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.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Casey knocked on the door to Aelin’s room in the Locke mansion. He knocked again, not getting a response the first time. “Aelin?” he asked, speaking up to ensure his voice would be loud enough through the door. He squinted at the dark wood, leaning closer to listen to any noises in case she was taking a shower in the bathroom. Nothing. He knocked again, this time louder, practically banging against her door. “Aelin?” Silence. A suspicious feeling crept up his back and he pushed down the handle, pulling open her bedroom door. He stepped inside, looking left and right for any sign of the rowdy young girl. Empty.
Adjusting his earpiece he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his ring finger, thumb resting on his cheekbone, sighing into the microphone hidden under his white button-up shirt. “Check the CCTV for any signs of Aelin leaving or entering.” he ordered, blue eyes darting back and forth inside the room as he searched for clues about her whereabouts. He walked to the closed window, taking a look outside. He then checked her desk when his eyes caught a piece of paper in the trash. Casey crouched down and plugged it out of the trash can, unfolding it and reading its contents. It looked like a flyer but it didn’t have a name or address printed on. A secret club? Turning on the desk lamp he held the paper under the light. “There you are.” he said, folding the flyer back into a square and stuffed it in the inside pocket of his blazer.
The bodyguard jogged down the flight of stairs leading to the entry hall as he waved at the other guards, motioning them not to follow him. They nodded and went back to their positions without arguing. He snatched the car keys someone threw over at him, though, the tiny black box stung in his hands as he clutched it harder. Casey hated driving more than anything, being inside a car for too long would not dwell well with him. But unfortunately work required driving around, so as long as it was only for a short amount of time he was fine.
Long, elegant strides carried him over to the black Mercedes s class limousine - his favorite car of choice if he had to drive himself. The drive itself didn’t take long. Casey made sure to grab the wheel tight, his eyes solely focused on the street in front of him and the rearview mirror. Fortunately, the streets were so empty he could speed through the forthcoming night with ease. The car came to a halt in front of the club, he unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the driver’s door and got out, pushing the little close button and listening to the beep beep confirming the doors were locked.
A short queue was standing in front of the double doors, guarded by a guy the size of a sumo wrestler. Casey went up the four steps towards the door and was just about to enter when the bouncer pushed him back by laying his palm on Casey’s chest. Bad move. With a face of stone, Casey grabbed his wrist, flicked it over, and sent him stumbling against the people standing in line. Pointing a finger at the bouncer he warned him not to interrupt his business before he went inside the club.
The music was blasting through the building, the bass so hard it felt like his heart stopped beating for just a brief moment. He analyzed his surroundings, scanning the first floor - the dance floor as it seemed with a bar at the back of it. If there was one place Casey hated beside cars, it would be a club. The loud music, darkness, and blinking lights were awful to keep his attention on the one person he should be focused on. Nevertheless, he would never show it. Still expressionless he started making his way through the crowd, mentally shaking his head at the foolishness of humans during a pandemic. A variety of hands tried grabbing him here and there as he pushed himself past the women on the dancefloor.
It didn’t take him too long to find the familiar brunette with wavy hair standing with her back to him, wearing a dress he had seen her wear a lot of times. Casey cleared his throat and tapped the runaway on her shoulder.
Aelin had been playing the good daughter for a long time. She had spent 18 years smiling sweetly, studying dutifully, and walking straight down the path that her father wanted. She had done that for 18 years without a complaint, without a single rebellious action to her name. Then, just a few months shy of what was supposed to be her new life, the pandemic hit. She had been grounded, in the most literal sense of the word. She had been in route to the plane that would have taken her far, far away from this small town when her driver had gotten a call. "Sorry Miss." She could still hear his words. Here, even six months later she could still feel her heart plummet when she thought of it. She had tried reasoning with her father, she had tried making him see that she would potentially be safer in a place that wasn't ground zero, but lock-down had been put in order, colleges closed, and the town of Lethford had become her prison.
The days turned to weeks and the weeks to months as she went about doing her normal thing, acting in the worst most stifling play. She hated it. She hated the routine, the life that demanded perfection. She hated everything about it. Since learning that the walls of her prison weren't about to go away anytime soon, the act began to take its toll on her. That was until last month, when she had decided that enough was enough. If her father demanded that she stay, then stay she would, but it would be on her own terms.
So that's what she had been doing. The first time that she had decided to sneak away, it had been perfection. She had ridden in the car to her music lessons, gotten out and gone inside the building, just as promised. From inside, she had called her teacher and feigned being sick, waited for her driver to leave, and promptly walked right back out the door. From there she had decided to go to the park. She spent a few minutes there before getting coffee and travelling further downtown to meet a friend. The pair had then spent rest of the afternoon walking around, people watching and hanging out in places that her father would have most assuredly not approved of. For the first time in perhaps forever, Aelin had been happy. So happy that she had lost track of time, and the reckless afternoon had ended with her bodyguard finding her in a crowded coffee shop that was playing live music. Her father had been furious, but that was only the beginning.
