cuddlecity | EVENT: THESE COLORS (DON'T) RUN

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EVENT: THESE COLORS (DON'T) RUN

By mid-month, the last of the winter snows have melted away; March has proven to hold true to the old adage, coming in blustering and brash like a lion and fading out much like the proverbial lamb, and by the time balloons and banners are hung in the town center, it’s clear the seasons have finally shifted for good. It’s still cool, of course, but just right — light sweater weather, no parkas needed.

Today, and for a good few days, it’s time to take in the sights. It’s time, after all, for the spring equinox, and with it, the Energy Festival. This special celebration takes place in time with the changing of the seasons — a time when energy is high in the air, released like a long-held breath after a trying winter; it's a time-honored tradition in the city where citizens gather together and welcome in the fresh new world that spring reveals. It's a little sweet, a little saccharine, and sometimes a little bit cheesy too, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring the colorful celebration.

Come don your Sunday best, people. It’s a spring fling, and you’re invited.

Make your way down to the city center, and you’ll find plenty to entertain you. The whole downtown plaza has been decorated — with plenty of help from the Events Committee’s most recent hires and their dedicated volunteers, for which they’re very grateful, of course — in the colors of the season. Said colors being pastels, naturally, of every shade and hue imaginable. Banners are hung from trees and awnings alike, splashed with painted letters of buttercup yellow, seafoam green, gentle lilac, and even delicate pinks and baby blues perfect for all the newborns sure to come after a long winter. (Everyone knows what people get up to when they’re stuck at home in a blizzard. The city knows, and they are prepared.)

▸ Along the western edge of the plaza, there are plenty of food stalls to sample from. The city’s most popular restaurants are here to promote their seasonal menus, but for those that like a little variety, there’s also visiting vendors from cities near and far as well as local stands from citizens and volunteers alike offering homemade delicacies they’re looking forward to sharing with you.

▸ Not to be outdone, the Vinery has set up a wine-tasting station in the very center of the plaza; here, you can sample the vintages from the most recent harvest, along with some of their more popular selections… all for a very reasonable donation to the city’s charity drives. It may not sound very selfless, but a little liquid confidence never hurt anyone, right? Especially when the Vinery has graciously agreed to host the recently requested kissing booth — hosted entirely by volunteers on a rotating schedule, you’ll never know who you might see! (Or, maybe, who you might kiss if you volunteer instead!)

▸ On the more relaxed side of things, the southern edge of the plaza is home to a collection of blue and pink tents, each strung up with gently twinkling lights that seem to beckon in all that pass by. Peek inside, and you’ll find a group of local women, ranging in age from youthful tweens to elderly grandmothers, all seated in a circle surrounding a pile of the smallest hats, blankets, and one-piece suits that could only be worn by the tiniest of people. That’s right, folks. The citizens of Cadelle are sorting through item after donated item, hoping to find the perfect sets to create baby boxes for new parents in the city. If you’d like to help, pull up a chair — volunteers are never turned away, and helping hands are always in high demand.

If you venture past the city center and wander out towards the grassy shores of Blue Springs Pool, you might notice the perpetually busy members of the city’s Events Committee arranging a trio of sign-up tables, complete with endless paper-laden clipboards, stacks of freshly pressed white t-shirts, and boxes upon boxes of miscellaneous logo-branded accessories, ranging from terrycloth headbands and bracelets to impossibly small water bottles good for no more than one long drag. That’s right, y’all. It’s time for the city’s first Color Run, a modern take on the more formal Color Celebration that traditionally kicks off the spring Energy Festival.

▸ First things first: pick up one of the many (many) clipboards, and prepare to answer a million questions about your life. You can’t expect to take part in a physical activity without signing your life away on a few dozen waivers, can you? Try not to take too much offense at the range of questions asked — the city’s administration wasn’t sure who or what might sign up to participate, so feel free to leave things blank if you’re not sure. Or, alternatively, just give your best guess. Just don’t ask the poor event volunteer handing out pens what a FLDSMDFR is… because they don’t know either.

