OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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CODING
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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APPLICATIONS
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MEDIATOR
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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OPEN MODERATOR POSITION
outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
Jax stood leaning over the counter top in his apartment, watching the amber-colored liquid drip from his coffee maker into his mug. It didn't look right. It didn't even smell right. The drip slowly came to a stop and he stood up, filling the mug. He took a sip and his face scrunched. It was awful. It was much too watery and somehow tasted burned. He sighed in irritation and poured the contents of the cup down the sink's drain. Emma was the one who made the coffee. She always made the perfect cup. Scalding hot, not a bit bitter, and with just the right amount of boldness. It was another one in the many millions of things that she was better at than him. Just another way his life changed, another aspect of his life that her passing affected.
Jax grabbed his jacked and pulled his door shut, slipping it on as he made his way down the apartment steps and out the door. He ran his hand through his hair. He hadn't done anything to his blonde locks in a month. It was a little longer than he usually wore, but he couldn't pull together the motivation to go to a barber. He wasn't even sure if one was open. The passing memory of Emma laughing as she put her hands through his hair, making jokes about his bedhead causing a smile to come to his lips. It didn't last long of course, they never did. The smiles only reminded him of the heartbreak, and that pain was something that never went away.
He walked along the street until he came to a local coffee shop. The doors were locked and barricaded of course. Most restaurant and bar owners made their shops take-out only. He didn't mind it, even if it did mean waiting a little longer for food. Jax stuffed his hands in his pockets waiting for the people before him to order. He let his mind wander and wondered what duty he'd be assigned today. There wasn't a guarantee with schedules at the moment, things at the department were up in the air. Some days the local force had control, other days he rarely left his desk. He hoped today would be one of the good days. After fifteen minutes, Jax stepped up to the counter, asking for a black coffee before sliding his card through the reader. In another five minutes he had his cup, the aroma drifting up and soothing a small part of him.
Jax turned from the shop, taking a step back towards the sidewalk and lifting the cup to his mouth. Before he could sip it though, someone knocked into him, spilling the contents all over the pavement. "You've got to be kidding me."
Coffee duty. That was her job this morning before she headed to the station. She knew the other girls in dispatched were particular with their coffee so her Keurig at home wasn't going to cut it. Not where one of the orders sent to her phone required 3 shots of espresso and some caramel flakes that she definitely didn't have in her cupboard. Her unruly curls were as out of control as usual, and even as she tried to tuck a piece behind her ear it just popped back out. She went to her room, putting on her holeless skinny jeans and a black button down silky blouse with the top few buttons undone, because lets get real. If it was buttoned all the way up, she'd feel choked. Her staple silver necklace peeked through the top of her shirt, the sun charm resting just below her neck. A quick swipe of chapstick and then slipped into her black closed toe sandals, grabbing her small purse with the essentials and she was out the door. Her room mate was already gone, so she made sure to lock the door before she headed out. Four coffee's in total, so hopefully the small coffee shop had one of those cardboard holders so she could carry those drinks with ease.
She stood in line patiently, her eyes scrolling her phone as she slowly shuffled her way to the front as the people in front of her moved. She had long ago lost interest at noting how many places were closed on that street. If they were retail, closed. No sign of reopening anytime soon. Food places and little coffee places like this were take out only, no doubt to keep people from standing around in there too long. Her freckled face looked up as she finally was to the window, her chocolate brown eyes narrowing slightly as she smiled slightly at the figure behind the glass. "Hello, I have a complicated order..." Arlo started, knowing that she should give them the heads up before she rattled off the list of three coffees that took way too long to say. "And last, just a double shot espresso in a medium cup over milk." Her own order. She had a full shift ahead of her and she didn't quite feel like setting herself up for failure by just ordering a regular coffee.
She stepped back from the window as she waited for her coffees, only stepping forward when she was handed them, as well as that wonderful little cardboard drink holder. One by one, she got her drinks as the line continued to move. She secured the last one when she went to step forward on the sidewalk. Only to have a man back into her. She fumbled slightly with the handful of coffees, sent up a prayer as she hit her knees to catch it from splattering all over the sidewalk. Down to a quick hit on her elbow and she managed to save two out of the four coffees, but the other two (one of which was hers), hit the ground and painted it with the dark liquid. "Son offa..." she said under her breath as she looked up.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Arlo looked up at the man who had, she now realized, lost his coffee as well. Dammit, that wasn't good. She couldn't quite say it was her fault, nor completely his fault either. More of a joint movement that cause the two to collide. "I'm sorry, I wasn't quite paying attention," She said, as she pushed her arms off of the ground, sat on her knees and butt, and took in the damage around her. Well, today's coffee trip was about to get expensive.
Jax was only slightly aware of another person cursing behind him. His coffee was all over the ground, running off the pavement and towards the gutters. He might as well had set a $5 bill on fire. He knew it was trivial to care about coffee. There were people dying left and right, the last thing that he knew he should care about was a beverage. Yet he couldn't help the sinking annoyance that buried deep inside of himself. The little voice that whispered to him very dark things. It was just another thing that he couldn't control. It was just one more thing in a line of endless actions that was bound and determined to not go his way. He hadn't even seen the person who had run into him. Whoever it was must have kept walking. Not that it mattered. He didn't care enough to yell at someone to buy him a replacement. It wasn't worth that.
He picked up the disposable cup and lid, throwing both of them in the trash can that was nearby. When he turned back to see if the line had gotten any smaller he noticed a girl on the ground. He mentally cursed. It was bad enough he ruined his coffee, he hated to see his fumble costed someone else theirs as well.