Since that first outing, she had made a grand total of thirteen escape attempts. A few when she was supposed to be at lessons, a few while she was supposed to be in bed. The more she did them, the more creative she found herself having to become. A pool party here, a bar there, and once even a protest that had scared her more than she would ever admit to anyone. Tonight was one that she had been looking forward to for a few days. Dancing. Actual dancing that didn't involve complicated ballet and stuffy instruments played with precision.
So she had planned it all out the night before. She had to leave her window unlatched, she had to hide her shoes in the bushes because she couldn't climb out of her window with them on. She had to wait until precisely 10:15 when the guards went on their rotations. She had it down to a science because she couldn't miss tonight. She had high hopes, and oh how right she had been. Out the estate, through the woods, down the walkway and to the street. It was three blocks in the shadows, walking, which took her eight minutes. Then a bus ride for another fifteen and then another two blocks until she got there. The music calling to her from outside like a siren.
It was loud and vibrated with excitement. She couldn't find her friend but she didn't care. A boy asked her to dance and she had nodded with a smile big enough to blind the room. The music was reverberating in her chest, her heartbeat mimicking its rhythm. The boy was a good dancer and as the music bled into another song he moved closer, making her pulse race. She turned to face him and his smile was daring. Her eyes met his and she thought for a moment that they might kiss. Then the boy's eyes darted behind her and he stopped moving, fear and apprehension on his face. He took a step back from her and Aelin felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned and met Casey's bored eyes. "No." The words out of her lips immediately. "You've got to be kidding. How?" Aelin crossed her arms in annoyance as she met his eyes. It didn't matter how of course. He was here and her fun was over. She glanced back behind her for the boy and wasn't surprised to see that he wasn't there anymore.
The imposing man stood out in the crowd of people trying to have fun and Aelin felt her cheeks burning with the number of people glancing over at them. She turned to him, her eyes pleading with his, "One drink?" She asked, "Go and have one drink and let me stay just a little longer." She doubted very much he would allow it, but she had to try. She had to plead her case. Aelin hated begging, but wasn't above it. "I won't run. I won't try to get away. You can see the dance floor from the bar. Just give me another dance. Please?"
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Holding up the crinkled flyer he found earlier in her trash can he looked at it and back at Aelin. “You need to learn how to get rid of evidence better.” he said, folding it back into the small square and stuffed it inside the pocket of his suit jacket. He was aware of how much planning probably went into this night to sneak out, but he had something she didn’t have - and that was experience.
Casey didn’t even twitch, nor was he thinking of moving an inch. His feet were basically glued to the floor in front of her and they would drag themselves to her location at all times. “You may have one dance.” he said, looking over his shoulder towards the bar she mentioned, his hands folded in front of him. It wasn’t too far away but he couldn’t take any risks. And he didn’t believe her words. He turned his head back to her before he spoke, raising one light brown eyebrow. “But I will stay right here. Besides, I can’t drink. I’m at work.” Casey replied before gesturing her to go on and dance.
He observed the people around them, taking a good look at every single face in nearby, every single possible threat. Whoever thought of making a dumb move would be down within a second - maybe with a broken arm or two. He was ready to get rid of any danger or threat to Aelin if anyone just dared to do as much as shiver.
Casey stepped sideways, clearing the path for a woman stumbling past him and dodging a guy about to spill his drinks the way he was holding his glass. He made a face at the people and the loud music, wishing he had brought earplugs. A sudden push on his back made him sway forward but it didn’t take much for him to stand back straight, turning his body just as fast and snatching the wrist of whoever had stumbled into him. He was looking at yet another drunk woman and while he was able to avoid her knocking him down he wasn’t able to escape her bending over and throwing up on him.
He let go of her wrist immediately, backing away from her. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked down at himself, mentally crying at the sight of his ruined clothes - and the smell. He looked at Aelin who most likely witnessed it all and gave her a hard look. “You stay here. I will be right back. Don’t move. Just dance.” he ordered, bolting through the crowd and towards the restroom sign, ignoring the ghastly faces the crowd made at him as he passed through.
Making sure not to touch the woman’s stomach contents on his clothes he carefully cleaned it with wet paper towels, probably emptying the whole container and receiving a disapproving look by the cleaning lady taking care of the toilets. Casey took off his jacket, the one item which seemingly didn’t get dirty, and placed it beside the sink. He loosened his tie, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt and began working on the spots on his pants. Well, if this wasn’t lovely. If being at an illegally run night club wasn’t enough, running into the risk of a possible infection through someone else's digested food was just great.
