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.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CODING
GRAPHICS
ADVERTISING
CHARACTERS
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!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
APPLICATIONS
THREAD MODERATION
MEDIATOR
CHARACTERS
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!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CLAIMS
DIRECTORY
CHARACTERS
STAFF NAME
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.
Jude wasn't happy. He'd gotten called in to help in the aftermath of the riots, and somehow found himself assigned to a beat cop's schedule. It was the exact type of work he'd moved here to get away from - the street work, the face-to-face interactions. But he understood that they were extremely short staffed, and that at this time it was in everyone's best interest if the police showed as a unified front. So here he was, driving around in a borrowed cruiser, eyes peeled for any kind of criminal activity. It had been a quiet morning - probably because the city was still recovering from the riots. The lack of activity didn't make him feel better - it made him feel antsy, like it was some sort of calm before the storm.
Jude hadn't been in the thick of the riots, thankfully. Not that he was glad for his lack of injury, but just because he knew he'd have lost his mind if he watched innocent people being attacked without discrimination. He'd been deep in the police station, working on his gear and guns when everything had gone to shit. They hadn't tried to send him anywhere, so he'd stayed put. Jude had been ready, of course, if the thugs had actually managed to get inside or otherwise caused too much chaos, but he'd luckily been able to avoid essentially the entire debacle.
So he felt like he owed his fellow coworkers the recovery time. He could do some paperwork, drive a cruiser, and arrest thugs like any other police officer - no matter his current job description. They didn't make him wear a uniform, thankfully. All he'd been required to do was clip his badge to his equipment belt, which he'd been fine with doing. Otherwise, it was his preferred clothing - dark jeans, a dark gray tee, and work boots. His entire wardrobe was a sea of blacks and grays.
He turned a corner and movement caught his eye - slowing the cruiser, he glanced through his passenger side window and spotted a masked woman spray painting the side of a building. Frowning, Jude pulled up to the curb and got out, making sure to close his door loud enough that she'd be able to hear it. Tensions were high right now, and he already had his sour mood to worry about causing conflict here. "Excuse me?" He called, stepping around the front of his vehicle and standing at the end of the building, a few feet from the woman. "Care to tell me why you're tagging that building?" He asked, once he had her attention. Even as the words escaped his mouth, he could hear the hard edge to his words. Wincing internally, he felt he could have made it sound a little better, but it was too late for that.
Jude was a little surprised she was doing it in broad daylight - and not even in a less busy area of the city. He was pretty sure there were at least three patrols in this one area alone - not to mention whatever military presence was creeping around the city at any given time. The woman was shorter than him - though that wasn't a surprise, as he was quite tall and broad himself - and he couldn't make out much else about her with the mask over her face. "Do you have some form of identification on you, ma'am?" He asked, his voice gruff and his tone almost bored. He would much rather be anywhere other than where he was, and he could feel his mood quickly going downhill.
600 words - Havyn Kinsley - hope this is good enough <3
Havyn woke up early that morning. The raids were not that far behind them, much of the areas effected were still in the clean up phases. But that didn’t matter much to her, she had a job to do. With a pair of black joggers on and a paint stained tank on, she filled up her bag with the spray cans she’d need as well as some industrial pencils. Her iPad and supplies thrown into another bag. Tennis shoes tied on, double masked because she couldn’t be too careful, she headed out the door. Following the GPS on her phone to make sure she got to the right wall.
When she arrived, she set down her supplies and took a picture on her iPad. And then got to work with what small guidelines she was given and let her creativity take over. She probably had sat there for a good two hours before she stood up and stretched. She was ready for this project. With a quick email sent of her sketch to the owner of said wall, she started her work with the industrial pencils, marking the plain white wall where she needed it to be. Her hands worked effortlessly, moving over the wall as she marked it. She used a bucket to get to the higher places as she worked, standing on her tip toes when needed.
The owner seemed thrilled with the idea, and she grinned under her mask before she pulled out the first of the spray paints. This would be a several day project to make sure it was just right. Nothing to be rushed. Between needing colors to dry and then having enough supplies, she had quoted about three days if she worked from sun up to sun down. Depending on how she felt, she figured that was something she could easily do. She was just finishing the out line of the art when she heard something. She paused for a moment, tucking a part of her black hair behind her ear.
“Care to tell me why you’re tagging that building?”
She felt her brows pull together as she realized that the man approaching her was actually talking to her. “What?” She asked him, as if he was stupid. Why would she be tagging a building in broad daylight? Her eyes ran over him, his dark clothing made her think he was just someone looking to pick a fight or yell. That was, until her eyes landed on the little flash of a badge on his belt. Oh great. An overworked police officer who was no doubt going to think she was lying. Her tattoos were typically the first thing people locked onto, and her short hair and masked face apparently said ‘I am trouble’.
“Do you have some form of identification on you, ma’am?”
Oh she hated that even more. Not the word ma’am. It was his tone. Like he was bothered by having to talk to her. “I’m not tagging the building.” She spoke a little louder than needed so that way he could hear her over her double masks. “I am working. The owner hired me to paint this wall.” She said, not making any movements to try and find her ID that was probably tucked somewhere in her bag, right? Oh she hoped she remembered it, not that she was going to go out of her way to find it right now. Didn’t he have better things to do than come bother her?
“Officer, listen, I am almost done with the outline. I can give you the contact information for the owner if you really need it. But I am here by request.” Her hazel eyes staring him down over her mask.