▸ Once you’ve signed up, get suited up! Pick up a complimentary Plain White T(-shirt) — available in a range of sizes from teen girl crop top to sumo sized “sharing shirts” — and don your favorite runners’ accessories. Whether you choose to stay contemporary casual or embrace the logo in full force, be sure to follow the volunteers’ instructions and keep all of your delicate items protected. Clear bags of all shapes and styles are available for purchase, because capitalism is still alive and well even in the multi-verse! (Don’t worry, all the proceeds still go to charity…)

▸ At noon on the dot, those that have signed to compete can meet their fellow runners at the starting line, where the sound of a shot flare (and likely a few startled screams) will signal the beginning of the race, along with your first dose of colored powder. Made up of a mix of colors from across the ROYGBIV, it’s a literal and figurative toss-up as to which ones will grace your skin… or your hair… or maybe even the inside of your mouth, if you’re not careful. Luckily, it’s non-toxic stuff. It just doesn’t taste very good, or, if we’re totally honest, like much of anything at all other than chalk and the vague hint of crayons. Don’t ask.

▸ For those that didn’t sign up, there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Volunteers will be passing out buckets of powder to all those who’d like to spectate, and there are plenty of spaces along the path of the 5K race to stand and greet runners with encouraging words and celebratory color bombs. Just try not to aim for their eyes, okay? Nobody needs to be blinded by the light or the bright colors in those buckets.

▸ By the end of the race, everyone from runners to spectators to even unsuspecting passersby who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time will be covered head-to-toe in brightly colored powder. It’s just inconvenient, a little silly, but nothing that can’t be cured with a quick dip in the nearby springs or a shower at home.

Of course, when has anything in this city ever been "just a little silly"? Much like the rain that fell for weeks, or the suddenly-appearing pool of water, or the ghosts ... well, there's something strange about this powder, too. Turns out, the events committee wasn't exactly sure where to obtain this stuff from when their newest recruits suggested the Color Run as a hip way to get people out and about in the nice weather, so they've harvested from a few plants that were (you guessed it) watered by all that infused magical rain. So that's a thing. Shouldn't be too bad, right?

Hahahahahaha. Hey, cuddlers, when has anything ever been "not too bad"? Never, that's when, because who likes things to be normal and boring when they could be weird and strange for everyone involved? Nobody, that's who!

True to form, the color powder from this month's Color Run is sure to have curious effects for your character! What effects specifically? We're leaving that up to you, the players, so that you can have the Most Fun Ever with this event. But, to help you out, we've got a few suggestions below! Feel free to play off these, or change them up, whatever floats your boat! Just keep our consent rules in mind, please!

▸ Red powder has a scent that some say reminds them of cherries — it's been known to stimulate feelings of hot-headedness, romanticism, or just plain lust!

▸ Orange powder, unsurprisingly, smells like oranges — a little too much might just make you magnetic, drawing in people close and far by the sheer power of your magnetism! (Do we mean charisma? Maybe. Maybe not.)

▸ Yellow powder features a burst of bright lemon scent — if it reminds you of sunshine, you're not alone! Those who don this sunny color will find themselves feeling more sunny themselves, with strong bursts of optimism and cheer paving the way for friendly greetings and impromptu hugs!

▸ Green powder comes with the unmistakable fragrance of melon — get it in your mouth, and you'll know without a doubt that green means go! Wearers have been known to enjoy bursts of superspeed, extra confidence, or even just brash recklessness... though we're still not convinced those aren't all the same thing.

So... that's a thing, innit! If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST.

Peace out, cuddlescouts!

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[ Derek, who's wanted to be in a Color Run since he's known what one is, is more focused on the running than the people. He's toward the front of the pack and while he's covered in colored chalk, all of it clinging to sweaty skin because, halfway into the run, Derek gave up on the white t-shirt because it was soaked through with sweat, anyway.

At first, when he hears the scream behind him, a shudder runs through him because he'd seen Lydia at some point, lining the trail and cheering people on, in passing and he reflexively thinks it's her...and Lydia's screams are always bad news for someone else. It takes a second for him to register the fact that it's not Lydia's scream, because he knows the sound of that; it brings a chill to his bones makes it feel like the blood runs cold in his veins for its duration; because it isn't a scream. It's a banshee cry.