Aelin felt her cheeks grow warm as Casey held up the crumbled flyer that she had thrown away. She mentally cursed herself. Of course he would check her wastebasket. It was a rookie mistake and one she wouldn't be repeating in the future. She pursed her lips, fully expecting that she would have to beg and plead her way into staying a little longer. She didn’t know anything about him, but he didn't look like the kind of guy who enjoyed hanging out casually in a club. Then the most miraculous of miraculous things happened and the man actually spoke the words that granted her access to another dance.
Aelin's face broke out into a huge grin, "Yes!" She put her arms quickly around the impenetrable wall that was her bodyguard and gave him a quick hug. "You are the best." She stepped away just as quick and began hopping just ever so slightly on the balls of her feet in excitement. He nodded towards the bar and spoke about not drinking and although she wasn't really listening at all at this point, she nodded, "Yep. No problem."
She looked around for the guy who she had been dancing with, not that it mattered. There were plenty of cute guys that she didn't mind sharing her last dance with. A tall brooding blonde with dark eyes met hers and she gave him a soft smile. The boy's lips pulled in an alluring smirk and she grinned in response. She vaguely wondered what Casey's position was on kissing strangers. The guy nudged his head for her to come over and she turned back to Casey, just in time to see a woman throw up all over him. Aelin's mouth opened in shock, her face scrunching in an apology. "Oh no. I am so sorry."
He gave her a hard look and she managed another sheepish apologetic shrug. He told her to stay and she nodded, watching him briefly as he made his way towards the restrooms. The boy came to where she stood and she soon found herself forgetting all about her guard's ruined clothes.
The guy was taller than her, he smelled nice, and as he moved behind her he kept the rhythm between their two bodies and the music perfectly. She asked him what his name was and he spoke softly, close to her ear, making her stomach fill with butterflies.
"I'm Aelin." She said as she leaned her head to the side, speaking close to him. "I know." the guy replied.
Aelin's brow furrowed for a brief moment, "What do you mean you-" The guy's hand grabbed her arms, pulling them behind her roughly. In less than two seconds he had her completely immobilized. He began pushing her through the crowd, shoving her along. Aelin had no choice but to comply. "Casey!" She yelled, knowing full well that the music was more than likely covering up any sound she could make.
The guy told her to shut-up and her heart began to race. This suddenly wasn't a joke anymore. It wasn't some silly adrenaline rush to get back at her dad. This was very real and very painful. "Who has a security guard at a nightclub? Oh that's right…the mayor's spoiled little brat. How much do you think your life is worth to your dad, huh? I think we're going to find out."
Aelin tried resisting, but he had her arms on lockdown. She tried to plant her feet but that was no use either. He was much taller and stronger than her. She didn't doubt for a second that once they got out of this club she'd simply be slung over his shoulder. They were almost to a side door, a few party-goers hanging around it. She tried meeting their eyes, "Help. Please, help me!" As the guy shoved her along but the few who did bother to look in their direction simply looked the other way as they passed. As they approached the doors she closed her eyes, hoping it was a bad dream.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
This wasn't going to work. He looked down at his shirt, his jacket, and his pants. All the water and paper tissues did was to make it even more visible. The stains weren't going to come out anytime soon so he gave up. With a sigh he washed his hands under the icy cold running water, the soap all used up. He tugged at the paper towels dispenser and grabbed a bunch, tossing them into the trash can once he dried his hands. One last defeated glance at his ruined clothes before he stepped out of the restroom and back into the crowd of partying people.
Casey remembered the exact point he left Aelin as he was pushing through the crowd. Everything was the same. The only difference was that neither Aelin nor the guy she was dancing with were there. His head whipped to each side, scanning the people around him. Gone.
Not wanting to waste any time by searching through the crowd he immediately turned towards the bar, grabbing the bartender and showing him a picture of her on his phone. "Have you seen her?" he shouted over the music and the noise, ignoring the confused glare he received in turn for forcing him to pay attention. The bartender shook his head before turning his attention back to polishing glasses.
Casey grumbled, rolling his eyes internally before slapping a bill onto the counter. Money solved a lot of problems. The bartender slid the bill over into his pocket and nodded towards the exit. He looked in the direction the bartender nodded at and jumped on top of the counter to get a better look. Now that he was able to see over the crowd he narrowed his eyes at the exit - spotting the familiar brunette getting dragged out by someone.
Within the next moments, he found himself in the middle of the dancing crowd which made it difficult to get there fast. He was being stopped, pushed back, pushed to the side, and pushed around before he emerged from the depths of sweaty humans. He had already forgotten about the mess on his clothes. Fortunately. And fortunately, the smell of sweat, smoke, and alcohol covered it very well too. Not that those were any more pleasant.