As soon as he heard the attitude in her voice, Jude knew he should have left well enough alone and just ignored the woman. He had a feeling this was going to become a bigger hassle than what he wanted to deal with, but it was too late at this point. He couldn't very well just walk back to his vehicle and leave, now that he'd caught her attention. Even though that was certainly what he wanted to do. He didn't want to be interacting with her anymore than she seemed to want to interact with him. She continued to explain that she was working, and Jude glanced at the wall she'd been painting. He only looked at it for a moment, turning his attention back to the woman.
"The owner of this building is paying you to paint it during a pandemic?" He questioned, raising a brow at her. Why, during a crisis, someone would throw money away to have some art sprayed on their wall was beyond him. Jude shifted his weight, resisting the urge to shake his head in disbelief. Either she was lying, or the owner of the building was an idiot. Noticing she didn't seem to be interested in procuring her ID, Jude schooled his expression.
“Officer, listen, I am almost done with the outline. I can give you the contact information for the owner if you really need it. But I am here by request.”
Jude nodded his head, reaching far back into his memory on the de-escalating techniques he'd been trained on. "Well, I would need to verify the validity of your claim before you can continue." He said, his tone even. It wasn't that he didn't believe her, or that she looked like the type to do illegal activities. Hell, he didn't care what anyone looked like. Maybe he was picking this hill to die on because he'd already dug his grave, and maybe it was because he didn't really care enough to show a little compassion. Either way, he wasn't going to let this one go without verifying the details. "I apologize for the inconvenience," False, of course. And his tone certainly wasn't all that sincere. "But I'll need to see your ID, and I'll need the owner's contact information. That way we can get this cleared up and go about continuing our jobs." He thought maybe if he referred to it as her job, and not a crime, she might relax. He was also very rusty on being a decent, social human being. So it was likely he wasn't making the situation any better.
Jude returned her stare with his own, gaze level and expression completely neutral. It wasn't his intention to antagonize the woman, as he wasn't very interested in the power drunk sprees that some officers seemed to go on as soon as they were handed a badge. He was well within his rights to question her and to verify that what she was doing was legal, even though it did kind of make him an ass. Not that it really bothered him one way or another if she was offended, but he at least wasn't trying to upset her. Still, Jude had decided to do this by the books, which meant he had to follow through. He'd had people lie to him through their teeth plenty in his line of work, and he most certainly didn't want the owner breathing down his neck if they found out he'd stopped and then let her carry on without verifying she was supposed to be doing what she was doing.
601 words - Havyn Kinsley - apparetly jude muse refuses to go very far past 600 words, ack
“The owner of this building is paying you to paint it during a pandemic?”
She could hear it in his voice. Not that she also couldn’t see the way he was trying to keep his face trained as well. Considering the man was not wearing a mask either. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him from the distance that they still had between them. “Hard to believe but some people are still working during this time, yes.” She snipped back. Why was she even so upset about this? Normally she would have just shut her mouth and did what she was told. But the fact that he had come up and automatically seemed to be annoyed by her presence just really seemed to push a button for her.
Even when he started with his next statement, calm and cool. She felt like she was already just set into a bad mood with him. Before she could continue. “That’s what I am telling you. I will get you his information...” Did she not clarify that the first time? Her tone was less snippy and she spoke slower, as if to make sure that he actually heard her. She knew her double mask could sometimes muffle her speech but she felt like this was a little over the top.
“I apologize for the inconvenience. But I'll need to see your ID, and I'll need the owner's contact information. That way we can get this cleared up and go about continuing our jobs.”
She almost called out bull to him as he ‘apologized’. His tone said it all. Even the way he said it sounded... well like the rest of it had sounded so far. “You know, they say that communication is important. And that fifty five percent of it is you body language, thirty eight percent is your tone of voice, and only seven percent is what you say. You have poor communication skills officer.” Yeah, she was pushing it now. But she was already annoyed, he didn’t seem happy or like he had a lick of respect for her. So why should she feel any other kind of way towards him.
She pointed to her bag and said, “I’m going to look for my ID in there.” And she flipped the canvas bag open so he could see what she was doing in there without thinking she was going for a weapon of her own. A bunch of paint cans were inside, and she was looking for a small purple wallet in particular. Which as she moved things around, she started to wonder what in the world she had done with it. “I don’t suppose you would just take my word when I tell you my name is Havyn Kinsley?” She asked almost nervously, her hazel eyes looking up at him as she stood back up. Fat chance after she just insulted him. “The owner’s name is Jason Ortega. I have his number in my phone. He owns the whole building here and rents out the fronts there.”
“Hard to believe but some people are still working during this time, yes.”
Jude could tell from the way she snapped back that she was most definitely catching the fact that he would rather be anywhere other than where he was. He regretted getting this off on the wrong foot, but couldn’t care enough to attempt to fix it. She wasn’t the first to dislike him, and probably wouldn’t be the last. It didn’t really matter to Jude. ”Essential people, sure.” He replied calmly, his tone icy. He didn’t know why he kept egging the aggression on, maybe because it would at least make this encounter more interesting. Maybe he was just that rude.
Even as she began to talk to him slowly, as if he were stupid, Jude remained stone faced, ever the picture of patience. He could tell that he was annoying her, and he considered toning down his distaste for this encounter. While it wasn’t his goal to aggravate nor harass her, he knew he wasn’t giving any effort towards being sociable and understanding. He could have left as soon as she’d provided him with an explanation, but something about the anger flashing in her eyes made him want to see this through.