This was a scream.

Derek stumbles a little when he turns to look back, because it rings out again. And Derek is pushing his way back through the crowd, half of whom can't decide whether to stop, turn around, or keep going, as he runs back in the direction he came to find the source. Another scream has Derek's heart racing because that's several, now, and it isn't stopping. Whoever she is, she's in agony.

But then he hears the words and he pushes himself harder. Caroline wears a ring so that she can walk in the sun. She's the first person he thinks of and he's unpleasantly not surprised when he sees her on the ground, practically writhing in pain.

Derek doesn't look for the ring; there are already a handful of frantic people trying to do that because she's screaming for it. Instead, Derek scoops her off the ground and darts off the path into the shade of the woods. It happens fast, the movement, setting her back down again, crouching in front of her and closing a hand hard around her arm, his veins going black and his face registering her pain in himself with a grunt and a grimace. It passes almost as quickly as it comes, but he holds on because his veins are still black and that means she's still hurting. ]

Hang on, you're okay. You're all right, I got you. Somebody will find your ring, I'll get back, okay? You okay?

( the pain is sharp, blistering heat spreading across her skin, leaving ragged lines of bright angry burns criss-crossing from head to toe. it's enough to leave her light-headed, her vision blurry from tears that haven't quite yet fallen, but pain doesn't entirely kill her instincts. no, being picked up is still something she can sense, even as foggy as her mind feels; her arms reach up blindly for whoever it is that's lifting her limp limbs from where they've sprawled out on the ground.

except, she knows that voice. she doesn't quite understand the sensation of warmth and strange softness that blooms across her body, or how the pain seems to dull to a low throbbing even before the sun's shine is mottled by the canopy of leaves over head, but she knows the voice. that's a voice she knows, and it's coming from derek himself hovering above her. as her vision comes back into focus, it's his face looking all too concerned over her. that, if nothing else, is a small comfort. )

Don't go. ( her voice is cracked and strained, but the words come fast all the same. ) Please don't leave me here...

[ Derek shakes his head, frowning slightly. His veins are still black, but they're starting to fade; that's a good sign. He's not going anywhere until they're normal again, that much is for sure. Leaving his friend alone while she's still vulnerable and in pain isn't an option. When she's all right again, then he'll go and bring the ring back to her. Someone will have to have found it by then. Worst case, he'll scent it out. How hard can it be to find the scent of a piece of metal with Caroline's scent all over it? Between the sweat and her natural pheromones? Should be a piece of cake. ]

No, I'm not leaving. Not yet. When I get all the pain out, then I'll go see if someone found it. But not yet. I'm right here, don't worry.

[ He's been in a vulnerable position like that before, more than once. He can thank a handful of people for keeping him as safe as they could until he could take care of himself, Stiles and Braeden among them. Having that under his belt, he's hardly going to be leaving her to fend for herself when she's still healing. ...actually, on that note... ]

Do you heal fast? Like me?

( her head is still swimming from the sensations, but derek is steady and sure, his hand a firm grip around her upper arm. there's something else, though; it's like a pulse or a heartbeat, a wave back and forth of pain flowing out of her body instead of in, like a river finding its way to the open sea. she can't do much yet. it's only been a few minutes, and while caroline's no longer screaming, she's still getting her bearings back. )

Sometimes... ( it's strange, but she can't help but feel the urge to yawn, a small little sound that escapes as she tries to shift in place on the ground. ) I couldn't move...

( she's still not quite sure how long she'd been on the ground in the course. once the sun had hit, she'd been more focused on the searing pain rolling through her body; she'd been practically paralyzed by it as she laid out in the dirt, sun hitting every inch of exposed skin like a burst of flame. it could have been a minute, or even an hour. she wouldn't know the difference.

but she'll need to feed, probably. any accelerated healing that her body may be capable of doing will use up all the blood stores. a wild vampire would find shelter in the night, hunt game, or worse... a person. caroline doesn't want to hunt a person, but her apartment is too far away and she'll need something for sustenance well before the sun goes down again. so plan b it is. stefan would be proud. )

I need a bunny. ( she looks positively embarrassed as she explains: ) I need to... eat it.