He knelt down to her immediately, his hand offering to hold the cups of coffee that she was now balancing among the spilt cups on the ground. He shook his head at her apology, "Nah, it wasn't your fault, I'm the guy that started the jam. Let me buy your replacements." His face stayed neutral as he gave her the offer. His eyes looked over her a second to see if she had any injuries. Sure it was just a fall, but the human body wasn't invincible and he had seen people get hurt for doing a lot less.
When he was first placed in his SWAT unit a guy had ended up fracturing an elbow during diving training. Logistically it hadn't made sense, but the world was full of things that didn't make sense. Why he got to stay and Emma didn't among the top of the list of injustices. His blue eyes scanned over the number of coffee cups she had. "Your turn to bring in the coffee huh?" He asked before picking up the ones he had caused her to damage and throwing them away. The line to the shop was long of course. He wondered if she would take him up on his offer or if she'd simply demand the money for reimbursement.
He hoped she picked the previous option. He wasn't even sure he had any cash on him. He couldn't remember the last time he had bought anything with cash. It seemed like too much of a risk with the way the city was lately. There was too much chaos and uncertainty running around in the streets. He had seen first-hand how bad people could get when they felt like their back was against the wall. That wasn't even mentioning he was a cop. He wasn't about to give anyone any extra reasons to put a target on his back.
NOTES ; It'll get better I promise! He's difficult at the moment lol
TAG: JACKSON | OOC: Bring it on! Arlo isn't afraid. Haha.
Arlo did a quick scan of the coffees in the holder in her hand. Of course, not only was the contents of her coffee running towards the drain currently, so were the one that had way too many steps involved in making it. She made a mental note to make the rule going forward that if it can't be made in their dispatch center, than she wasn't going to be getting those orders anymore. She definitely was sitting on the ground way too long, a small sulking thought of standing in that line again.
She was so caught up in that thought that she didn't notice someone kneel in front of her until their hand reached out. It seemed to snap her out of that thought and she dragged her gaze from the hand to the person, well man, it was attached to. Arlo blinked once as she took in his face and then her eyes hit his clothes. Well, that would definitely be the man she collided with. The colors and slight edges matched what the corner of her eyes saw.
"Nah, it wasn't your fault, I'm the guy that started the jam. Let me buy your replacements."
She actually wasn't expecting him to try and take the blame. Most people just would have either cursed her and walked away or demanded that she buy them a new coffee as they pinned the whole thing on her. Boy, would they be in for a rude awakening if that'd what happened. And this man not only stopped to check on her but was offering to replace the coffee that was spilt. She realized that he was offering to hold the coffee that was saved, which she gave him a small smile and handed it to him.
"Trust me, you don't want to replace the one. Trying to order it alone put that person in serious debt to me." She told him as she stood up to her full height (of 5'4" but hey, its the tallest she's ever been) and did a once over while brushing her hands off on her thighs. The black silky shirt thankfully hid any coffee that might have splashed onto it, the jeans wet at her knee with a small tear in the fabric. Nothing a quick bandaid and some thread/needle combo wouldn't fix. Overall, totally fine. Once her visual inspection of herself was done, she looked him in the eye.
"Your turn to bring in the coffee huh?"
She gave a small nod, reaching out to take the cup holder back as she pushed her hair away from her face the best she could (mostly it fell back into place). Her brows knit together for a second though after he spoke. That voice sounded familiar. Arlo, eyes still locked on him, took in the edges of his face as she tried to place where she might have known him from. He didn't look familiar, but that voice. "The others were a bit picky today with coffee, and since I was the next heading in, they kind of forced it on me." She explained.
She took a deep breathe and looked at the line. "How about I'll replace your coffee, and you can replace mine, that isn't filled with eight sentences to order? It's the least I can do," She offered, she didn't want to be in debt to anyone. "Besides this line would move faster if I had some company." Which was true.
Jax took the coffee that had been saved from a wasted demise from her hands carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the rest of the cups that she was holding. Good thing he tended to have excellent balance. When she mentioned one was a complicated offer he chuckled, "I don't get that. I mean coffee and cream, espresso and steamed milk, all okay. I get those. But getting all that whipped cream, extra cream, double syrup, topped with foam junk just kind of seems a little pointless to me. Like, wouldn't you just be better off ordering a milkshake or something?"
He hated coffee orders that were complicated. Emma's mom was the worst he had dealt with. She preferred a decaffeinated latte, which he thought was purely asinine in and of itself of course, but her order only got more complicated from there. She then preferred unsweetened almond milk, two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup, one pump of caramel syrup, foamed with non-fat milk and topped with cinnamon. He had made the mistake one time of ordering cinnamon-sugar on top of the foam and much to his annoyance she had caught the mistake immediately. Now he supposed he wouldn't have to worry about that much. Putting his mind back to the girl in front of him he shrugged, "I don't mind though. I made the mistake, you shouldn't have to pay for it."
Jax carefully handed over the coffee that had survived the ordeal back to her. She didn't seem to be hurt which he was thankful for. It would have been icing on the cake if he had to take her to the hospital. He wouldn't have even attempted to perform any first aid on her himself. He was trained to of course, but his training was for other SWAT agents. He didn't think a girl like this would have been alright with him dousing alcohol on an open wound and slapping a few stitches onto her. Girls tended to care more about appearances than the rougher lot he had to deal with in his unit.