“You know, they say that communication is important. And that fifty five percent of it is your body language, thirty eight percent is your tone of voice, and only seven percent is what you say. You have poor communication skills officer.”
His jaw twitched as she gave him a dressing down, though he kept his face even and calm. Nodding his head slowly, Jude gave an almost imperceptible shrug. ”I’m a little rusty.” He said, as if this brushed away all of his social faux paus from the past few moments. He thought about mentioning that she, too, seemed to have a bad attitude, but figured that would probably only lead to an unnecessary argument that would eventually piss him off. He didn’t want to be angry, so he brushed it all aside and carried on, not offering any further explanation. If that didn’t satisfy her, that wasn’t really his problem, was it?
As she gestured to her bag, he nodded again, hands still relaxed at his sides. He watched, silent, as she dug through the bag, though as the time wore on he tilted his head slightly. As the minutes dragged on with nothing but the sound of clinking paint cans, Jude realized this was about to be a bigger hassle. Since he’d now insisted on seeing identification, if she couldn’t find it, he’d have to spend even more time in her presence. This was definitely going to end in violence, he could feel it.
“I don’t suppose you would just take my word when I tell you my name is Havyn Kinsley?”
Jude’s expression didn’t flinch as she stood up. He almost, almost smiled when he heard the pitch of her tone. Was she possibly regretting being rude to him? His lips pressed firmly together as he stared back at her, considering his options. He considered, briefly, poking fun at her - but knew that wouldn’t go over well. And was maybe a bit more asshole-ish than he wanted to be. As she continued on, offering the owner’s information, he felt bad for even considering his childish behavior. Sighing, not wanting to be dealing with this, Jude glanced back at his vehicle before returning his gaze to her.
”Alright. I can look you up on my laptop.” He said, tone gruff and voice deep. ”I’ll contact the owner while I’m doing that. I need your birth date, as well.” If he could get her pulled up in the system, he could match her to the photo on her most recent license, which would work fine. Then he could get out of there, and go home for the night. No harm done on either end. It was the best solution he had for her.
601 words - Havyn Kinsley - apparetly jude muse refuses to go very far past 600 words, ack
... he had a point there. But would she take that answer? Not with that tone. He was looking for a fight and for some dumb reason, she was willing to give it to him. Something about his tallness and deep voice made her feel some type of way, especially when nothing but aggression was rolling off of him in waves. Almost like the ocean that was trying to drag her out to sea. “Even us regular citizens have to make a living. Life continues on, as well as bills. And I don’t have the luxury of a secured job.” She snipped back to him. Though she had a feeling that the moment that had escaped her, he would have a comment about how she should have chosen a better career. So she took it a step further.
“I was too educated for the police academy, so they wouldn’t let me embarrass the rest of the recruits.” Though she meant it as an insult, it came out with a small laugh towards the end. Her eyes narrowing lightly in a challenge, curious if he would have something to say back to her. About how she seemed unfit for what he did anyway. Which would be one hundred percent true. She was not nearly strong enough to be a cop. The years of treatments and being sick made sure of that. And the only thing that got her through those years, was her art work. So of course this seemed the right choice for her.
He brushed off her comment on communication and, a very small part of her, applauded him. She had not only insulted his career, but she insulted every little bit of his skills that she was sure he had been taught somewhere along the way. “You don’t say.” She muttered, before she focused back on searching for that pesky wallet of hers that seems to have pulled a Houdini on her. Had she really just left it at home? Had she lost it on her way here? Had someone stolen it when she wasn’t looking? Though she doubted that last one, cause her iPad was still there.
Kins stood there, as he seemed to be thinking over the possible outcomes now. He had the upper hand. Though truly he always had the upper hand in this situation. And as the time passed, she found herself shifting lightly from one foot to another. Was he really going to make this harder than it needed to be? Not that she had made this interaction easy at all.
“Alright. I can look you up on my laptop.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped towards him, but stopped when she got within six feet of him. Not wanting to get closer, even if she was double masked and they were outside. All it would take is for him to sneeze in her direction, because at this point she wasn’t sure if he could even properly block a sneeze, and just a small particle to get through her masks. And she wasn’t willing to risk herself like that. She moved with him towards his patrol car, keeping her distance and keeping her arms crossed, giving off the body language that she wanted him to stay away from her as much as he could.
“H-a-v-y-n. K-i-n-s-l-e-y. August 1, 1995. Jason’s number is,” She paused, pulling her phone out of her back pocket and turning her full attention down to her phone as she searched for his number. “Let me know when you are ready,” Her hazel eyes remaining on the screen and would read out the number for him when he was ready for her to.
“Even us regular citizens have to make a living. Life continues on, as well as bills. And I don’t have the luxury of a secured job.”
Jude almost scoffed at this response, but instead he just smirked slightly, nodding his head. ”Yes, my job is a luxury. Especially right now.” He knew he was twisting her words, but he didn’t really care. Apparently he was going to be sticking with this ‘aggravate the hell out of her’ route. Though he couldn’t quite figure out why he was interested in how she felt about him - if she hated him, so be it. Their paths wouldn’t be crossing after this, so did it really matter if he made a good impression?
