiled faintly. Her voice was steady, if a little raw. "No, I'm not hurt. Are you?"

She shook her head, looking at him like she had never seen him before he had fallen from the sky. "I tried to call for you, but he put that cloth in my mouth. I scratched him."

Gil examined the mix of blood an dirt under her delicate fingernails. He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple, "that's my girl."

She let out something resembling a laugh as well, resting her head more comfortably on his shoulder. "What will we do, Gil? Will they keep coming after us?"

"I don't know, sweetheart." It was a pitiful offering. But it was his most honest one.

"I don't want to leave our home."

"I know." He didn't particularly want to either. But perhaps that would be best for his runaway bride.

"I'm surprised claiming we were married had no effect. I thought surely if Eros thought you'd already had me that he would no longer have any interest."

Gil blushed. He would also assume something like that, honestly. But clearly Eros either didn't believe her or didn't care even if it was true. But surely if they were married, there was nothing he nor her father could do.

They had to find a way to wed.

[razzle-zazzle]

oooo, when does cole finally join the other ninja? in the runaways au

Hmmm. Okay, so I'm still workign things out (you guys can suggest ideas btw, I don't bite), but.... probably when Lloyd being the green ninja is revealed? At least, it's definitely not any later than that. Possibly at the end of "The Royal Blacksmiths" depending on how that episode goes.

Regardless, Cole's gonna have some catching up to do, which will definitely get some focus in between everything else going on in the season.