He nodded slightly when she mentioned they forced her to take the coffee order. "Ah, I gotcha. Are you the newbie?" He had only been asked to get the coffee order once before and that hadn't went well. He had ended up forgetting which cups belonged to who and his team hadn't been too happy about it. It wasn't all his fault, the barista marked on them illegibly and of course, he hadn't paid attention anyway so he had gotten there and guessed, and most of those guesses had been totally wrong. Since that matter, they rarely asked him to get the crew coffee, he supposed it was probably better that way.
When she offered to buy his in exchange for hers a soft ghost of a grin pulled at his lips. It was nice of her to offer to buy his in return and a black coffee was the cheapest thing on the menu so he didn't feel too bad about the exchange. "Alright, deal." He moved back into the line and glanced over at her. He didn't think she was anyone familiar, but there was something about her that he couldn't quite shake. He didn't think she lived in his apartment, nor was she a friend of Emma's yet he couldn't ignore the small flag in his mind that said he knew her. Tilting his head slightly he looked over at her again, "So where do you work?" Forgetting his manners for a moment he spoke up hurriedly, "I'm Jax by the way."
NOTES ; Rambled a bit lol, please don't feel like you have to match!
"I don't get that. I mean coffee and cream, espresso and steamed milk, all okay. I get those. But getting all that whipped cream, extra cream, double syrup, topped with foam junk just kind of seems a little pointless to me. Like, wouldn't you just be better off ordering a milkshake or something."
She agreed in many ways with that. Though of course, the inner girl in her was the one who spoke up. "Ah, but sometimes the sweeter things in life need to be enjoyed. Just from time to time. Or for the experience of it. Whatever that means." She had been told that once from her roommate, that its an experience. Though that was when Trinity had made quite an odd dish that required oysters, mushrooms, and something that she honestly thinks that Trinity picked up in a dumpster. It smelled awful. Arlo almost threw up the moment her lips wrapped around the fork full of whatever it was. Running to the kitchen sink and spitting it out before diving for the closest drink. The two stared at one another for about thirty seconds after Arlo was able to calm the dry heaves, before they burst into laughter. It was the experience that she will always remember. Though she was sure that taste would also be burned in her tastebuds memories for the rest of her life.
She easily waved off his taking the blame again. She wouldn't hear anymore of it. Their fault. Not his alone, nor hers. Call it a joint effort if you will. And she was glad he didn't harp on it, and handed her back the saved coffees as she regained her footing. She thought about the girls down at dispatch and how each of their orders were so fitting in a way. Each one having their own idea of a good cup o' joe. Like he stated earlier, might as well get a milkshake or something equivalent. Maybe next time she will offer to get milkshakes for the girls before she headed in, and see what they would order. There had to be an ice cream shop doing take out somewhere around.
With him agreeing to the coffee for coffee price, she smiled lightly. It was the best deal she could think of on the spot and he seemed to like that idea as well.
"Ah, gotcha. Are you the newbie?"
There was that familiar way of speaking again. It was going to drive her up a wall.
Curls bounced as she shook her head. "Nah. I've been around for about.. a year or so now? Honestly it feels like so much longer. But it's not exactly a job for the faint of heart." Arlo knew that not everyone could handle having to talk to a five year old child on the line telling them that their parent wasn't waking up after giving themself a shot. Or hearing the screaming mother on the line as her child was choking in the background. Or hearing an officer crack through the line yelling for backup or hearing shots fired as they were speaking. No, not for the faint of heart at all. She had her father to thank for that mind of steel when she needed it. It came to good use in her line of work. She would never tell that man that though, he didn't deserve that praise. And her softer side, ability to talk to people? She had her aunt to thank for that, before she left her alone.
Arlo found it easy to fall into step behind him as he headed for the back of the line, her one knee stung a little, making her realize that perhaps there was a nice scuff under that rip in her pants. She let out a small hiss between her teeth but didn't say much else. No need for anyone to fuss over her. She looked up at him as he looked over to her. Blue eyes meeting her brown, she listened to him speak again.
"So where do you work?" with the briefest of pauses before he continued, "I'm Jax by the way."
Jax... short for Jackson. At least, that was her first assumption. Her head tilted for a second. Before she could even think about what he had asked her, she felt her eyebrows draw together and her head tilt slightly to the side. "Jax... Etter?" She said slowly, as if she was still running the voice to the name. It was definitely similar, the only difference is there was no radio interference or static. Anything of the sorts. If this was him, well she knew what she thought she knew him in some way. She had definitely had times where she was communicating calls through to him over the radio, though quite rarely. Considering he wasn't just a usual officer if she remember correctly. She cleared her throat and looked ahead of her as the line moved slightly, and realized that he had asked her a question. "Ah, I work for dispatch for emergency services." She turned back towards him with a small smile on her freckled face, "Arlo." with that, she offered her free hand to him for a handshake.
Jax looked over at her when she began talking about the sweeter things in life. She had all but lost him on the concept, but then she had sad said whatever that means and he gave a small laugh. He supposed maybe he did have a negative outlook on it. The more he let that sit in his mind the more he found himself agreeing that maybe she was right, almost. The good things in life should be enjoyed and savored. But it was only because none of it lasted and in the end, it was all taken away.
He had been told over and over that he should think about the good times. He should remember the good memories but he guessed he wasn't that evolved. He didn't want to think about the good memories because it was pointless to. It wouldn't bring her back and it wasn't right. In the end, she was gone and nothing he could think of or hold onto would help that. He glanced at the ground, his eyes boring holes in the cement, "I guess coffee preference is a stupid thing to have an opinion on. Doesn't really make any difference in the end does it?"