He hurried, long strides carrying him over to where the two were, harshly pushing away anyone in his way. His breathing was a little heavier, the nasty air inside the building not really helping with that. "Let go of her now." he said, eyes stone-cold and voice stern. If he obliged he wouldn't use the most drastic measures… but if he didn't, if he would resist, then Casey wouldn't have many other choices. "The only thing you'll get out of this is jail time."
The guy was incredibly strong, at least in her mind. He hadn't looked that intimidating while they were dancing, but as he carried her out the door with ease she remembered something someone had said about looks being deceiving. Unfortunately the phrase hindsight was 20/20 was another that was ringing true. She tried resisting, twisting against his grip but it was all to no avail.
They were so close to the door, so close to exiting the cramped space. It wasn't the best place that she had been in but at least it was safer than the sheer unknown of what was on the other side of the doors. She struggled once more, one final rush to try and get free of the guy, but he had adjusted his grip and continued moving along. If she got out of this she promised herself she'd take a self-defense class.
The door was looming but before they got there a voice spoke out that halted her captor. Casey. She had never been so happy to hear him before in her life. She didn't move, she didn't make a sound. She had never seen him in action before, of course there hadn't been a reason before. Before the pandemic no one cared that she was the mayor's kid, outside of the circle of upper society snobs of course. She hadn't exactly been free to do what she had wanted, but there hadn't been any danger in sneaking out or disobeying rules. There hadn't been a risk to her life, at least nothing scarier than the threat of a scandal.
Still, she had heard the rumors. She didn't move an inch as the guy handling her turned sharply, pulling her around so they were facing him. Casey spoke about jail time and Aelin tried calming her breathing. She had spent two months at a yoga retreat in New Mexico, finding her center and all of that. None of that calming breathing mantra was working for her now though.
"No, I don’t think I will. Now I think you should turn the hell away and leave us alone."
The guy began backing out slowly pulling her along, her arms still pinned firmly behind her back. She moved back two steps with him before dropping her weight. As she and her captor fell forward she threw her head back, which in the movies looked a lot less painful than in reality.
Immediately she saw stars and was only vaguely aware that the guy was cursing loudly. What she was more intently aware of was that her little stunt wasn't enough to pull him off his feet, just enough apparently to make him mad. And possibly bleed profusely from his nose. She wasn't completely sure if that was where the blood was coming from, it was either that or maybe from the back of her head. Who could be sure? She wondered vaguely to herself.
"Enough!" he yelled, half a second before something hard was pushed against her side. "You. Go mind your own business and you…start walking."
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
"No, I don’t think I will. Now I think you should turn the hell away and leave us alone."
Casey stared at the guy, his expression the one of solid stone. No emotions were showing, not dread, no fear, not even a bit of nervousness. He locked eyes with the guys as he talked about not letting her go. Bad decision. Bad decision. He didn’t let that confuse him though. While Casey did expect a different answer… an easier ending to this, he wasn’t too surprised by the turn of events. Guy needed to take his chances, didn’t he? Too bad it was Casey guarding Aelin tonight and not someone else.
However, as he watched her being handled too roughly, from the corner of his sight he cursed him out in his mind. Others might say it was her fault for coming to this place, disobeying orders, going against her own safety, but either way, it wasn’t like she planned getting kidnapped.
He was watching the two of them move, although the majority of attention was on the guy and not Aelin. And boy did he not expect her to whip that head back. If the situation wasn’t that serious Casey would have clapped and approved of that attempt. He made a mental note to give her some more self-defense lessons once this was over. There was blood spreading around the guy’s face, gushing out of his nostrils, his lip cut. Thumbs up.
"You. Go mind your own business and you…start walking."
Glancing down at his hands as they appeared to hold something the brunette tucked his own hands away inside the pockets of his pants. Casey looked at him hard before parting his lips to reply. "Alright. I'll go mind my own business." he simply said, shrugging at him and turning around, acting as if he would really just let them go which of course he would never even think of. Her safety was in his hands. Sure, he was getting paid for it - and not too shabby either - but even if he wasn’t he would make it his first priority.
Having his back turned to them he slowly took two steps back towards the crowd. "But-" he let out, voice raised enough to be heard and make the dude stop in his tracks or at least hesitate, holding up his hands in mock surrender, car keys dangling down on one of them. As he turned around he stepped forward. One, two, three, four. One step closer than before. "You won’t get much money if you attempt taking her. But this, a very expensive and exclusive car, will get you more if you sell it. No catch. No jail. No one will track you down. So how about we trade? Girl for car." Casey offered, showcasing the keys before he tossed them at the guy, hoping he'll catch it and either let go of Aelin or whatever he was holding in his hand.