Her comment about being smarter followed by that laugh made Jude’s lips curve in amusement, immediately. As soon as the expression appeared, he shut it down, clearing his throat. ”I can tell.” He rumbled, shrugging his shoulders. ”Though it’s not much of an accomplishment, considering all recruits in the police academy aren’t exactly there because they had a college-level future.” He said as a follow up, aware that he was essentially insulting himself as well - but, hell, it’d been true then. And even now, with all his experience, he couldn’t hold a simple conversation without pissing someone off. She was right. His social etiquette needed work.
Jude didn’t bother responding to her response about his communication skills - he had already come to agree with her original statement, so continuing to poke that bear when he really should be wrapping this up wasn’t the best idea. He led her over to his cruiser and opened the passenger side door, sliding in and pulling the computer out and towards him. He kept Kins in his view, though he wasn’t too worried about her trying anything.
As she spelled her name and gave him her date of birth, he stared at her. He didn’t exactly look her up and down, but rather he observed her. She suddenly seemed more closed off than she had before - her arms crossed as if to ward him off. He was curious about the sudden body language she was giving off, but just gave her a nod when she asked for him to let her know when he was ready.
Once she’d given him the number, which he’d jotted down on the pad sitting in the cruiser’s middle console, Jude entered her information into the system. As he searched for her, he used his cell phone to call the owner. It took moments for the man to confirm that he’d hired one Havyn Kinsley to paint his business’ wall. Jude thanked the man, put his cell phone away, and then turned his attention back to his computer. He didn’t look up at the woman, because he was certain that he’d find nothing but justified attitude in her expression, and he was distracted anyhow.
She looked gaunt - not now, in real life, but in the photo that came up. The girl in the photo was much younger, her hair shaved to a buzz cut. But the smile - the smile was radiant, bright. Full of life and energy. Jude stared at the image for a second longer than was necessary, before looking back at her, studying her features more closely. ”This is an old photo.” He said casually, feeling anticipation building in his chest. She didn’t seem like she was going to like this next part very much. ”I’m going to have to ask that you remove your masks so that I can verify your identity, and then we’ll be all good.” He didn’t know if the tacked on reassurance was going to come off as very comforting, which only made her more right about him. He didn’t know how to be gentle anymore - that was just a faint memory from a completely different lifetime.
She did scoff at him with that. Her hands taking up residency on her hips as she stared him down over her masks. “Oh I am so sorry officer. Did I interrupt donut time? Or something equally important?” It was a bad taunt. She knew it the moment it left her. The donut thing was over used, and yet she scrambled to find another thing to say to him. So she just had to hope that her strong stance and tone were enough to hold back his comment from further irritating her.
And then he smiled. She hadn’t expected it. She even felt her face soften for a moment as he seemed to do the same when she laughed. But it was gone as quick as it appeared, his unamused expression coming back to light as if he had it trained to live on his face. As he insulted all other police officers and himself, she felt another wave of laughter want to leave her. Her hand raising to cover where her lips would be, as if she could hold the sound back if it dared escape. “Well, you’ll be pleased to know they could at least read the ‘bachelors degree’ part of my submission. I was thoroughly impressed.” A small ghost of a laugh was at the end of that.
She had followed him to the police car, not getting too close. He was watching her, and she knew that it was part of the job. Clearly he had to be ready in case she decided to bolt from him. But she wasn’t in that kind of mood. No, instead she was going to settle for the triumph of knowing he was about to look like a giant ass. Especially as he got his phone out to call the owner. Kins watched him closely then, her eyes narrowing slightly in amusement as she heard him thank Jason before he hung up. He didn’t even look back at her. Which she knew was because she was right.
He looked through the computer some more, she knew what was there to be seen. She had been arrested one time before, wrong place, wrong time kind of thing. Though she knew that’s not what he’d have to say about it. It was for the exact thing that made him stop her now. Tagging. Illegally defacing a train car. Okay, maybe she had done it. But she was just eighteen and had finally gotten the news that she was cancer free. She was happy and celebrating with some friends. And maybe had an under age drink with her. Besides the point.
He seemed to stare at the screen for too long. She shifted her weight again as she waited. His statement on her photo was a correct one. She shrugged lightly. “Been meaning to update it. But you can’t exactly walk into a DMV right now...” She commented back. Thinking that he was getting ready to let her go now. Except he carried on and immediately the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She took a step away from him, her head shaking lightly as she did so. “Ah, no. I... I can’t do that. Can’t you just look up and confirm some of my tattoos. They wrote those down before.” Hinting about that prior arrest she was sure he had found. She knew that would drag out this experience though.
She took a shaky breath, her head looking at her feet for a moment as she told herself that it’d be fine. “You need to stay back okay? I’ll take them off but keep that distance.” She didn’t feel like she needed to explain herself further as she put appropriate distance between them. Hopefully the police department had been trained to respect these things during this pandemic. Her hands reached up and she unhooked one side of her masks, and slowly took them off. Her face still turned down as the breeze hit her newly exposed skin. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. “I look a bit more alive now a days then back then,” She joked, though the joke was not said with an amused laugh. She blinked a few times as she stared at him before she secured the mask back to her face. “So, that apology?” She quirked at him, raising a brow.
“Oh I am so sorry officer. Did I interrupt donut time? Or something equally important?”
Jude couldn’t help the soft scoff that escaped his throat, shaking his head slightly. ”I’m on patrol right now because the man who normally works this route was seriously injured in the riots.” He told her, his tone serious and voice deep in his chest. ”Donut time is cancelled for now.” He tacked on, his tone remaining dead serious, but his expression conveying that it was sarcasm.
