savetheearth | [open] Run for charity!

Entry tags:

[open] Run for charity!

Who: Everyone!
What: Run for a good cause!
Where: Locke City
When: throughout the 18th of December

Each year, there is a Christmas charity run in Locke. Businesses from the area (from large ones like Thunder Corp to tiny ones like the Italian pizza place around the corner) pay a set amount of money for every participant that finishes the run. Everyone may participate. There tend to be two or three causes that the money that is earned through it will go to, one local and one (inter)national one. This year it is research for medical engineering and local NGOs that work with people who lost friends or family to the various catastrophes of the year.

Tents and little stalls have been set up along the run's route by businesses that donate, selling food and drink to everyone (most of them donating their earnings to charity as well) and using the moment to advertise for themselves a bit. But churches and various NGOs have stalls or tents as well, selling food and beverages and informing about their cause, and it generally has the atmosphere of a little fair.

Though the curfew will cut the festivities short in the evening, people are in a happy, light mood, enjoying the break from the dire atmosphere and displaying a "our spirit may not be broken" attitude. The run has way more participants this year than usually, despite the slight decrease in residents that Locke has seen over the last year. In the dispute about the run, if it should happen despite everything or not, the opinion that it should prevailed, and clearly people are fully behind that decision.

It must however be noted that the military and also the police are very present, not intervening but simply standing in streets and corners, watching over the proceedings.

Notes:
- Any business, number-run or not, may have sponsored between one and as many as you want runners and have a tent or stall somewhere. Many of them have hired students or other extras for their stalls/tents, but regulars will work there as well.
- Characters might spot Geoff in the crowd sometimes, talking pleasantly to local politicians or owners of large businesses.
- Any character of any age may run! Children up to 15 years of age must only finish half the run to be counted.
- One of the organizers is secretly numbered in case issues appear or someone wanted to help with the run.

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Before things changed, Danielle had always made it a point to watch the charity run. Or most any local televised charity, particularly thing for medical research. It helped. Not that she could pinpoint why for a long time until she realized it kept her from becoming too jaded, too bitter. She didn't get to see enough people without it involving 'professionalism,' making things always questionable and skewed.

But these events, these events were all about the kindness in people's hearts. People wanted to help, that was how they are, and that's what Danielle wanted to continue believing.

It also helped that the charity run was around her birthday AND Christmas, which meant her father was home. That he'd even watch it with her.

For the first time, she wasn't having to watch this in a bed. Now...now she was healthy. She knew she could take something as heavy as mouse no problem, play all day in the snow without getting winded, and maybe, just maybe, she could actually do this run. She could help the people who were always helping her do the good they wanted.

So she signed up. She wasn't explicit about being Numbered, but she was a little girl with stark white hair. It was enough that some might wonder and....and that was enough for her in regards to that. Overall, it made her happy.

Then it happened.

She was talking to some of the representatives of the NGOs, learning more about what they do, and had turned to leave the tent only to run into the person she least expected.

Her father had been looking around intently. Poised, calm to the casual observer, but Danielle had seen the intensity in his eyes. When he focused on her, she had to stop herself from jumping. Her face was different, he wouldn't know.

"I don't suppose there's another child who was just here." His voice was calm, polite, but that intensity was still there.

"N-no sir," she said before she could think better of it.

Then, surprise. A brief flicker. Then disappointment, as the intensity faded, and he became more aloof, distant. He offered an apology for bothering her and turned to go.

"Are you looking for someone?" She couldn't help asking. Wanting to know, wanting confirmation-

"Just reminiscing about a tradition," he had said vaguely and walked away.

Danielle watched him go, and as casually as she could, moved somewhere out of the way. She would still run, she promised herself she would still run, but she would need a few minutes before she could force the mask of calm to be something more solid then a thin pane of glass.

Floweregg is not supposed to leave Siiri's side, but Siiri and Danielle know each other, so surely it will be fine to do just that when she spots the girl.

...But Danielle doesn't look well at all. What do? Well, perhaps offering cuddles. That tends to work. So she trots the last couple of feet and gives a short bark when she has reached her, to alert her to her presence in a way that won't alert everyone ever to a talking dog.

Danielle jumped, startled at the bark. Her head snapped up, staring at Floweregg. She stared for several long moments, confusion mixed with her pained expression before she recognizes her. "Floweregg," she said quietly and...

Well, honestly even if it was just a dog that happened to LOOK a lot like Floweregg, she really could use the cuddles. Anything that would make the pain a little less. So she reached out to scoop up the dog, and bury her face against her fur.