Aelin was only dimly aware of the guy's words, ushering her forward. She was far more concerned with making her feet follow through with the movement that was being asked of them. She stumbled, the only good thing about the guy gripping her was that falling down wasn't an option. His hands kept her upright, which she supposed was a tiny bright spot in the situation. The ringing in her ears was beginning to fade and the smell of booze and sweat from the dancefloor was becoming all too strong. She felt a wave of nausea roll over her as her head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. The black, fuzzy circles that had appeared were now gone however, replaced by the image of Casey moving away from them.
A small whimper left her lips, her feet stumbling over themselves once more as the guy began to pull her. Thankfully, Casey stopped, speaking up loudly as he did, turning around to face them again. Car keys were held aloft, his tone level. Aelin felt the guy stilling behind her, the both of them now facing Casey as he stepped towards them. She didn't say anything as he presented the offer. Before she had much time to guess on if he'd take him up on it or not, Casey tossed the keys in their direction.
Aelin was shoved forward, her equilibrium off balance immediately as the room tilted and she stumbled both forward and sideways. The guy had caught the keys, taking off at a run towards the door that they had just been trying to leave from.
The ground rose quickly but before her face met it, arms gripped her. She grabbed onto them, looking up to see Casey. Her words came out quickly, "Casey I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I didn't think anyone would have seen you or me or- I don't know how he-." Her hands were gripping onto him, the adrenaline high beginning to tank, causing her to begin shaking. Tears were next, the shock of everything starting to become clearer. "I'm so sorry." Everything was suddenly too much. It was too loud, too packed, too unsafe, too far from anything she had wanted for the evening. The wave of nausea moved through her again and her eyes closed for a second, her shaking hand on her stomach. "I want to leave. Please." She forced herself to breathe, to try and get control of herself, but all she could think about was getting the hell away from this place and all of the eyes that were on her.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
The moment the keys left his hand he braced himself for the worst case. There were a variety of events that could happen at that moment. One would be the nasty one where the other guy pulled whatever weapon he had in his hands and went for Aelin. The second would be the same as the previous event but going for Casey. The third would be he wouldn’t accept the offer and ignore it, resulting in taking her anyway or doing the aforementioned acts. The fourth, which was, fortunately, the one Casey was going for, was he would let go of Aelin, grab the keys, and make a run.
Holding out his arms and stepping forward to catch her fall he grabbed her by the shoulder just as she took a hold of his arms. His eyes observed her face before scanning over her entirely. "Are you alright?" he asked, worried she might have been injured in the whole ordeal. "How about your head?" His hand reached for the back of her head, touching the hair to check if she was bleeding. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he found out it wasn’t her blood but indeed the guy’s when his nose started bleeding after getting hit by her.
Casey held onto her, steadying her until she was ready to let him go and stand on her own. He shook his head at her in response. "It wasn’t your fault." he told her, trying to reassure her. "But-" he added, raising his eyebrows at her, the shift of his voice from nice to stern happened like someone flipped a switch. "Next time you think about sneaking out to a place like this… just think about what happened today." Also he couldn’t afford losing two cars. The Locke family might have that kind of money but he surely didn’t. And insurance wasn’t going to cover the cost to prevent a kidnapping.
He guided her out of the club, leaving through the same exit the guy did just a couple of minutes earlier. Looking left and right he made sure he wasn’t there anymore but so was the car - gone. Once he was sure she was stable enough to stand on her own he let go of her arms, tucking one hand into the pocket of his pants. "Hm. About that…" The frustration about giving the car away like this slowly set in. Of course, he had ways to track it down at some point, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after that.
Casey was going to get into trouble for it too. It was one of the nicer ones. He definitely couldn’t pay for it with his paycheck. "I’m going to call you a cab or another guard. I’ll walk." he told her, trying to keep the same stone-like face he had the whole time. Getting into a car itself was already more than just a hurdle for him. There was no way he was going to take a cab back to the Locke Manor with a driver he couldn’t trust, a car which maintenance might be years ago. Taking out his phone, careful not to touch the already dried spots of human vomit on his clothes.
His fingers clicked the screen, scrolling through his contacts. It hovered over another guard’s name who was on duty that night but Casey hesitated, glancing over at Aelin. If someone else was to find out about this she, and Casey likely, would get into trouble. He could lose his job over this, even if he somehow managed to save the situation. A cab wasn’t that safe either and they would be very lucky if they were able to grab one at this time of the day. He gave it a shot anyway, calling the saved cab company number on his phone.
It rang, and rang, and rang but no one picked up. Public transportation during a lockdown and curfew definitely wasn’t anything one should recommend relying on. A quick glance at his watch told him the first subway wouldn’t be due soon. He shifted his gaze from the phone screen to Aelin. He couldn't possibly tell her to walk all the way home. His thumb brushed over the locked screen of his phone. "Are you good to walk?"A very long walk.
