#i would prefer constant energy kitten phase back because then at least then i could Do something about it

[louisdotmp3]

every single night my cat is like oh perfect the 8 hours where you're trying to sleep. the perfect time for me to start tearing at the carpet with my teeth and swinging from the curtains and yelling at you to get up or else

[runner-93]

Zombies Run - Writing Prompt

For the anonymous request with the name/word prompt; Sam + Spring. 

I kept it as spoiler free as possible, I think, the only warning I can think to give would be a vaguely refer to events with two names that anyone who’s finished season three and started season 4 will know about.  Story under the cut!

Sam Yao was not a man to be taken lightly – regardless of anything people might have heard to the contrary – he took his job very seriously because it was his job to ensure the safety of Abel by ensuring the safety of its Runners.  He was the sentry, the guide, and the guardian all in one; the first line of defense for the Runners, and the last line of defense for Able Township.

What a lot of people didn’t realize was that his job was so much more than watching cameras, directing movement, and warning of danger while people were on their runs.  Sometimes his job was noticing if a Runner was acting odd.  Sometimes it was making sure a Runner low on morale was sent on a toy run, or a tequila run as required.  Sometimes it was making sure an anxious Runner was only scheduled for supply runs in safe areas.  Sometimes it was cancelling runs if a Runner was hiding an injury, or illness.  It was making sure Maxine knew if anyone started showing signs of depression or other forms of mental or emotional difficulties that may need more than the occasional pep talk.  

It was being silly and making sure he saw them smile or laugh at least once every day, or occasionally begging a Runner to go with him to the kitten house because he was embarrassed to go alone.  He’d even gotten more than few to join the Demons and Darkness group that tried to meet once a week for a game.  

Sometimes his job was pretending not to notice when they cried, and sometimes it was crying with them.  Knowing what his Runners needed was what he did, in and out of missions.

For some of them, like Jody or Simon (before his name was removed from the past and present Runner list), were pretty easy to read (at least he used to think so).  Some of them were a lot more difficult to try and pin down (like Sara Smith).  Some of them were… some of them were both and neither and utterly impossible as a result.

Runner 5, for example.  She rose so quick in Abel’s ranks that it was practically a legend. She fell from the sky in a ball of fire, ran a mission while still unknown and unnamed, returned to Abel with critical resources and saved the township all before she’d even had so much as a ‘hey, how are you?’ from the welcome committee.

That was the beginning and the end of it.  From then on she was Runner 5 – the unstoppable, the undaunted, the tireless.  Runner 5 – the hero of Abel.  

Everyone knew her designation.  Everyone knew her reputation.  And Runner 5 took it all in stride, confident and proud and every inch the model Runner and community member they needed her to be.  

The township didn’t notice when she started to change.  They didn’t see the circles under her eyes.  They didn’t see the way her hands sometimes shook when she was sent out on an important mission, like she didn’t trust herself anymore.  They didn’t see the way her head sometimes tilted, like she was listening to something they couldn’t hear.  

They didn’t see the Runners the way Sam did.  They didn’t understand  how the designations and reputations the Runners built around themselves would stare to wear on them, start to erode their sense of self. The bigger the legend, of course, the heavier those expectations were to carry.

That was his mission – to see the wear and tear on his people and make it better in whatever ways he could.  Today his mission would serve all of them, but his focus was Runner 5.  

It was spring now – finally and officially spring! – but the last bitterly cold rain they’d received had left the fields surrounding Able a quagmire of potential sprained ankles and difficult terrain.  Any Runner sent out in it would have to fight the mud for every step they took.  It was not good conditions for running quickly, it was not (Janine said stiffly after surveying the weather reports, road conditions, caloric costs/needs of Runners, etc) ideal for efficiency in performance.  

All this boiled down to a single edict – all the Runners would have the day off.  This bright, sunny, warm day with just the most pleasant breeze blowing through the township while they waited for the running conditions to be more ideal.  