He didn’t spend too much time fretting over whether or not she viewed his job as important. Honestly, most days, Jude wondered why the police even existed in the first place. They never prevented anything. Before his mind could take him to those dark places he’d locked up inside of himself, Jude let himself be pulled back to the woman before him as she continued to joke. As she reached up as if to hide a smile, he found himself wanting to pull her mask down and see what her lips looked like.
The thought shocked him back into reality, and he perked a brow as if impressed. ”They read now a days?” He asked, his tone mocking and clearly joking. The first bit of humor he’d shown today. He found himself legitimately impressed when she managed to resist jabbing at him about the owner’s confirmation of her purpose. He was honestly expecting her to say something about it.
And then, he asked her to take her masks off.
“Ah, no. I... I can’t do that. Can’t you just look up and confirm some of my tattoos. They wrote those down before.”
His brows furrowed in response to the visible discomfort she was experiencing at the idea of taking it off. He’d seen where she’d been picked up before - for tagging, no less. He probably could have just looked at the prior notes and confirm the tattoos, but he was now curious as to why she seemed hesitant to remove her masks. He paused, glancing back at her picture, before focusing on her again. ”I’m going to have to insist.” He pressed, his tone guarded.
Her command to keep his distance, along with her agreeing to do as he asked, had his brow pulling down even further. He gave her a solemn nod, not moving a muscle otherwise. ”That’s fine.” He told her, watching carefully as she pulled the mask down.
She was beautiful. There was color in her cheeks, which were filled out rather than gaunt. For a fast moment, he got distracted, wanting to see her smile. He snapped out of his staring when she made the joke and then pulled her masks back over her face. No smile, though he thought he saw it in her eyes when she asked for the apology he definitely owed her.
Inhaling deeply, Jude let out a sigh, glancing out the front windshield of his cruiser. Clearing his throat, he pushed himself out of the passenger seat, crouching down before standing to his full height once he was clear of the frame of the vehicle. Focusing on her, his gaze locked with hers. ”I apologize for the inconvenience.” His tone was sincere, however robotic the words were. ”And I appreciate your cooperation.” He tacked on, tilting his head slightly, giving her a questioning look.
”Better?” He asked slowly, a slight twitch to his lips and a hint of challenge in his tone. Was he maybe enjoying the banter more than he normally did? Yes, probably. There was something about the way that she hadn’t started screaming at him, rather dishing his attitude right back to him, that had eased his aggravation at his current situation. He couldn’t really make heads or tails of what those emotions were, though he was definitely intrigued by the way she seemed so adverse to taking her masks off, and in her in general. She was alive in ways that kind of felt like dancing around the third rail on the subway tracks.
“I’m on patrol right now because the man who normally works this route was seriously injured in the riots. Donut time is cancelled for now.”
She found herself at a loss for words. She hadn’t even thought about that. The raids had been something that wasn’t very long ago, and a lot of people were hurt. Civilians, police, military, and rioters. She had seen the articles and the pictures that flooded social media and the news. She had been tucked away in her apartment, just hoping that no one came crashing through her own door. “I’m sorry.” It fell from her mouth without much thought. She looked him over then, he was in normal clothes and just had his badge on display. He wasn’t in the usual uniform. “I hope he has a speedy recovery.”
Kins knew how much it sucked to be in a hospital bed. She lived in one for a while and hated it. Constantly having someone check in on her. Even though she loved the women who did, those nurses who she still kept in touch with during the year, it was the blank walls and the same twenty shows that repeated on the television that made it bland. It was why she picked up new hobbies of drawing and graphic design. Gave her a way to experience things without having to leave the precious room that ultimately saved her life.
A true laugh fell from her as he actually dropped his first joke. She wanted to applaud him, as if this was the first sign of seeing a human behind that badge and flashy cop car he had pulled up in. “I know, it’s crazy. You don’t have to learn on that on the job anymore. Times are a changing.” A smirk spread below her mask, her hazel eyes locked on him for a moment before she looked off to the ground.
She almost flinched when he insisted on the mask, even when he glanced back at his computer. She was sure this was a power trip thing. That he was just showing that he had the say here. She didn’t give much though to his look as he agreed to keep his distance, perched inside his cop car. He didn’t make any movements towards her so she pulled the masks off. Holding them still close to her face so she could put them back on after a moment. She glanced at him for a moment, lingering as she made sure he got a good look before she hide herself back under it.
Taking a deep breath as she did so, realizing that she had held her breath for a moment while the masks were off. She adjusted them where she needed them. Her hands dropped from her face as he stood, taking his time to extend to his full height, almost a foot above her own. She stared up at him, and was truly waiting for him to tell her to quit waiting for an apology. Because it wasn’t going to happen. Except he did. He apologized for the inconvenience and for her going along with it. Even though it sounded like he was reading from chapter three of cop 101, she could hear that he actually meant it.
“Better?”
Ah, there it was. She watched the way his mouth moved, wanting to smirk or smile as he fell easily back to this banter the two exchanged. “Meh,” She replied, her shoulders shrugging as she tilted her head to the side. Unimpressed basically. “Communication still sucks, officer.” She said, turning on her heel and starting to make her way back to her bad. She tossed a look over her shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly as she stopped a few steps away. “Is that all? Or do you plan to harass me some more?” A challenge of her own. She belonged there as well as every spray can she had in her bag. Her dark hair still tucked neatly behind her ears as she heard the first thunder roll in. She groaned lightly, looking back at the wall before she looked up. Guess that was going to be the end of her painting for the day.