Aelin heard Casey's voice over the loud music of the club and she managed a nod. Physically, she thought she was about as okay as could be expected. Mentally? She was a nervous train wreck. She stood still as he moved his hand to the back of her head, his fingers pressing gently to where she had thrown her head back, making a collision with the guy. He didn't say anything and she mimicked him, putting her hand over the spot. Her hand came away wet, though she realized quickly that it wasn't from her blood. "Oh ew." She gagged once, the image of a stranger's bodily fluids on her making her stomach do somersaults.
Casey's arms steadying her were the only thing keeping her vertical at the moment. Her stomach lurched again and she took her hands off of him slowly, wiping the guy's blood on her dress with shaking hands, caring less about ruining it rather than having any of his bodily fluids touching her skin.
He said it wasn't her fault and she stopped wiping the blood away long enough to give him an exasperated look. She knew better than that. Causing him to deal with crowds or getting vomit on him? Perhaps part of the job, especially when it came to her. Interjecting in a kidnapping and having his car stolen? That was beyond the realm of things he should be asked to do. She made a mental note to see what she could do about a raise, or maybe an expensive toy her dad wouldn't mind footing the bill for. She didn't speak further on the matter though, managing only a quick nod when he became serious with her. The idea of sneaking out again wasn't the thing that scared her, the stranger was. Maybe it wasn't a matter of avoiding breaking the rules but rather having better judgement over what she choose to break and do. At least that's how she saw it.
Aelin followed him out of the club, thankful for the cold air that hit them. She normally was a baby when it came to chilly weather but after everything that happened inside, she took deep breaths in, welcoming the cool air. The only sounds around them were that of the city, the booming inside of the club fading behind them. She took another steadying breath, her nerves quickly calming as she watched his facial expressions. She wondered for a moment why he was irritated when she remembered the car. Oops. "Maybe you can call the police and they can remotely halt it?" She didn't know much about cars, but she supposed it was worth a shot to bring it up. "Adrien Walker's parents did that to him when he took his dad's lambo out for a ride."
Casey then pulled out his cell, mentioning a cab or another guard and she wasn't quick enough to stop him. She could only purse her lips as she watched him make the call. She would be dead and done if anyone answered. There could be no denying or lying about what she had chosen to do. She would be turned in immediately. Grounded. Forced to listen to another lecture that would no doubt result in her and her father having an argument. What little freedoms she had would be taken away immediately along with all electronics of course and that was all but a death sentence to her. There would be no computer to edit photos on or listen to music, no phone to pretend she was anyone other than herself. There would be no escape at all.
Casey glanced at her, putting the phone away and she felt her heart quicken with hope. He asked if she was okay to walk and she nodded happily. "Absolutely." She began walking in the general direction of her house before he had a chance to change his mind. The only thing she supposed they had to worry about now was the police stopping them for being out after curfew. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks for not being outed, at least not yet. There was still hope of sneaking in. Pending he didn't turn her in immediately, which she couldn't blame him for. "Are you going to turn me in? I mean, I get it. I would too if I were you. I just want to know." So she could prepare an argument. So she could form her words before she had to face the man who called himself her father.
She knew she was utterly cliche for hating the man. Just a spoiled brat who couldn't have her way, rebelling at everything he wanted for her. At least that's what it looked like on paper, would have made a hell of a book she always mused to herself. She couldn't help it though. She hated all that he was and stood for. She hated his choices, his viewpoints, his mannerisms, and friends. She hated his control more than anything. Wrapping her arms around herself as she continued walking she glanced over at Casey. "Did you always want to do this for a living?"
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Putting the phone back inside his jacket he followed her down the street, away from the club and the party. Casey walked almost next to her, just keeping a step behind for security measures. He scanned the area as they walked, the street in front of them, all the small alleys and nooks where someone could fit inside to lurk around. Even though he preferred walking to taking the car it wasn’t the safest option, especially not these days despite the streets looking as empty as they did now. He kept his gaze strictly forward as she spoke, talking about the car he gave away. "There’s no need to worry about the car. I have ways to track it and retrieve it." he said, breathing out. If it’s not a wreck by then. Would he mind being forced to walk for the next couple of days? Certainly not.
His eyes flicked towards Aelin and he thought about taking off his jacket to offer it to her but he remembered the nasty state it was in so he stopped himself and pushed that thought far away. The first thing he was going to do once they got home was to put all the clothes from this evening into the washer and change into clean, fresh clothes that didn’t stank and had multiple stains the color of… god, he didn’t even want to name it. He relaxed a little as they walked, the noise retreating and he was glad for it to be gone, feeling as if he was deaf the past hour.