He scuffed his shoe and sighed, shaking his head a bit. He looked over, his face apologetic, "Sorry. I don't mean to be a buzz kill. It's...a weird time." He didn't want to get into any more than that. The last thing this poor girl needed was someone going all therapist on her while she was stuck waiting in a coffee line with him. He tried remembering the words the police department's therapist had said, center on the present. He tried to think of his breathing, but found it was a stupid idea. He was breathing, he had always breathed. There was nothing therapeutic about it. As she answered his question he focused his attention back to her and the words she was speaking.
He nodded when she mentioned her work wasn't for the faint of heart. "Well, that we have in common I guess." He was curious as to what she did. It wasn't every day that he met someone who professed at having a rough job like he did.
When she guessed his name his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yeah...how did you...?" His mind began trying to place her. Nothing clicked though until she said emergency services and Arlo. He recognized the connection immediately, his hand reaching out to shake hers. "Yeah, right, Arlo...Espinosa isn't it?" She had gotten his ass through quite a few sticky situations. "Nice to meet you face to face. You're a hell of a dispatch officer." He had meant it. There were a few over the years who he dreaded answering his call. Dispatch officers could be shaky, quiet or take too long to get answers. There were so many ways where they could make or break an operation. She was one of the better ones. "So do you enjoy it?" He glanced over, curious to hear her response. There weren't many who could do the job and unfortunately there were less and less who enjoyed it.
"I guess coffee preference is a stupid thing to have an opinion on. Doesn't really make any difference in the end does it?"
She pursed her lips slightly and did a little bob with her head as if saying 'meh' without actually making the noise. "Not really. We all are entitled to our opinions. And a difference in the end, well you can definitely tell the difference in your wallet that's for sure, coffee wise that is," She wasn't one to get all philosophical on someone but it made her laugh at the thought. Coffee could get expensive when you start adding in syrups and fancy things. Designs, forget it. She used to hate this one girl growing up in high school. Just couldn't stand her, their personalities just didn't mesh at all. So it made sense that one day she caught sight of her at a coffee shop in senior year wanting them to make a design in her froth so she could post some BS filled social media post.
"Sorry. I don't mean to be a buzz kill. It's...a weird time."
Arlo watched him shuffle his feet, clearly not wanting to dive further into the subject, and she certainly wasn't at the liberty to pry into it. She gave him a small, reassuring touch on his forearm, just light enough to catch his attention hopefully. And the touch was there, and was gone just as quickly. It hopefully went across the right way, "We all have weird times in life. No need to apologize." She was always that one friend in her group that was kinda the 'hey we don't need to talk about it, I'm here if needed' one. She didn't like pushing people to open up. How damn rude right? Especially to nosy strangers. Though they weren't quite strangers now were they?
She almost laughed as he was taken back by her saying his name. Instead she smiled without showing off teeth, making her eyes crinkle slightly at the corners. Watching as he put two and two together on her job and name.
"Yeah, right, Arlo...Espinosa isn't it? Nice to meet you face to face. You're a hell of a dispatch officer."
His hand was warm when it connected with hers. She applied a gentle but firm shake before letting her hand fall back to her side. She never really ventured outside of the dispatch center, unlike her coworkers who constantly were popping into the actual police station. She just didn't want to get in the way, which is why a lot of officers didn't go over to dispatch. They had to run through three to four different screens, catching all the details possible before coming up with the best plan of action. So it was sort of odd but nice to actually know the face behind the voice. "Well thank you, but it's not my life on the line literately. So nothing compared to what you do out there." She wasn't the one who stopped the bad guys. She just dispatched the right men for the job. And Jax was definitely one of the better ones.
"So do you enjoy it?"
That took her a bit by surprise. Her brown eyes widen slightly as she takes another step forward in the line. Does she like it? "In a way, I really do." She started, she felt her eyes lose focus as she thought about. "I get some funny calls, I get to chat with officers who have some wit behind them. And I like the fast pace, constantly moving a thousand miles an hour part." She said, but her face fell a bit as she finished off her thoughts, "I think the hardest part is not knowing how some of the calls end. Like were they okay? Did help get there in time? Was I fast enough or get the right information quick enough to make that difference. I don't quite get that feedback at the end to know," as the words fell from her lips, she suddenly felt her cheeks heat up a bit. Well that was an unexpected word vomit.
Now she was slightly embarrassed and wanted to change the subject. Her father raised her to be tougher than that sounded, not that she appreciated all his tactic, but it made her job easier to just hold those thoughts in. She refocused and looked back at him. "I feel like I haven't heard your voice in a while though. Been busy?"
Jax met her eyes and found himself actually chuckling at her little joke. She was absolutely correct of course, but more than that he was grateful she found some humor in their conversation. It had been a long time since he had laughed, he couldn't remember the last time he had an honest-to-god belly laugh, but it was nice to think that those days weren't gone forever. His lips pulled into a lopsided grin, "Yeah, but cheaper than booze or therapy. Gotta pick your poison I guess."
He was grateful she had brushed off his weird comment. He gave her a tight-lipped smile and a nod, feeling her light touch. Things were weird for everyone. He wasn't the only person going through stuff and he knew that. They were making history every day. He knew someday in the far-off future some kid would be flipping through pictures and paragraphs of this virus in a history book. Their eyes would glaze over in boredom as they memorized whatever they were assigned. This hell would be memorialized and watered down to a few paragraphs and lines. Their trauma would just be words on a page. It wasn't fun thinking about.