She'll wriggle a bit until she is in a position where she can lick Danielle's face, paws kneading arms and chest in a search for a comfortable and useful position. She tries to keep her voice down, hoping that only Danielle will hear her.

"What happened?"

Danielle was holding Floweregg pretty close, so at least that wasn't too hard. She sniffled, trying to hold back the tears. She wasn't looking at the dog, more some vague spot on the ground, but was still petting her. It helped to have someone else close, to be warm and comforting.

"I saw my father. He-he didn't recognize me, I don't think, just thought I was a kid who sounded similiar, and he-" She closed her eyes, shaking slightly. "He misses me."

She sometimes wonders if her own mother misses her, but maybe dogs are similar there. And she has Siiri and Åsa, and they are there - they would miss her if she was gone, she's sure of that.

"You don't want him to?" She's not sure what she would want if she ran away.

"Yes! No. I-" She sighed, slumping against the wall of the alley she ducked in. "I don't know," she said quietly.

"It would...it would be easier if he didn't care. If I didn't care. It's not like he was that good of a dad. He was good at throwing money at things I needed, but that's easy for him. He wasn't around, he didn't really know me, always put pressure on me to be his perfect little angel for his appearance," she said, bitterness in her words.

But then her voice softened. "But he didn't have to stick around for my birthday every year. He didn't have to watch the run with me. He didn't have to let me hide away with Shou at those boring parties. He didn't have to skip so many important business meetings last year when I was so sick, he didn't have to look as hard as he did to try and save me even when the doctors kept saying I was getting worse."

"He didn't have to be around after mom died," she whispered, a few tears escaping. "He wasn't a good dad, but he's mine, and I...I don't want to be trouble, but I want him to still care."

That sounds like a really complicated situation, and Floweregg just licks Danielle's face for a bit, pressing a bit closer to her. She is so sad, and the puppy would like to help, but how do you help here? Cuddles can only do so much, and it doesn't sound like something that food could help with, either...

But then she has to think of the detective show that she sometimes watches on TV, the one with the boy who has been turned into a talking dog and needs to keep his parents from panicing a lot... "Can you send him a letter or call and say that you're well?"

While Marina would love to cling to Jasmine 24/7 until she's back in perfect shape, that's probably not healthy for any of them. Mostly. Anyways, the causes for this charity run are good ones, and she hasn't done it since she was like eleven years old. It feels more relevant, now that she's involved in what they're raising money for, and now that Marina has started to care about her city a little more than her former teenage apathy.

Marina's in good shape too, what with all the running around she does anyways; it'll be easy to finish, and she made a point of looking for a business that was shelling out good money for its finishers, what with not having any really strong connections to any sponsors.

So she runs. And uses what spending money she has to buy a few little snacks and drinks, and while she's a little tense, and maybe not as smiley as she could be - Jasmine's still not in any kind of good shape - she's still probably more sociable than she would've been a year ago.

If someone had told Stefan that he would someday assist with organizing the charity run he had adored, he wouldn't have believed them. Him, running with the big leagues? It didn't seem possible - except, of course, this year, he had made enough connections to secure an organizer's position. While he's not participating in the race, Stefan's all over the place today, from ensuring that volunteers know their positions to checking on random participants to ask how they're doing.

He doesn't have a moment to stand still - not since the run was in dispute. The members had argued over holding it, and while the run prevailed, Stefan feels the responsibility to make this year even better than before. Although he's younger than the other organizers (and not actually Christian anymore), no one's questioned the organizer badge he's wearing yet.

Well, all except one. The unruly idiot was about to make a scene when Stefan stared straight into his eyes and demanded that he fulfill his duties. The guy's eyes dulled, as he verbally agreed and fulfilled his duties, even though he complained about Stefan's "weird mindgaze" the whole time.

"Huh." Stefan has to stare at the guy as he watches the other leave, trying his best not to furrow his brow. "Did I just... do that?"

Emi had showed up despite some people not being the most pleased with her being around. Though honestly, it kind of was a publicity stunt on her part in an attempt to bolster her own reputation... For the most part it seemed to be working in her favour to be seen helping keep this event running smoothly.

There was at least one bad apple, though. But to her surprise, he was dealt with surprisingly easily. "...Apparently so."

That was too easy. There was no way Stefan could've pulled something like that off without a little supernatural power - except, last he checked, he was fully human. The full moon didn't give him any strength; he wasn't biting people's necks; and bugs still hated his guts.

He glanced over at Emi. "I guess. No other reason he'd walk off like that..."

Still! It was over and done with. (Maybe his reputation would sink, but that moron deserved it for refusing to help out.) Mustering a smile, Stefan then offered her a bottle of water. "Thanks for helping out, by the way. It means a lot to us."