[ With his expression still drawn in concern, Derek nods a little. Sometimes she heals fast, other times she doesn't. He's hoping that this is not one of those other times, because she looks like as soon as he lets go, the pain is going to bubble right back up and into her, white hot and excruciating. He's going to have to let go to get her ring for her.

His eyes narrow with confusion, brow creasing slightly when she says she needs a bunny, but when she continues Derek nods a little. ]

All right, I'm guessing you need to feed to be strong enough to heal, maybe, then? Thus the "sometimes?" I'm not a good hunter like this. I'll have to transition. Or...

[ Derek tilts his head to one side and points to his neck. ]

I'll heal. Do you have time for me to transition and go hunting or no?

( vampires don't often feel pain. when given the blessing of a daylight ring, there's little that ails them. caroline, however, knows all too well what that pain feels like. before she'd come here, she'd been locked away, held in a small cage barely big enough to sit down in; she'd screamed and cried for what had felt like days on end while an asshole with a buzzcut shot wooden bullets into her skin. over and over, without remorse or hesitation, until one shot had bled into the next and caroline had given up on even begging for her life. she'd been so sure, locked away in that rv, that she'd die there.

so she knew pain. she knew how long it could take to heal from something like this, even at her best. it would be slow, painful recovery, one that would leave her weak and unsteady for hours unless she fed her body what it needed.

what derek was offering, that smooth curve of skin between his neck and shoulders so casually referenced, was something she would have never asked for. human blood — even of werewolves or witches — was the closest thing to a miracle cure. as quickly as her own blood had healed spencer's body, derek's would be a much needed boost to hers. but it was asking a lot, more so than she thought was really fair, even if it was incredibly tempting. )

I can't ask you to do that.

( even if she wanted to. needed to. she'd wait. )

[ While Derek immediately knows where Caroline's coming from, his concern is that he hasn't ever really bothered to try to hunt small game and it might take him entirely too long to get her what she needs doing that. Somehow he feels like dragging a dead deer through the woods to her isn't going to be entirely welcome, plus he doesn't like the idea of potentially wasting the meat if what she's really looking for is blood. He suspects she is, given that she's a vampire.

So he shakes his head and beckons her with two fingers. ]

You're not asking. If you need it in less than half an hour, this is your option, Care, I'm not that good at hunting. I never actually had to learn how to do it. Just do it. I told you, I'll heal.

( the idea is ridiculous. she can't believe he's even offering this. but he is, and she's not exactly in any position to argue, so she crawls. over the dirt, the impact rocking into her body with each movement, until her knees bump up against his lap, caroline crawls. her head swims, light-headed and dizzy, and her eyes have trouble focusing, but getting closer is the only thing she can think about at the moment. a necessary means to an end. when she speaks, her voice is low, ragged; there's a tremor that betrays the fear just below the surface. )

Please don't hate me after.

( by the time the words leave her lips, she's too close to him to resist any longer. even with the short time they've been under the shade, the time to hold up a white flag has long since passed. he's right: she can't wait any longer. so now, her teeth bare, exposed in the shade for only a moment before they bury into the smooth expanse of his neck; a soft groan of appreciation echoes under her breath as the first flood of warmth rolls through her, mouth filling with that familiar copper taste. but as good as it feels to feed properly for once, she knows that she has to be careful. she has to fight down the urge that blooms up. getting greedy isn't an option, no matter how tempting. as if to steady herself, one hand palms out against the hard ground, the other smoothing up his leg to find his own hand, fingers tangling with a firm squeeze, one hard enough that it might have broken a human man's.

after what feels like an impossibly short time, need begins to blend into greedy want and caroline has to pull herself away, mouth stained red with a drip that threatens to pool off her chin if she's uncareful. it's a little hedonistic, sheer gratitude tugging up the corners of her mouth in a small smile, but rather than pull away, she leans forward to press her forehead against his own. she needs a moment to catch her breath, and it's safe to assume he might as well. )

Derek...