As she spoke about her job being not as important as his he shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. It's a partnership. I've had two missions that completely failed because of the operator. One accidentally tipped off the target and one froze mid-operation. Trust me, what you do is nothing small." He didn't dwell on past missions. He was always focused on the next thing. There was always a new job, a new goal, a new target. He didn't like sitting still and letting his mind think things over and over. He couldn't image what kind of life that would be.
He glanced over at her as she spoke about her job. He nodded along when she began talking about the fast-paced environment. That was certainly true. When her words got a bit softer he returned the nudge, lightly bumping her, "It isn't good to think about past missions, or ... calls. You did your best. You did what was needed. If you dive too deep into what happens next, it'll just bog you down." He shook his head lightly, he had seen it too many times in his unit. Guys who lost themselves trying to save the world. "You aren't responsible for people and how they act. You can't change the choices they make or the things that happen to them. You're not God. Trust me, you can't save everyone and the world isn't your burden to save." It was a hard lesson. One he continually had to keep reminding himself.
When she asked why he hadn't been on the radio lately he cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh. I took a small leave. My fiance, Emma..." He hated saying the words. He hated the look of pity he knew was coming. He hated that he had to keep saying her name, fighting through her loss. He had prayed a million times to switch places, he'd consider that a mercy to dealing with life topside without her. "She passed away." He swallowed hard, continuing his words, not allowing himself to think about it, "But pandemics don't respect time off. I got called in to help out with everything. First day back actually." He gave a small sarcastic laugh, glancing over at her, "Think this is a bad omen?"
NOTES ; ugh I'm so sorry, he's not always this dark I promise
"I guess coffee preference is a stupid thing to have an opinion on. Doesn't really make any difference in the end does it?"
His laugh at her small joke had her smile lightly. She wasn't exactly the comic of her friends but she had a bit of wit behind her on a good day. "Yeah, but cheaper than booze or therapy. Gotta pick your poison I guess." Poison was right, coffee was bad for health, drinking as well. Therapy. Well it helped some but also could make things way worse for others. They say talking it out and figuring out the meaning behind things was supposed to help. But she disagreed, if you didn't want to believe it'll help, then it won't help. "I've heard therapy is the most expensive of them all. I'll stick to the booze and coffee. Sometimes the willing poor soul who lends me their ear after one too many drinks." Though she normally didn't just rambled on to anyone. That normally was just saved for her roommate who she grew up with.
"That's where you're wrong. It's a partnership. I've had two missions that completely failed because of the operator. One accidentally tipped off the target and one froze mid-operation. Trust me, what you do is nothing small."
Arlo had a feeling she knew which of her coworkers those were. She let a small eye roll and head shake happen. "How some of them have jobs still is beyond me," She knew she wasn't the best one. She wasn't the top dog who could handle everything flawlessly. But she was damn good at it and learned from her mistakes. She tried not to make them twice and each mistake was looked at as a learning experience instead of a failure. "But thank you," she meant it. Unlike some officers, being a dispatcher just meant that she never got that thank you after a call. It normally went to the one person who the caller could physically see.
"It isn't good to think about past missions, or ... calls. You did your best. You did what was needed. If you dive too deep into what happens next, it'll just bog you down. You aren't responsible for people and how they act. You can't change the choices they make or the things that happen to them. You're not God. Trust me, you can't save everyone and the world isn't your burden to save."
Well wasn't he a good little therapist there. Well, perhaps not little, but it did sound like something you would read in like chapter three of a therapy book. "Do you practice that in the mirror before you talk to new recruits?" It was in a joking manner, something to keep the mood light and easy. He was right, she couldn't control the outside world. Other people, things that they do to one another or the bad choices that they make. "I suppose you have a good point though, probably why we have a good decompression room in the dispatch center." It was meant that if you needed to go bawl your eyes out or scream after a call, it was a safe space for you to do so. Thankfully Arlo hasn't needed that one too much.
"Yeah, uh. I took a small leave. My fiance, Emma..."
She could already feel the tingle in the back of her neck. She shouldn't have said anything. The sadness was palpable in the air and she had a hard time finding words suddenly. To tell him he didn't need to tell her. She wasn't expecting this.
"She passed away. But pandemics don't respect time off. I got called in to help out with everything. First day back actually."
Arlo bit her lip as she tried to not spill out the "oh I am so sorry for your loss" bull that normally comes out of people. It's more a social habit, but those words never meant anything. Unless you truly have gone through the same thing, which she has not, it was empty words. Arlo let out a breathe she didn't realize she was holding and she hoped that her reaction to him didn't upset him. "I can't imagine. And I have never felt what you are probably going through, but if you ever need to just... scream, talk, just be.... whatever, I am a good silent friend." It wasn't much, but it was what she could offer.
"Think this is a bad omen?"
Her brown eyes met his, not wavering or giving that ashamed quick glance. She was there and serious about what she offered before. "Only if you let it be a bad one," Arlo said softly. She let there be a pause and she wanted to say more, but she heard someone call 'Next' in front of her. They were up. Well that line went way too fast. With a quick step up of the window, she ordered the insanely long one, before turning to him and offering him a soft smile, "What's your poison Etter?"
Jax chuckled lightly at her joke. He liked her. She was easy to like. He honestly hadn't been around too many women in his life. Sure he dated around when he was a teenager, but he met Emma young and she had been all he had seen since then. He had to put up with her, at times, annoying friends occasionally but not much one on one. He was around females occasionally at work as well, but they all tended to be very professional and think he was a pain the ass. Hanging out with a girl wasn't something he was very familiar with but he could see it happening with Arlo. She was relaxed, funny and a little different like him. She wasn't going on about girly things he found utterly boring and she liked coffee and booze. What more could he ask for in a friend?