Maybe it was nothing and that guy decided he was better off leaving or something, she wasn't terribly sure. It sure looked like some kind of mental power. That thought, though, coupled with seeing whatever Stefan did caused an echo, distracting her for a moment or two.

"...Hmm?" Oh, right, she's being offered a bottle of water. Taking it, she gets her mind back on the event at hand. "Oh, thanks. I thought that the sight of an obvious Numbered helping would help our reputation."

Considering his own inner turmoil, Emi's distraction went unnoticed. Instead, he held out the bottle, trying to focus on that rather than the way he had coolly gazed into the other person's eyes - he was human, dammit. A perfectly normal human who was organizing an event for everyone to have a fun time, and not... whatever creature could compel people like that. Compulsion. The name popped into his head as if it were perfectly ordinary, which couldn't bode well.

Maybe he wasn't as normal as he wished he were.

"I think it's working so far." He genuinely meant it too. The other organizers may not be aware of his Numbered status (he suspects it's for the best, considering how much he hated this job). "The other guys were thrilled to see Numbered openly helping us. I figure, if things go well, we could have the town on our side again."

Emi would point out that getting these numbers stuck in one's head generally means strange changes via echoes are on the agenda. Such as having to drink human blood, which she found quite disturbing at first before she got used to it. And stopped thinking herself damned because of it.

She for one is going to keep the fact he's numbered quiet. "Exactly. I hope this is worth it, though..."

"I'd think so." Sure, that was his inner optimist speaking, but Stefan had technically helped organize this for the better part of a year. These things just didn't come up overnight, after all. "Worst-case, we made a bunch of people smile. I can't argue too much with that logic."

He shrugged, grabbing a bottle of water for himself and nearly guzzling the thing in one swift gulp. (In his defense, he was super thirsty.) "I mean, I may not celebrate Christmas anymore, but people love this run."

Emilia was more concerned with this improving her image. Until now, she had given up on the people of Locke.

"I suppose. It doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon."

"You never know."

A few months ago, Stefan wouldn't have openly defended the people either - especially with the discrimination the Numbered had faced. (He was no stranger to it then, despite not knowing he too was Numbered, but it wasn't quite the same.) He couldn't exactly pinpoint why he felt this way, beyond the cheery atmosphere that the festival had cultivated and the media slowly, slowly tilting the other way. If anything were to turn the tide after their (hopefully) final battle with the mafia, this run may very well be the starting point.

"One thing here or there may not do much, but those little things add up." He coughed. "Something like that, I mean. For what it's worth, a couple of businesses have appreciated your help too."

Edited 2015-01-09 08:36 (UTC)

When she first became Numbered, she wouldn't have been too friendly with him herself, but facing discrimination herself taught her to be more empathetic. It wasn't quite the same, but still.

She didn't expect the Mafia to recover from the attack. If it looks like they will, Emilia will help bring them down before the become a threat again.

"That's... good to hear. Perhaps things really will be different for the Numbered now."

He really hoped so. His inner optimist wanted the tides to turn so badly that anything looked like a positive sign - and he would be darned if this wasn't part of the new wave.

"Hey, can you help me grab some food? I think one of the booths's running low."

While it wasn't technically part of his duties, Stefan still felt obligated to help (because, as he said, every little bit helped). "I'd do it myself, but it looks like it's gonna be a lot." And, well, he wasn't keen on repeating whatever his crazy little eye stunt was.

Emi's still a spoiled rich kid, so she isn't exactly in her element. Unlike her past self, though, she will do as asked instead of having Sakuya or someone else do it for her. Emi, thankfully, doesn't act as entitled.

"Ah? I'll see what they need." It's Christmas anyway, so soon enough, she gets this done and only comes back once she's finished her errand.

By the time Emi returns, Stefan had already been called to reorganize (or restock?) something for the booth that he was near.

The relief is clear on his face as he catches sight of her. "Thanks so much. You know, I've always wondered why Locke does a run around Christmas, considering how cold it can get this time of year."

On one hand, it's a good (non-religious) way to whip up the Christmas spirit, but on the other hand, Stefan's immensely glad that he didn't have to participate in the run itself. "I know you're volunteering, but I've gotta repay you back somehow."

She came back later than she intended, people were a bit too eager to put a rich kid like herself to work. But she managed to escape before too long.

"It's been happening for years... I'm just thankful I don't really feel the cold any more." Emi just hopes that all of her work will be worth it... Though, people who know her have mentioned it didn't seem characteristic of her to volunteer for anything like this, given that she's known to be a bit uncharitable. "Feel free."

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[open] Run for charity!

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sorry for the late!

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