Casey narrowed his eyes at the darkness ahead of them when she asked him if he was going to turn her in. He very well could but he wouldn’t benefit from doing so. In response to her, he shook his head. "No." he said, a simple and short answer. He didn’t consider giving her a reason but she could probably guess why.
‘Did you always want to do this for a living?’
That question threw him off more than he would like to admit but he kept his pose, blue eyes as hard and calculating as always. His features didn’t give away the uneasiness he felt at that moment. He looked at her, meeting her glance, but stayed silent for a bit longer as they walked further down the street. Deeming their surroundings to be clear and safe enough Casey craned his head back, looking up at the night sky. It was such a simple thing to do, to look at, but at that moment Casey realized he hadn’t looked at the sky for a while. Nothing much changed but the scheduled power outages, striping the city of its lights, made the stars appear - one bright dot after another. Such a simple thing yet so beautiful.
He tore his gaze away and continued to stare ahead. "I didn’t," Casey answered her question after a while, breaking the silence between the two. It wasn’t much of uncomfortable silence. He was used to it, to not talking in the mayor’s presence, or to not wanting to talk in Aelin’s presence. It wasn’t his job to talk if he wasn’t giving out orders. His arms were at his sides, one hand casually slipping into the pocket of his dark pair of slacks. "If life wouldn't have taken all these turns I’d probably be an Olympic swimmer now. You could watch me on tv." he told her, and even though it sounded like a joke he was dead serious about it. He couldn’t laugh... because in the end, it used to be the one dream he had when he was younger. Something that was in his past. A past he couldn’t change.
With the same sternness in his voice, he asked her a question in return. "Did you always want to be a troublemaker?" The corners of his lips twitched for just one thousandth of a second. He continued staring down the street, the Locke manor seeming far away.
Aelin nodded once when Casey told her to not worry about the car. She mused that of course he would have ways to get it back, he always seemed to have something up his sleeve. There wasn't much that she could get past him. Tonight she had thought she'd re-traced and back-tracked enough to elude him but that hadn't worked. Sometimes when she knew he was the one on duty she would find herself attempting the most elaborate ways to escape him just to see if he'd catch her. No need to do it, just testing out if he could catch her. Which he usually did.
He seemed to always be calm, always have some instinctual edge that seemed to work in his favor. Perhaps that was why it was so surprising to hear the no that came out of his lips. She glanced over as they continued walking, unsure what else a guy like him would be doing. Immediately she wondered if it was something in the military or perhaps even something like being a spy. She wasn't sure how someone would go about applying for the job title of international spy, but she didn't doubt he would know. She was running through a list of jobs that she could imagine him in when he said olympic swimmer.
Aelin stopped in the middle of the street, a pleasantly surprised look over her face. "What? Seriously?" She caught back up with him and immediately began speaking again. "Okay you have to tell me more obviously. First, why didn't you? Second, were you really that good? Third…are there any pictures?" She grinned, absolutely pleased with seeing this entirely different side of him that she never would have guessed. She couldn't imagine it. She truly could not. He was always so stern and serious. She couldn't imagine his profession being something as recreational as a swimmer.
When he asked if she always wanted to be a trouble maker she waved it off with a playful roll of her eyes, "Of course I did." She kept the smile on her face as she mused that she had been a trouble-maker from the moment she was born. She had never been able to sit still, to color inside of the lines. It had been a constant thorn in her father's side for her entire life. And he truly didn't know the half of it.
She spoke up again, a sarcastic tone in her voice, "Voters love a rebel, right?" Her father did not agree with that sentiment. Any stepping outside of the lines was a betrayal to their lineage, to their family honor, as if things like that were still a thing. No. She didn't care about the family honor, nor the so called proud lineage. She was done with all of that. A few more months, a few more applications and she hoped to make that sentiment known soon. To everyone.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
There was always a what if. What if he didn’t have a car accident and attended university with the scholarship he received? Would his parents be watching tv just to see him on the screen? Would his home be lined with medals and trophies? Would he have even been good enough to achieve it? After all these years those times just appeared like a distant memory, a part of him that he just shoved back inside the tiny corner very far away inside his head.
Casey mentally grimaced at the thought of standing next to the mayor on a stage, a gold medal adorning his neck and shaking hands while sending beams of fake smiles to the crowds of cameras. It was a life that could have been but will never be. The thought was absurd now, it was funny even to just think about it. A dream that really just became a dream to him.
When Aelin bombarded him with questions he regretted his decision to tell her. A sigh escaped his lips and he dropped his gaze to the floor as he walked. He narrowed his eyes at the dark spots, which used to be gum at some point, on the light grey sidewalk. “I didn’t because-” he paused. His eyes narrowed, even more, the skin in the spot between his eyebrows and nose wrinkling significantly. It was as if just the plain thought of it made the pain in his shoulder appear, the mere thought of it prodding at it. “I was in a car accident when I was younger.”