( thank you just feels a little bit... well, unsatisfactory. )

[ Derek reaches for her when she starts to crawl, wanting to help her, but also not wanting to cross any more boundaries than he already has by bringing her out here to begin with. Not that he thinks she'll be upset about the former, since she could have died out there and the whole point was to prevent that, but all the same. Now he's not sure if she'd still be amenable to him touching her unsolicited.

Shaking his head as she speaks, Derek finally does reach for her, pulling her closer to him so that she doesn't have to reach. ]

I'm not going to hate you, I promise.

[ And he won't. Even if she damn near bleeds him dry, he can only blame himself, so he'd never hate her for needing to survive and taking the only available option to do so. Especially since he'd proactively offered it.

A grunt of discomfort escapes him when her fangs initially puncture his skin, but it feels no different than having claws pushed into the back of his neck, so while it's been a long time since he's experienced that, it's not a completely foreign sensation. What is a little foreign is the way that his body seems to relax for her, his eyes going half-lidded as he strokes her hair with one hand. Her hand moves up his leg and Derek fidgets slightly beneath the touch until it moves away to take his hand. Derek squeezes hers in return, enough to let her know that he's there, but not so much that it'll hurt.

When she finally pulls off, pressing her forehead against his, Derek disentangles his fingers from hers to hold her head, one hand cupping either side of her jaw. They're both trying to catch their breath, although he's trying more because his body is already stitching up the bite wound while trying to quickly replace the lost blood and that's a lot more exhausting than it looks.

His eyes are closed and he wets his lips because they feel cracked and dry in the moment. Derek nods against her forehead. ]

You're okay. It's okay. I'm good. You're okay, Caroline.

[ He means for those words to come out at normal volume, but instead, it comes out practically a whisper.

Derek has never been this close to Caroline and while he's coming down off whatever that feeling from when she'd been feeding is, he's entirely aware of just how close they actually are right now and just how intimate what he just let her do actually is.

He moves, pulling his head away enough to press his lips to her forehead instead, and only because the urge to kiss her is entirely too strong for his liking when he knows he'll taste his own blood on her mouth if he indulges it. ]

( the drain offers opposite effects: caroline gets the rush of warmth flooding through her, life in its purest state running through every part of her body as quickly as it had drained from derek, and he's left to recuperate in the aftermath. he cradles her face in his hands, and caroline only rests against him, a flush of color on her cheeks as his mouth brushes against her forehead. it's... well, it's intimate, isn't it, in a way that's different from the intimacy of what they'd just done, and she's not sure how to interpret it.

the truth is, whatever caroline had felt, it wasn't the same anymore. the crush mostly born of physical attraction had simply melted away over time, replaced instead by camraderie and friendship — and, perhaps more importantly, a trust that she hadn't quite shared with anyone else. not jumping into bed with him on the first date had been a surprise, because she'd certainly been willing, but she wouldn't change it now. in a way that she certainly hadn't expected, caroline had found something special in her friendship with derek. she felt like herself with him, and she wasn't willing to throw that away for something fleeting that she could very well find elsewhere. )

What was that for?

( if he's whispering, so is she. there's a stillness to the moment; speaking too loud might just shatter it. )

[ That overwhelming feeling starts to fade away and Derek can sort of feel himself coming back into himself all the way and he closes his eyes, pausing to collect his thoughts before speaking. ]

I'm glad you're okay. I was worried.

[ Which isn't a lie. It just also isn't the whole truth. Derek's not really sure what the goddamn truth is because his focus keeps moving back to the way her lips felt on his neck; the relief that hat flooded through him when his veins had started to go back from black to suggest that her pain had faded away and she was going to be okay. ]

...I should go find your ring...

I'm okay. ( a quiet sigh, tongue darting out to swipe away the last lingering drops clinging to her lips and skin, and caroline lets her body shift. her forehead nestles into the crook of his neck; strands of her hair brush against the spot where her teeth had punctured, the same spot that was now almost imperceptible, werewolf healing doing the trick even if it was just at the surface. ) I'll be okay, I just need a minute.