When her response to his statement was to apologize, Jude immediately felt a tug of guilt. He’d been giving her a hard time since he’d spotted her, and now he’d made her feel bad for expressing her feelings about his attitude. Jude didn’t press the issue further, simply nodding his head, expression pinched. ”Thank you.” See? He could be polite.
The riots had been rough - on all sides. People were angry. But angry people were also dangerous people - there had been loss of life during the riots, which was unacceptable in Jude’s eyes. With the virus killing more and more every day, there wasn’t room for murder. Violence. Those things never got you anywhere. It would only end up hurting the search for a breakthrough with the sickness.
His attempt at humor was rewarded with laughter. He was almost immediately caught off guard by the sound of it. His mouth tugged at the corners, his immediate response to her belt of laughter. When Jude did work as a police officer - and then a detective - his boss might have taken issue with him cracking jokes at the academy’s expense. He could remember his time in the academy - surrounded by men and women who were either too stupid for college, so angry that they were either going to become police or criminals, or the final category: people stupid enough to think they could make a difference. He’d been of the latter group.
But Jude had learned his lesson.
“Communication still sucks, officer.”
He had hoped that his apology would smooth the waters, maybe get them back to civility. Why he suddenly didn’t want to leave a bad taste in her mouth was beyond him - but he didn’t. As she responded to him, he stifled a chuckle, clearing his throat as she turned on her heel and began to return to her work. He almost rolled his eyes as she threw that question over her shoulder. ”That’s all.” He told her, his tone calm as he turned to head back to his cruiser.
Peals of thunder stopped him only a few steps towards his vehicle, and he looked up at the sky. A raindrop, of course, immediately hit his cheek. He didn’t flinch, turning to look back at Havyn as more raindrops began to fall. If he were a different man, he probably would have rushed over to grab her supplies and help her out of the rain. As it were, he wasn’t that kind of guy anymore - and she seemed a little jumpy about the idea of close contact. Couldn’t blame her, of course. Pausing as his brain raced to figure out what he wanted to say, his mouth moved without him really choosing so.
”I’ll take you home, if you want.” He offered, gesturing over his shoulder towards his cruiser. He didn’t know where the offer came from - or if it was one she would even take. Still, he didn’t stand there and stare at her, waiting around. He closed the distance between him and the vehicle, doing his best at acting casual. He left the passenger door open, not wanting to put her in the back, where she might feel like a criminal. Walking around to the driver’s side, Jude opened it and slipped inside just as a crack of lightning shot across the sky, flashing violently. Moments later, thunder boomed overhead. The storm was basically overhead. It was about to get rough.
Peering through the cab through the open passenger door, Jude waited for her to make her choice. Should she turn him down, he would reach across and close the door, leaving her to her own devices. He wasn’t going to sit there and beg for her to let him take her home, still didn’t really understand why he’d offered at all. A small part of him sincerely wanted her to take the offer - there was something about her. He couldn’t pinpoint why exactly he was intrigued by her, but he had a feeling it was something to do with the picture he’d seen. That smile - so opposite of her appearance. There was something in her eyes that told him she was like him. But she hadn’t let the bad outweigh the good. To Jude, that was a quality unlike any other. One that even he didn’t possess.
As he thanked her for her apology and well wishes, she simply nodded. As bad as a start as they had gotten, she knew that she was not going to continue with low blows against people who had seriously just lost a lot. The raids had been something that she was truly shocked by. And she couldn’t imagine the work that he was having to do, and those like him, now that it was over and they were going to have to try and prevent this once more. How were they going to do it? She had no idea.
“That’s all.”
She heard his footsteps receding behind her. Well, there was the end of that delay that had taken up much more time than she would’ve liked. But that thunder threatened her. It was quick, those storm winds pushing it into place and as she shoveled all of her supplies into her bag, she felt the first few raindrops hit her skin. She stared for a moment. Damn this was not going to be a fun walk home. Nor a quick one. A soft curse was said under her breath as she tried to make sure that her tech was covered because if that iPad or her phone gave out she was surely screwed.
“I’ll take you home, if you want.”
She turned to look back at him, just in time to see him gesturing over his shoulder to his car. She hesitated, was that really a better option? She watched as he turned and headed back to the car. Not really bothering to see if she followed him. She eyed the vehicle, when was the last time it had someone inside of it that was infected? When was the last time it had been cleaned properly? She knew she had hand sanitizer in her bag but that was not enough to clean the entire seat right? Would he make her ride in the back, where he’d put criminals? Is that where she’d belong?
She didn’t have much time to ponder on it though, as a bolt of lightening seemed to tell her to get to it. She practically ran to his car, only pausing lightly as the thunder cracked over head and more rain started to come down. She took a deep breath and tossed her bag in at the passenger feet before she got in his car, pulling the door shut. Her hands immediately went for her bag, yanking out the bottle of hand sanitizer that she had in there and opening the lid. “I.. ah... yeah, I’ll take you up on that.” She said, pouring out a handful of the liquid and started wiping down the door handle and dashboard in front of her.
Did she care that it would potentially be something he didn’t want? Nope. This was for her own safety. “My address is the same one in the system, if you still have that up.” She said lightly, not looking over to him as she completed her wipe down of the area around her, even the arm rest to her left. She tossed the bottle back into her bag once the lid was secured and she buckled herself in, and laid her hands on her lap as casually as she could, her finger tips playing with the black fabric that covered her legs. “Thank you officer...?” She looked over at him and found that in the closeness of the car, that he had a really remarkable color of eyes. Brown at first, but a really lovely shade up close.