It was amazing!  He couldn’t remember the last time all the Runners had the day off, even those days where most of them did Five was always needed for one critical mission or another.  This was the perfect opportunity to help her reboot her system, so to speak, and feel connected again.  Maybe get her to tell him why she seemed so distant lately.  I mean, he knew why – the Simon thing, and the Moonchild thing, and all the things that happened around and after those things – there were a lot of things, but she’d always bounced back before.  He hadn’t realized just how much she always bounced back until now when she hadn’t. He wasn’t the only person worried either, he wasn’t the only person to belatedly realize that in her constant and consistent efforts to protect the town, the town may have been neglecting to protect their runner back.    

It was important, the work he did, it was necessary, and it was very serious. Maybe even the most serious work anyone in the township could possible undertake.  

Though he would certainly understand the doubt a person would feel if they were told how serious his job was while looking at him now – dressed in an aggressively pastel pink and blue Easter bunny costume hiding little treats and toys all around the running track and training fields while a horde of kids practically vibrated with excitement and anticipation all along the perimeter.  It wasn’t religious in intention, but more an any excuse to have a bit of fun event.  The kids would watch him, the Easter Bunny, hop around and hide things, but not knowing if he was really hiding something just behind the bleachers or only pretending to to throw them off the scent, then – at the appropriate moment – they would be released!

There was nothing better for the Morale of the township then a bit of nonsense every now and then, and if that bit of nonsense reminded them what they were doing all this for, remind them of their collective humanity in the face of their personal monsters, then all the better!   Once the kids had burned some energy finding the treats, the Spring Rabbits (runners wearing bright colours, bunny ears, and face paint) would start phase 2 of the spring celebration; each runner had a different colour assigned to them and eight streamers of that colour loosely attached to their waists.   The first kid in each age group to collect 4 different colours would win a whole chocolate bar!  The sheer want in some of the kids eyes was honestly intense enough to cause Sam some concern, but he felt better know that they had secretly gathered up enough candies for all the kids to ‘win’ by the end of the Spring in Abel Event.  

Lined up along the bleachers, either sitting or leaning against the fence respectively, the volunteer Runners waited patiently, grinning and stretching and generally getting ready to make the kids work for their sugar rush later.  The pastel colours were for the younger kids, those Runners would challenge their kids but ultimately let themselves be “caught” before too long.  The brighter colours were the Runners for the older kids, Maxine and a few other adults would be watching them more closely to identify any that could be future Runners with more training.  Banners were not guaranteed for the older kids, the Runners were going to challenge them and were not going to give up any banners easily.  

Any kids that didn’t want to run for their candy could opt to solving puzzles or guiding blindfolded volunteers through the obstacle course.   Jody had been the one to casually mention the old holiday to him a couple weeks ago, wondering if he thought they could do something for it.  Ever since she made the suggestion he, Jody, Maxine, and a few others had put a lot of effort into making this event big and making sure that there was something for everyone regardless of their preferred recreational activities and capabilities.  There was even a pickup game of Demons and Darkness going on in the mess hall!  The Runners were all into it too!  When he’d initially started asking for volunteers he’d expected a certain amount of hold outs – he’d expected some of them to decline, but every single Runner signed up to a degree that he actually had to turn some of them down and find them other activities/jobs to do instead. It was amazing!  

Runner 5 was over with the other Rabbits waiting to start their runs, helping each other tie on their streamers (not too tight to pull off, but not so loose that they could fall off by accident).   Her colour was a very bright yellow, next to her Jody in the pastel blue and a sweater knitted to look like an easter egg chatted amiably.  They both waved when they caught his eyes on them. Sheepishly, he waved back.    He couldn’t help but grin, making a big show of inspecting a set of weights while he hid a couple yo-yos around the 15lb bells.  It was working!  Everyone was having fun, nobody was currently risking their lives, or thinking about the next time they’d have to risk their lives, or getting dragged down into dark thoughts and doubts and emotional friction.   They were just living, it was perfect.  

One good day; that’s all any of them needed, just every now and then, to make the less good days not seem so bad.  One good day, he promised himself that he would give Runner Five that much, even if he couldn’t do anything else for her, he could give her One Good Day.  

Finally out of treats to hide Sam pretended to hide a few more things to be cheeky and hopped his way back towards the Runners – the kids were collectively holding their breath, instinctually setting themselves into the ready position while they waited to be released.   Sam had barely finished sitting down before the kids were off, tearing around the running track, obstacles, and various piles of equipment left out deliberately so Sam could hide things in them.  