( which... wasn't entirely true. and it wasn't a lie, either. it was just something in that strange grey area, the one that made it a bit murky to determine why that was the answer that came to mind. she could manage on her own in the shade by now, sitting in peace while derek went out to find her ring. she wouldn't faint or fall over or get hurt just waiting. but, all the same, she didn't want him to go. she wanted him to stay here with her, in this small space, the scent of him washing over her like a warm blanket.

if her mind was a bit more focused, she might have paid notice to just how comforting that scent had become. almost like home, in a way. but her mind was still a bit fuzzy, so the thought flitted in and out without consequence. )

I'm sure someone's found it by now.

( so no reason to get up, right? )

[ Caroline rests her head against him and Derek's eyes close as he takes another deep breath, letting it out slowly in an effort to steady himself. They're good friends, but until today, they've never been physically this close. She says that she needs a minute and Derek is content to let her take it, even if he is tangentially concerned about the whereabouts of her ring by now.

One of his hands smooths her hair down against the back of her head as she hides her face in the crook of his neck and he gives a soft sight, nodding. ]

That's kind of what I'm afraid of. What if somebody finds it and wanders off with it...?

[ His eyes open again and he looks out toward the path from which they'd come. There still is a lot of noise out there, but he can't tell if it's because people are feeling interrupted and are still looking for the ring or wondering what happened to the screaming girl or if it's just the crowd cheering for runners that are still running the path. ]

They'd probably take it to the sign-up desk. ( it's a little funny, now that she thinks about it. she'd been so careful to make sure there was a staffed lost-and-found area for the race, knowing how clumsy people could be with their belongings at sports games, and now she desperately needed people to use it. ) It's not like it's a diamond or anything, I don't think someone would steal it.

( in all fairness, the ring had been pretty ugly in her eyes when she'd first gotten it. the antique style certainly hadn't been something she would have picked out for herself, and even now, caroline wasn't sure she wouldn't prefer something a little more her century. but a witch's daylight ring wasn't something you could just pick up in-store or order online; whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with it for the time being. (and maybe, just maybe, it had grown on her a little too.)

his shift in attention is followed by a shift in the muscles of his neck; they move underneath her, and caroline cannot help but follow in reply, body adjusting to curl that much more snugly in place against him, her own breath skimming over the column of his throat as she does so. )

I wish Bonnie was here. There's probably some, like, witchy spell to make it come to you.

[ A part of him wants to point out that one man's trash is another man's treasure and just because she doesn't think it's valuable enough to steal doesn't mean someone else might feel differently, but it's clear to him that she's putting it off intentionally. Why that is, is anyone's guess, but his guess would be that she's still trying to recover and she doesn't like the idea of being left out here alone and vulnerable while she does so. Derek can respect that.

So he stays still and lets her stay close, because if she feels more comfortable where she is with him, then he's happy to oblige his friend until she's feeling more herself.

His eyebrows lift a little at the mention of "witchy spell" mostly out of curiosity, but he chooses not to push on that. Instead, he takes a deep breath and lets it out softly before speaking. ]

Friend of yours from home, I take it?

Yeah. ( bonnie and caroline had always been complicated. their friendship had been born from common ground — elena had kept them together, acting as the glue in their little trio while they grew up and into their own identities. but they were friends, and caroline knew that if bonnie were here, she'd help her. of course she would, because caroline would do the same for her. ) She used to always talk about her Grams being a witch, but I never really believed it.

( but she's not here, so whatever lojack magic spell she might have employed certainly wasn't going to help her out now. caroline would have to find her ring for herself. )

You smell really good, is that weird?

( it's probably weirder that he tasted good, that she can still feel the lingering wanting of more on her tongue. )

[ Derek huffs out a surprised laugh at her comment about him smelling good. A part of him wonders if she's just still kind of out of it, because yeah, that's a weird thing to say. Especially, all things considered. ]

I mean, I just ran half a marathon and I'm sweating like it's my job...

[ He grins a little. ]

So yeah, it's a little weird.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT: THESE COLORS (DON'T) RUN

the aftermath bc i'm a sucker for hc, fight me.

my dream.

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