She leaned in her seat away from him, trying to act as casual as she could in hopes that she wouldn’t offend him.
Jude was taken by surprise when he felt a rush of relief as she put her things into the passenger side and got in. He hadn’t realized it right away, but he’d been hesitating, waiting for her to give in and hop into the cruiser before he started it up and got ready to actually take off. He didn’t want to leave her in the rain, after being the reason she hadn’t gotten anything done today now that the storm had begun. He tried not to smile at her words as she settled in, nodding his head slightly.
He watched her pull out the sanitizer and begin to wipe everything down, thinking it a bit excessive but he was beginning to suspect that she was being so cautious for a reason - remembering the gauntness of her younger image. The contrast made him wonder if she’d been sick. It would explain why she was so strict about the distancing and the cleanliness. Though, the police vehicles were sanitized daily if not multiple times daily. Still, Jude didn’t say anything about the cleaning process she went through, turning to his computer to pull up her information again. Transferring the address to GPS, he glanced at her as she offered thanks, at the same time as probing for his name.
He felt a little stupid for not realizing he’d never introduced himself. Feeling slightly embarrassed at his utter lack of social skills, Jude stared at her for a second before clearing his throat. ”Colburn. But I’d prefer it if you just called me Jude.” Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he put the vehicle into drive and pulled away from the curb, following the GPS directions. It wouldn’t take him long to get her home, thanks to the empty streets. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Jude found himself wanting to ask about the seemingly germaphobic personality trait, but didn’t know how to go about doing so without coming off as insensitive. He drove in silence for a few heartbeats, trying to figure out what to say and also questioning why he cared about the silence so much. Maybe he just wasn’t used to socializing with people anymore. ”How long have you been doing that?” He finally asked, cringing internally at the horrific small talk skills he possessed. As he spoke he nodded his head in the direction of her bag, so that she’d understand exactly what he was referring to.
Other than the officers he worked with on a daily basis, Jude had avoided friendships and social interactions as if the pandemic had already begun. From the time of his transfer, Jude had cut all of his non-work related ties, uprooted his life, and become somewhat of a social pariah. He didn’t date. He didn’t go for drinks after a long shift - at least, not with his coworkers. Not with anyone. It had been so long since he’d sat and had a conversation, it felt like he’d completely forgotten how to interact with another human being. He hadn’t always been so cold and aggressive. So reckless with life. Hell, he should have been wearing a mask this entire time, and he still wasn’t.
He just didn’t care anymore. Not about work, other people, the virus, his health. Nothing really mattered, did it? If the virus killed him, the world would continue to spin. Crime would carry on. People would lose their friends, families. Loved ones. Maybe one day something would take the entire world down, but he likely wouldn’t be around for it. So it didn’t matter what he did to prevent himself from getting sick, or shot during a raid.
The were blocks out from her house still, but the dispatcher’s voice broke out over the scanner.
’All units, we have an 11-81. Three car accident on the interstate. Caller reports two children still in one of the vehicles.’
Jude’s blood froze in his veins as the call came out. As the dispatcher riddled off a specific location, he glanced at the GPS map. They weren’t far. He was likely the closest unit. But… Jude looked over at Havyn, his throat arid and scratchy. ”I’ve got to take that. And I’ve got to drive fast.” He warned her, reaching out for the responder. ”Copy dispatch. This is unit thirty six, I’m two minutes out.” He flipped the switch for his sirens and lights, foot pressing the accelerator down hard. The cruiser roared to life, and Jude only hesitated for a moment, regretting having Havyn in the vehicle. Of course this had to happen. But he couldn’t ignore that call.
Havyn was beyond glad when he didn't mention anything about her cleaning. She could see his curious gaze from the corner of her eye but she didn't turn towards him. It wasn't really his business why she was the way she was, though she also wasn't ashamed of it. She was a 'survivor', as many people would say. Which apparently meant she should walk around and tell everyone about how she had beat cancer. Or at least beat it back into remission. The longest the years went by, the better chances that it wouldn't come back. Though she knew the chances were high.
She was also glad that he didn't immediately dive into how the hand sanitizer might ruin his vehicle. But from the sounds of it, this wasn't his personal cruiser. This was a borrowed one for the time being. Which meant maybe she shouldn't be calling him an officer. Perhaps a detective or captain or something of the sorts? She thought about asking about that when he offered his name back to her. And made mention that he'd rather her call him Jude. Which she gathered was his first name. "Hey Jude it is." Her cheesy drop of the Beatles song came out before she could stop herself, her voice even singing lightly the 'hey Jude' part. A smile spread under her mask, making her eyes scrunch up lightly at the corners. Pleased with her own joke.
"How long have you been doing that?"
She glanced at him in time to see him nod towards her bag. Did he mean her weird germaphobic behavior or the spray painting? She was going to go with the latter of the two. "I've been creating stuff for a long time. I was rather crap at it when I first started. I got more into graphic design and using technology in my teen years. Even dabbled in tattooing." She shot him a small smirk, hidden again by her mask. Her exposed arms probably suggested such a thing. She had added a few of her own to herself, which she took pride in. While she sat for others for the rest. They were random, all without color. But she loved them. "I happened to overhear the owner talking about changing up the outside of his building, and I suggested some actual artwork. The city can use something nice to look at besides a plain wall." She continued.
