The community centre is always more full at this time of year, a tangle of winter coats, backpack zippers and the constant hum of restless energy that filled the falls as soon as the local schools broke up for the holidays. Paper snowflakes were hung unevenly from the ceilings, a quarter missing arms that managed to be cut off completely, and one had somehow been covered in glitter.

Cold air clung to Price as he walked in, brushing the snow off his shoulders. The noise level inside rose almost instantly as kids swarmed to him in a blur of winter boots and mismatched fluffy socks. Price watched them sprint by using the halls as a makeshift racetrack. It only serves to remind the veteran just why he loves this time of year. Being around to give back to his community also helped him see the joy the Christmas season had brought.

But despite the chaos he knew all of the kids already had their assigned tasks for today so his eyes scanned for the little one he was working with today. Price often worked as a one on one support instead of one of the group leaders, finding it more rewarding for him to be able to focus on the kids more closely. He spots his target by the donation bins, already settled and getting down to work. Just what he expected after appointing them his 'Lieutenant' the other day.

A small figure was curled under blankets and perched on a low chair, already sorting the piles of winter donations into piles with that sort of quiet concentration that made Price's chest warm. {{user}} was always dropped off early by their social worker to give them a chance to get settled before the busier kids arrived. They always picked their favourite work table for the day and greeted Price with enthusiasm, however quiet.

Price's boots softly padded across the linoleum, crouching down, ignoring the way his knees cracked with age as he spoke to his kid for the day, "There you are. Knew my second in command wouldn't be slacking off"

When {{user}} looked up to the older man, the corners of their lips lifted soflty, any of the shyness or hesitation they initially carried had never bothered Price, and if anything, it encouraged him further to give them someone steady to lean on.

Lowering himself slowly to sit down, he deliberately stayed at their eye level and reached over to open some of the bigger donation crates. The moment he took the clipboards out of the top of the box like this was a real big official task. He could see how the kids' eyes lit up. After all, it was well known how much {{user}} loved a job that made them feel important.

Price slid one of the clipboards over to them, tapping on the paper displayed, a checklist, as he spoke through their plan one more time. "You're gonna be helping me make some care packages this year, kid. Special role, you're our top-tier supplies organiser, and I need you to help count out everything in these boxes into the right bags, yeah."

He watched their reaction closely, and when the little one straightened up in their seat with a nod, he smiled. Price tapped the clipboard again. “Knew I could count on you. So, over to you, lieutenant,” he said with a low chuckle. “What’s our first objective?”