"Yeah right. You don't strike me as a sad drunk. I bet you do crazy stuff, get tattoos and dance on tables." He grinned lightly, playfully. It felt like a weird thing for his face to do at the moment, but he tried letting that part of his brain go.
He shrugged when she mused how people who were awful at dispatch still had jobs. "Lack of recruits. Not a whole lot of people can do what we do." At least that was his theory. It didn't seem like emergency dispatch services would have a popular booth at a career fair. He couldn't see colorful posters that said like hearing people scream at you during their worst moments? Dispatch may be for you!
He nodded when she gave him thanks, moving forward in line with her. The line seemed to be going at a better pace than it had earlier. He didn't know if maybe it was because it was creeping closer to eight-thirty when people would need to be at work or if maybe he was just enjoying the company. Whatever it was, he was grateful either way.
He had changed the nature of their conversation and he hated it. He didn't like the somber turn it was taking. After his little speech about people he had figured she might have just gone quiet. Spent the rest of the time in line with him in silence and he really couldn't have blamed her. He was a mess these days and to him, it didn't seem like much could throw him off his stride. It'd get better, he knew it would, but that didn't mean that in the meantime it didn't royally suck. He had looked away, but then she had made a joke and a laugh came from him again.
Yeah, he liked this one. "Nah, they won't let me near new recruits since I got them to do all of my laundry and apartment cleaning for a week." He grinned at the memory. He had convinced not just one, not just two, but three recruits that to pass SWAT basic they'd have to do a pledge week of sorts. His apartment had never been so clean, that had been a good week. Then his boss caught on and that's where that had ended. Jax had made the point that if they were too stupid to see through something like that then they didn't need to be there, but his wisdom hadn't been met with an open mind.
As the conversation turned to even darker things, he had spoken about Emma and waited for the condolences. Thankfully, they hadn't came. He glanced over at her as she bit her lip, her face conflicted. When she offered to hear him vent he nodded, not wanting to talk further. As she told him the omen was only bad if he allowed it he smirked, "Ah, a fellow optimist huh?" Jax was normally a good-natured person. The first to make jokes, the first to play pranks on his fellow teammates. It was good to hear someone else remind him of that side.
He held her eyes a second, not sure what there was to say. He was thankful she hadn't delved in deeper, thankful she had let it all go. When they were called forward he smirked as she rattled off her coffee order to the guy. She had been right and one of the cups was outrageous. When she asked him what he wanted, he ordered his red-eye again, turning slightly to block her from giving the man her card while slipping his card to the barista to pay for everything. He knew she'd be annoyed, a grin coming to his face, "Too much trust Arlo. You made that way too easy."
"Yeah right. You don't strike me as a sad drunk. I bet you do crazy stuff, get tattoos and dance on tables."
Oh man, was that the vibe she gave off? The idea of her being the one who was dancing on tables made her snort. She didn't have enough grace to actually stabilize herself on a table even when she was sober, let alone if she was several drinks in? She felt like her recent stunt with the coffee was enough to prove that. It's also why she didn't wear heals, she chose flats or sneakers. "Well tell you what, you can be the judge of that one day. But I might disappoint you. No table dancing or tattoos. But if I can get my hands on some baking stuff? Forget it. You will have sweet snacks for days." She could bake. And she had days where she had to come to work with trays of goodies a few days in a row so it wouldn't go to waste.
"Lack of recruits. Not a whole lot of people can do what we do."
Her immediate "Damn right." probably came out too harsh. But damn was it true. Was not for the weak. She just knew it was a good in after working dispatch for taxi drivers and that she would have a good retirement if she could get in with a city job. Sometimes you have to plan for your future, even if you personally don't know much about where you will be in a few years. And what did you know? She wound up being pretty damn good at it. The laughter that fell from him made her smile. Kept that up, and her cheeks would be hurting her for the rest of the day. She liked the easiest of this back and forth with him.
"Nah, they won't let me near new recruits since I got them to do all of my laundry and apartment cleaning for a week."
She could only imagine the trouble that he was to his chief. A constant worry of 'what did he do today' in the sense of mischief. She was sure that once he had a task at hand, he would be focused and probably damn good at what he was to do. But back at the office? Or apparently with the new recruits, he was a handful. "Ah, abuse the power and someone will come along to fix it." She joked, "If you have any in the next coming weeks, tell them part of their initiation is to help me move," Well, if she had a place by then. Cause damn, was apartment searching hard. Especially when the landlords were not wanting to meet people to see the places. So she was having to go after work hours to scout them out. Which didn't give her a real life look on the inside, but she got the idea of the area surrounding.
As he nodded to her offer, she didn't feel the need to give more on it. If he wanted to talk about it or open up to her, the offer had been extended. And she truly meant it. Arlo could only hope that he knew that too. It wasn't some empty words that she put out there because she wanted to fill a silence or give him fake comfort.
"Ah, a fellow optimist huh?"
She liked the way his mouth turned up into a smirk of kinds. It meant, even for a moment, he was eased out of that state of mind. No one deserved to frown all the time. And Arlo certainly didn't want someone to be like that around her. "Better to be around someone who was happy than miserable all the time, I say." She was not perfect, she had her days. Mainly those days would be the ones where her father reached out to her and started on his whole BS. Those were the snippy days where she was just fried emotionally and didn't have a lot of patience for other people. She knew a day like that would be happening soon, it had been weeks since she heard from her father. Which meant his usual check in was coming soon.