Sam couldn’t help by gape.  At their current rate of movement he figured they would have found every bit of swag he’d hidden – and the stuff they’d pre-hidden the night before – in a lot less time then he’d projected.  Even the little kids, being led by their parents, were moving a lot faster than their little legs seemed capable of.  

“Get ready Rabbits,” Jody called out to the Runners around them, “I think we’re gonna get the go ahead quicker then we’d thought.”

Five smiled at the chaos reigning on the training field, maybe not as big as Sam had hoped, but a lot less distracted then he’d feared. She seemed present today.  Not as lost in her thoughts as she’d seemed lately.  It was enough for now.  One good day.  He repeated the words to himself like a mantra; one good day would do a lot to help his poor overused Runner get back to being herself again.   He watched her from the corner of his eyes when someone else called for her and she walked away from him and Jody to answer.

“This was a good idea Sam, I’m glad we did this for the township.”  Jody said cheerfully, nudging him good naturedly with her knee from where she stood next to him.  “I can see you smiling under that ridiculous get up, I’m glad.  It’s been a while since I saw you this happy.”

“We’ve all been a bit too focused lately, what with everything that’s gone on, a bit of a distraction is good for us.  A bit of fun to remind us that there’s more to life than just running for our lives, and trying to survive or prepare for the next emergency.”    

“Runner 5 is gonna be glad to hear you said that.” Jody grinned.

“What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but I have to Sam! I just have to!  Runner 5 is the one who told me to remind you that the Easter Bunny used to be a thing, a way to celebrate spring and hope and new life from old.  She was worried about you, and she knew how much you like planning stuff like this.  She tricked you Sam.  She got me and Maxine to do it for her, with the planning and all, but it was Five that went around to every Runner to make sure they were on board to help.  Not that it was hard, all she had to say was for Sam and not one was willing say no, not after everything you’ve done for all of us.  This whole thing was Runner 5’s idea to make you feel better; to remind you that it’s okay to be happy again since you’ve been so down about everything that’s happened recently.”  

Sam stared at Jody for a long couple of seconds before he could process the words properly. The Runners were trying to take care of him?  Runner 5 – the formerly unstoppable and recently stopped.  Runner 5 – the undaunted, recently shaken. Runner 5 – the tireless, but oh god he could see her mental exhaustion weighing her down.  Runner 5 – the fallen hero of Abel.  Five had manipulated him into dressing up like the Easter Bunny to make him smile, to give him a day off.   And she’d gotten everyone else in on it.  He thought it’d been weird how quick Janine had decided the whole town would get the day off, but he hadn’t wanted to jinx it.  Hadn’t he just recently been thinking how easy it had been to get volunteers?  

He was supposed to be taking care of her, of all of them, that was his job and here they all were… worried about him… taking care of him…  

“You do so much for us Sam, and there not often anything we can do in return other then make it home every day, time and again, to thank you for guiding us back.  We’re all just worried that you might be taking on too much without giving yourself the occasional break that you need let alone deserve.  Abel doesn’t always have to rest on your shoulders, Sam, you need to let yourself breath every now and then.  You need to let yourself live a little too. You need to take time to be yourself, Sam Yao.”   Jody continued, nudging him again with her leg when he continued to not react, giving him an affectionate smile for encouragement.

“Thank you, Jody, really…. I…. I don’t know what to say to all that, really….”

“We’ve all got a day off Sam, you don’t have to say anything.  Just… take the time to enjoy it.  We’ve got your back.  Always.”

Before he could find his voice again to respond Jody perked up and eyed the field, a general surveying her troops, “time to go Rabbits!”  She shouted excitedly, and the Runners who’d been patiently waiting sprang into action, just as sudden and chaotic and care free as the kids had been, darting in all directions which dozens of little people laughed and chased after them, desperate to get the streamers.  

Sam tracked Five from where she was leading some of the older kids on an adventurous chase around the obstacle course.  She was smiling, careful not to run too fast and discourage them, she glanced back at him and caught his eye, giving him a one handed salute.

One good day.

Whatever it may have been before, Spring was now Sam’s favourite season.