His eyes found a parked car further down the street to focus on, a street lamp flickering as if it didn’t want to go out, fighting against the lack of power. It was fighting harder than he did back then. He just accepted defeat because what else was there to do? Casey let out another sigh. He couldn’t remember the last time he talked about it or even just mentioned it to someone. It was a strange feeling, uncomfortable perhaps but also… a bit of a relief?
“I injured my shoulder. They couldn’t fix it, so I had to give up,” he explained, drawing his eyebrows together once again as if the pressure on his forehead would somehow help with the talking. The faintest silhouette of a smile crept onto his face when she asked if he was that good. It might have just been a twitch of his lips but he was glad for the darkness to hide it either way. “I’m always good at what I do,” he simply said, shrugging lightly. “I was offered a scholarship for one of the top universities in the country.” People knew his name, who he was. Trainers from various famous teams were having grabby hands for him. If anyone would do that now he would laugh.
His face turned into stone the moment she asked for pictures. “No,” he said immediately, looking at her with a dead-serious expression in hopes she wouldn’t think about finding them herself. He was sure there were a couple somewhere in his room but most he had left at his parent’s house for someone to throw them away. Though, his former high school might still have pictures displayed inside the school.
“Voters love a rebel if it’s just a publicity stunt,” he told her, lifting his eyebrows at her. “The people around you might appreciate it if you gave them less trouble and worries. I’m sure your father wouldn’t mind either. I certainly don’t mind less work from time to time. The mayor is already a handful,” he said, stopping the moment the last words left his lips. He gave her a hard look. “What I meant to say was... at least take someone with you if you plan on going to dubious places like this,” he gestured behind him, towards the club.
Aelin was fully absorbed in every word that was currently coming out of Casey's mouth. Given, there were only a handful, but no matter the infrequency, she found herself latching onto every single one. A Swimmer. It was almost too impractical to imagine. His voice trailed off and her eyes were locked onto his face as he finished it by adding that it was due to injury. Aelin's mouth parted faintly in shock, her eyes softening. A car accident. He hadn’t simply given up the idea or moved on from it…it had been taken from him. Aelin looked down as Casey's eyes shifted further down the street.
The only sound between them was the falling of their feet and the occasional car pass here and there, the silence becoming a solid form between them. She didn't exactly know what to say for a moment, but his voice cut through the night again and she kept her eyes down as he spoke, a line creasing between her eyebrows as she processed what he said. They couldn't fix it? The idea seemed absurd to her. They were living in an age where medical advancements were jumping light years forward by each passing year. Given enough money, there was rarely something that couldn't be fixed or at least prolonged. She looked up at him, the question coming out softly, "You were young though. That was at least…what? Twenty years ago? Have you had it checked recently?"
The idea and plan was already forming in her head. Like an act of penance, the need to fix someone else's broken dream to account for her own. Almost as if she could make his possible, hers had a chance as well. Aelin dragged her rapidly spinning mind away from her thoughts as she looked up at him, meeting his smirk with one of her own. "How modest you are."
She was intensely curious as to which university had wanted him but as his face hardened and he told her a solid no on the picture evidence, she held up her hands in mock surrender. "Fine." She waited a breath before speaking up again, her voice filled with mischief, "Although, if one happens to come across my screen while looking up something for a perfectly legitimate school paper I certainly can't be blamed for that." She continued smirking playfully as her attention moved forward. It was nice, calming even. The subject was something new, the air was cool, there wasn't anyone else around. She could almost forget that tonight had blown up in her face. Almost.
Then he brought up her father and her calm feeling vanished as fast as her attacker had tonight. "I suppose what I want and appreciate is irrelevant then? As long as he's happy?" The anger edged into her voice, the words turning sharp. "I'm twenty-three years old and I'm being treated like a teenager. I can't be friends with whoever I want, I can't go anywhere I want, hell I can't even have the career I want but none of that matters. He says jump and everyone asks how high." Was she bitter? Absolutely. None of it was a lie though. Her father was almost totally in control over the city, and what he wasn't directly in control of, his money could provide control over.
Aelin stopped when Casey did, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "A handful is a really nice way to describe a dictator." She felt like a child who was being grounded. Like she was living in some sort of bizarre world where she had no rights. Like a Stepford daughter who wasn't allowed to defect. Aelin's lips pursed, her anger growing. The way she saw it, she had two options. One: run away and disappear, changing her name and forsaking all ties to her father. Two: take the option of her being into politics off the table. Either way, she was done playing this game. She shook her head, pushing forward, her voice cold, "Whatever. Let’s just get this over with."