As Jax stepped up to make his order, she kept a respectful distance from him. She was never one to just cozy up to someone or start invading their personal space. Even her roommate who they have known each other all throughout high school, it was Trinity who was always invading into Arlo's space. It wasn't because she didn't want to touch people or anything of the sorts, she just never wanted to overstep her boundary with people. But as Jax went and started to pay for the whole order, instead of his agreed upon part, she instinctually went towards the card reader and stepped into his space. "Hey!"
"Too much trust Arlo. You made that way too easy."
God damn was he right. She should have kept her station at the window and had him order over her shoulder. He wouldn't have tried to pay around her, considering one hand was still balancing the other drinks she had to bring to work. The smallest of pouts hit her lips as she took a step back, noticing the transaction going through. Well, now she needed to figure out a way to pay him back. "I thought we had an agreement Jax," Arlo said as she looked up at him, shifting the coffee carrier in her hands. "You know that just means I still owe you a coffee." Because he wasn't going to get away with that. Not even in the slightest.
Jax looked over and listened as she began telling him that he was wrong. She seemed like the type that would throw caution to the wind, a kind of try-anything-once kind of girl but he had been wrong about things before. Hence why he wasn't a detective. He had bombed that interview process. Who was supposed to know the test started before the actual test. It was all a weird mind game thing and he had better things to do. He wasn't built for sitting in a desk for hours at a time, nor was he made for staring at a computer trying to make sense of emails. That required much too much patience for the blonde boy. "Deal. Though I've got to warn you, I tend to do a lot of dancing when I'm inebriated."
Some guys turned into sad drunks, some guys turned into fighting drunks. Jax tended to like to dance. He couldn't count the number of times he and Emma would buy a nice wine, put on some music and dance until their neighbors complained, long into the night. She would get sleepy way before he did, laying her head on his chest while he held her for a slow song. He could still remember the way she smelled when he would carry her to bed, perfume, wine and something vanilla. It was a thought that came and went. Like a splinter that dug in deep then let go. His work counselor told him it was like a wave, the pain coming but then going. He supposed maybe she was right.
Arlo's cursing brought him out of the passing mood quickly though and he held up his hand for a high five. She was nice to be around, easy to hang out with. After he told her the story of his superiors dinging him for what they called 'recruit harassment' she had mockingly chided him. "I mean look, if you were assigned to do training for SWAT and some guy said you started by learning the discipline of folding laundry would you have believed it?" He asked. He doubted so. She seemed smart, a heck of a lot smarter than those dummies he had dealt with.
When she mentioned moving he glanced over at her curiously, "Where are you moving to?" He doubted it'd be out of the city. They were rarely allowing people in or out nowadays. It didn't seem likely she would have been given a pass to move. Especially not with what she did for a living. It was an all hands on deck kind of situation lately.
He nodded when she spoke up about being an optimist. He was glad. He needed more of that, hell the world needed more of that. "You don't have to tell me twice. I think it's almost standard for guys on the force to have a stick up their butt." He could picture a few of them just thinking about it. Guys who were constantly walking around in a jaded cloud of angst. He mused that now the tables might have turned. Lately he hadn't felt like doing much more than sit around and wallow, but it was passing. It had to pass. All the negativity and sadness in the world wouldn't bring her back, he had to find a way to live with it and not let it swallow him up. Being reminded of that was a good thing.
When she brought up their agreement, the barest little pout on her lips he scoffed, "Pppffft. Agreements are for gentlemen and I am certainly no gentleman." He smirked, pleased that he had gotten away with buying the coffees. He grabbed his coffee from the barista and held his other empty hand out to her, "Want some help with those?" He listened to her demand that he wasn't going to get away with it and he nodded, "Alright, alright. You get the next round. Or better yet, bake me something. I like chocolate." He grinned over at her, sipping the coffee, "And lay on the icing, I'm a growing boy." He smirked. He could get used to a partnership with baked goods and coffee exchanges.
" “Deal. Though I've got to warn you, I tend to do a lot of dancing when I'm inebriated.”
Arlo looked at him with an intrigued look, raising one eyebrow slightly as she tried and imagined him drunk. His cheeks lightly colored red, a boyish smile on his face while his blonde hair was all over, she imagined that it would be sticking out at odd ends because his hands would have racked through it several times as he was slowly moving his body to the beat. She was still debating on whether he would actually be dancing along with the beat of the song playing or kind of just going with whatever movements he wanted.
“Tell me Jax, when you say you dance a lot, does that mean by yourself? Or, if one was to be with you, like myself let’s say, would I be expected to dance along as well?” She mused at him, her head cocked slightly to the side as she tried to picture him reaching out and dancing with her. She couldn’t even think about what music was playing. Just the look of joy on the males face. He would be a fun drunk, that she had definitely landed on.
“I mean look, if you were assigned to do training for SWAT and some guy said you started by learning the discipline of folding laundry would you have believed it?”
She shrugged her shoulders, “Listen, we both already know I would put the boys in your department to shame if I came over to SWAT.” Except on the obstacle course. But that was the reason why she didn’t dare think of trying out for something wild like that. That took lots of training and muscle. And while she could crush some yoga, that wasn’t exactly going to get her to chase down a criminal with thirty pounds or so of gear on while hopping fences.
“Where are you moving to?”