She reached into her bag and pulled out the iPad, ready to flip to the page she had sketched out to show him. Except she stopped as the radio crackled through with a dispatcher. She felt her heart clench in her chest in the last sentence. She couldn't imagine this situation, and wide hazel eyes turned to him. She found herself nodding at his words when he punched the gas pedal. She reached out and held one hand to the seat belt across her chest and the other grabbed the door. Holding on, waiting for their arrival. They weren't very far and arrived quickly on the scene, which gave her no time to prepare for what she was about to be a part of.
Three vehicles, it didn't seem too bad at first. Until Kins could see that one of the hoods was smoking. She felt her throat close up as she thought about the dispatcher talking about the kids still in the vehicle. She saw the people standing around and could see a frantic woman trying to pull her children from the back seat of her car.
Though his focus was entirely on the situation at hand, he couldn’t help the twinge of annoyance that his conversation had been interrupted. Of course, it was a brief twinge - this was more important than him learning how to small talk again. He wanted to ask her about her time as a tattoo artist, as that was something he’d never thought about before. Jude didn’t have any tattoos, but he found himself distracted by the various designs on her skin. They fit her, he decided. He wanted to apologize for her suddenly being in this situation, or to offer to drop her off, but he really didn’t have time like that. His foot pressed the accelerator down harder as he checked the street names that went flashing by.
Jude hadn’t driven a cruiser in a while, but it seemed his body still remembered how to drive fast and safe all in one. He was hyper aware of Havyn in the passenger seat, but forced himself to focus on the obstacles in his path as he drove, sirens blaring and lights flashing. It was a little different being inside the cop car when it was speeding by. The first few times he’d gotten to be behind the wheel when he started out, his heart had always been hammering in his chest as if it were trying to escape. Now, he was fairly calm, though the urgency of the situation wasn’t lost on him - though his expression was as placid as ever, his entire body was suddenly tight and rigid, completely tense with anticipation.
As they arrived, his eyes were already flicking back and forth, taking in the scene before them. He paused for a moment, turning to Havyn, hoping she wasn’t about to pass out. ”I can’t wait for anyone else to show up. I’m going to leave you here. Don’t get out.” He advised, his tone more hard than he meant for it to be. His adrenaline was already pumping, mind switching over to SWAT mentality. He pushed his door open, getting out and shutting it, waving some onlookers back.
Jogging over to the tangle of vehicles, Jude caught sight of a crowd forming on the other side of the wreckage, watching the young mother - at least, Jude assumed she was the mother - fret over her vehicle, trying to get to her children in the back. From what he could tell, she had hit the back of the first vehicle, and then the vehicle behind her had sandwiched her against them. The back end was caved in, the two back passenger doors crinkled. ”Back up!” Jude ordered in a loud, booming voice, waving his hand dismissively at the crowd. They shuffled back from the scene, and he didn’t take anymore time to try and wave them back. He’d leave that to whoever else showed up to help - he was sure the ambulances would be showing up soon. At least, he hoped.
’My babies! Please! Get them out!’ A shrill voice shouted in his ear, followed by hands grabbing at his arm. Jude turned his gaze to see the woman standing at his side, tears pouring down her face and leaving trails in the grime and blood. She had a cut on her forehead. Jude felt his heart stutter in his chest as he looked down into her terrified face.
”Alright,” He echoed, feeling miles away from the situation for a moment. ”Let me see.” Jude said, his voice suddenly gentle, his hand reaching out as if to steady her. ”I need you to stay back.” Side-stepping the woman, Jude moved to her vehicle, glancing at the car that had rear ended her - the one that was smoking. If he didn’t get the kids out soon, and that car caught fire, they’d probably not make it. Peering into the back of the vehicle, he saw a boy and a girl. The girl looked to be about eight or nine, but the boy was even younger. Just a toddler - maybe as young as a year old. In a car seat, at least. The little girl’s leg was pinned up against the back of the passenger seat, and she looked up at him through the cracked glass of the back passenger side window.
He became aware of the mother wailing behind him, and he glanced back at her. She gestured to the vehicle that was smoking. Jude followed her point, observing that the smoke was thicker and darker. Fire. It was definitely going to go up in flames. Jude didn’t waste any more time observing the situation - he climbed over the crumpled front hood of the woman’s vehicle, moving over to the driver’s side door, which was open.
Briefly, he wondered why the woman hadn’t grabbed her toddler - and then he saw the problem. The buckle wouldn’t open - some sort of malfunction, or possible too much tension from the wreck. Jude didn’t bother trying to figure it out - he took the knife from his belt and quickly cut the boy right out of his car seat, leaning over to the open passenger side window and handing the woman her son. She was sobbing, and all but snatched the boy from his hands.
Turning back to the little girl, who was crying openly and loudly, Jude tried to offer her a gentle smile. She had sandy blonde hair, a mass of wavy locks that swamped her cherubic face. Jude struggled not to think of Ellie. ’It hurts.’ She reported, hands cupping her leg, which was red from the pressure. Jude nodded gently, eyes glancing back through the rear window to check the car. How much time did he have? Trying to ignore the hammering of his heart in his ears, Jude turned back to the little girl.
”Let’s get you out of here, then, huh?” He said, his voice much calmer than he felt. He could do this - he could keep her calm and get her out. He wasn’t leaving until he did.
1010 words - Havyn Kinsley - ummm ignore the length?