“Just out of my current place. My roommate, Trinity, you might know her, she’s a crime scene tech. Anyway, her and her girlfriend are getting pretty serious. The girlfriend is moving in soon and even though they won’t say it, I know they don’t want me to be the third wheel.” Actually Trinity hated the idea of Arlo moving out, but it was more of a concern for where she would go, and the fact that they had been living together for so long. “But its proving to be a harder task than I could have imagined. No one wants to show off places after like 12pm. Because apparently you are more likely to catch the virus after lunch.” She scoffed at the idea but it was the reality of the situation right now.
“You don't have to tell me twice. I think it's almost standard for guys on the force to have a stick up their butt.”
Arlo was in quite a good mood, one that was making her funnier than she normally was. Or maybe she was just in good company but she leaned back and did a quick scan over his backside. “Odd. I don’t seem to see a stick poking out your rather toned behind. Something wrong with you?” She couldn’t hold back the laughter that spilled from her lips when she finished the question.
She shot him an amused look as he claimed he was no gentleman, and in the next breath was offering to hold the coffee’s for her. “I am certainly no gentleman,” she dropped her voice the best she could to try and mock him, as she handed him the coffee holder, shy of one coffee as she took hers and gave it a small sip. It was hot enough to almost burn her lips but the espresso was perfect. As he went on to tell her his favorite flavor and to layer up the icing, she cracked a grin and lifted her brown eyes up to him. “Done deal. But I only do homemade buttercream icing, so you better be okay with that.” Which why wouldn’t he be? That was the best kind of icing out there.
Arlo heard her phone chime in her pocket and she took a quick look at the time and the text from the girls coming through. She let out a sigh, not ready for their time to be up. She was enjoying his company too much. “Are you walking to work? Because if you are, I’d love the company.”
Jax looked over as she raised her eyebrows to his dancing comment. He figured he was the farthest thing from looking like a guy who liked dancing, but it was there. It was just buried deep down at the moment. When the lightest tint of red showed on her cheeks, he found himself looking away immediately. That was...unexpected. He didn't know what that meant and he didn't want to know what that meant. He had pegged her as someone who wasn't even remotely interested in anything romantic with him, but he was worried now that maybe he was wrong about that. He didn't address it though, just cleared his throat and looked away.
She asked about dancing again, if he'd expect her to dance along or not and he found himself slipping into that same easy conversation they had been having before. He chalked the blush up to a fluke. "Hell yes you have to dance with me. I'm not going to dance alone here. If you've got a boyfriend or something bring him along, I'll make him dance with me too." Jax grinned. He, unfortunately, wasn't kidding. He tended to be the guy at the bar who got everyone in a good mood. He tended to buy drinks, laugh deeply and encourage the hell out of people making bad decisions. He was the guy who brought up the idea to get tattoos, not the one who actually did them thankfully.
When she confidently told him that she'd put the boys in SWAT to shame he laughed. Not in a mean manner, but in a full belly-laugh at the confidence and the ready-to-take-all way she spoke. "Put your money where your mouth is Espinosa, sign on the dotted line. I'll be your personal mentor of course." He grinned at watched her expression. He couldn't imagine her actually on the force. Mainly because she seemed to be totally opposite of almost everyone else he worked with. It might be fun to have someone else like him on the team.
He listened as she talked about moving, nodding along when she brought up Trinity. He hadn't had to work with her thankfully. Not that there was anything wrong with her per se, he just hated dealing with anything involving him to sit still and answer questions. Crime scene techs tended to have a million questions. When she brought up the girlfriend and being the third person he made a face, "Man that sucks." He could understand why she wanted to leave. She seemed like a good person, someone who wouldn't want to cause any sort of drama or issues with other people. Being the perpetual third wheel that had to move wasn't a good feeling, but he imagined it was a whole lot better than it constantly being in your face.
When she said she was having issues finding a place he spoke quick, "Hey, move in with me. I've got a two-bedroom place, lots of empty room now." He knew it sounded crazy, but the light had gone off in his head, the answer to being stuck in a place alone filled with memories of the one he lost right in front of him. "I know you don't know me, but you know where I work so it's not like I'm a total rando here." He glanced away, sucking in a breath before turning back to her, "You don't have to of course, but...I could use someone company...if you wanted to." He shrugged, putting his mind off of the words he just said, sticking everything back into the locked box in his head.
When she made the joke about his rear he smirked, pouring his attention back into their conversation. "Had it removed last week, thanks for noticing." He grinned before they moved up in the line, smiling from her laughter. It was nice. The few people he had been around lately treated him like a glass object that was going to break if they spoke too loudly. It was good to be treated normally again. He found himself laughing when she mocked him, the edges of his mouth sore from smiling so much. It was a good sore. The kind that you got after accomplishing something hard as hell
He held the cups for her easily enough, glancing around a second as she sipped her coffee. He wondered if they were going to be late, not that he really cared either way. When she asked about icing he laughed, "Bold of you to assume I know what that means." He glanced over at her, a relaxed smile on his features. He hated cooking, hated baking. He didn't know if what she was posing was a good thing or a bad thing so he remained quiet on the matter.
Her phone rang and it had appeared that maybe they were going to be late. He nodded when she asked if he was walking in. "Yeah, no problem." A part of him was relieved that she had asked him to come along. He didn't want to walk into the precinct alone today. The idea of having another person there to deflect the pity stares was the best he could have hoped for. "So Arlo where are you from? Any bad habits I need to know about before we go any further into this whole friendship thing?" He grinned looking over at her a second before sipping his coffee.
