OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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CODING
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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MEDIATOR
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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OPEN MODERATOR POSITION
outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
[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"]
Breaking rules and laws weren’t really something Carmen wasn’t familiar with. When she was younger she had her fair share of run-ins with cops, resulting in getting arrested but was always let go because of lack of evidence. She somehow always managed to escape, although, admittedly a lot of times Az was the reason why. With every year she learned how to avoid getting into trouble and while she might not have a perfect set of skills yet, she had yet to be arrested again - hopefully not anytime soon.
Needless to say, Carmen didn’t really care about going out past curfew. If someone would catch her she could just dangle her medical ID in front of their noses for proof that she was indeed allowed outside. A lie here and there: problem solved. Swapping her heels with a pair of black combat boots and her dress with a simple pair of black skinny jeans and a matching t-shirt, she tossed a fully stuffed duffel bag over her shoulder and walked out of her room, through the back of the LUX and out of the building via the emergency exit. She didn’t always need everyone or anyone to know where she was heading or the fact that she was going out… sometimes even Az was left out. Although, he probably knew anyway.
Soft steps carried her down the smaller roads, turning corners through stinky alleys. The lights were already shut off but the brunette knew her way around the area. It was quite a walk to get to her desired destination but it would always be worth it for Carmen. While it was unusually quiet for a city this size some things would never change. Every so often screams echoed through the darkness in the distance, the sound of shots being fired here and there, sirens of both police and fire department ringing out through the night. The only thing that visibly changed was the emptiness of the streets. It was almost hauntingly empty if it weren’t for the patrols.
She watched as they tried to shoo away a bunch of homeless people, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose in disgust at the lack of humanity. It’s not like they had any place to escape to for the curfew. Shelters were closed because of the lack of volunteers or money. There was no money to buy food and as people were hoarding they stopped donating it in fear of starvation. Ridiculous, Carmen thought, curious eyes watching as she waited for the patrol to continue their route.
Despite having attempted to dismiss the gathering it didn’t take long for them to return to their place. What else were they supposed to do? Carmen strode over to the bunch, her signature smile spreading across her face as she approached them. She set down her bag and opened it, revealing water bottles and sandwiches. Carmen wasn’t the best cook in the world but she could manage to make simple sandwiches… at least it wouldn’t be too bad to give them food poisoning.
Distributing the water and the food she looked over to a man sitting with his back against a wall. "Hey Jared. How’s the swelling on your cheek? Better today?" she asked, tossing him a sandwich before handing out two of each to a mother and her child. Jared, 41, former teacher, got into a fight last night. He definitely wasn’t made for the streets but he would survive.
Eloise had worked a late shift because a first-time mother had gone into labor, and she couldn’t just leave the patient in distress. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, mothers were being made to give birth alone. Eloise had gotten particularly close with this patient, as her pregnancy had been quite tumultuous. So, when she’d been about to leave and she’d heard that her patient had gone into labor, of course she turned right back around and went back. And she was glad she had, because even though she’d missed the last bus to her side of the city, she’d gotten to see that new mother’s face when her baby was placed in her arms, healthy and happy. Eloise loved seeing their faces when they held their children for the first time - even in times like these, it was a beautiful thing.
Of course, that meant she found herself walking home in the middle of the night, well after curfew - didn’t really matter for her - all by herself. She wasn’t scared, really, mostly because it seemed like it was so quiet that someone would have a really hard time sneaking up on her, and there wasn’t a person in sight as far as she could see. Unless you counted the roving groups of police and military. It was a ghostly sight, seeing as no one else was around. Eloise kept her head down, doing her best to avoid being picked on. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate them, because ever since the riots she’d realized just how bad and tense things were getting. It felt like she’d had her head in the sand for the past few months. But that was just what happened as a labor nurse.
However, as she walked, she caught the sound of voices and glanced up, watching as a patrol tried to chase off a group of homeless people. She frowned, though she didn’t cross the street to interrupt. No, even though she couldn’t get in trouble for being out this late, so long as she was on her way home, she could get in trouble for interfering with the patrols. She’d heard stories of people getting arrested just for getting in the way. Eloise watched, just to make sure no one got hurt, and was about to continue on her way when she saw a woman approaching the group of people that were re-settling in their spot. Eloise recognized her almost immediately - she was good at remembering her coworkers - and a bright grin took over her face as she quickly crossed towards the gathering of people. ”Carmen!” Eloise greeted energetically, though her voice wasn’t nearly as loud as it could be. She stopped a few paces away, throwing her smile in the direction of the few individuals who actually acknowledged her arrival by glancing at her. ”Did you just get off, too? I missed the bus.” She said, sighing softly.
And then she noticed the bag with the water and food, and the various people who seemed to already get theirs. ”Do you want help?” Eloise asked, looking back at Carmen as she spoke.
[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"]
Carmen noticed some of the people in the alley shifting and scrambling to get their belongings when someone arrived. She turned around, her long, brown curls brushing her cheeks as she whipped her head around to see if it was another patrol. Like they didn’t have anything better to do than to hunt the helpless ones. She was about to snap when a familiar chirp echoed through the alley. She didn’t really have to look anymore to know who this energetic voice belonged to. The Valentine sisters were known throughout the hospital as the serotonin siblings. If anyone was in a bad mood, they could surely help.
‘Did you just get off, too? I missed the bus.’
Her hand was wrapped around a sandwich, which she might have held on to too tight because of the startle Eloise had caused. “Hey! Didn’t expect to see you here. No, I worked the night shift yesterday.” Carmen called over, mirroring the red-heads smile as she did so. She looked over at the mother and her child, giving them a friendly nod. “Don’t worry. She won’t harm you. She belongs to me.” Carmen told them, turning to look at all of the people surrounding her.
She grinned at the young girl crouching next to her mother. “She’s a unicorn, but it’s a secret between the three of us okay?” she whispered, winking at her and laughing softly before handing her a small bag of candy. “Trick or treat!” the brunette gasped playfully, getting up from her current position. She brushed some dust off of her legs and walked over to Jared, placing a hand on his shoulder while looking at Eloise. “Eloise. This is Jared. Leader of this gang.” she mused, giving him a gentle pat on his back. “If you want to help maybe you can distribute the rest of the water and food to the other guys here?”
Eloise didn’t take the fear reaction from the group as an insult, only feeling a little bad for causing anyone to panic. She was as far from a police patrol as one could get, but she could understand why a new arrival might make people a little tense - especially during times like these. Eloise closed the rest of the distance with a much more peaceful energy, still smiling broadly as Carmen announced to the entire lot that she was a friend. Watching the other woman work with the young girl, Eloise flashed the girl a small wave - she loved children most of all, which was why she’d chosen to focus on the maternity ward. If she had it in her to get back into school, she’d probably even try for pediatrics.
The red head searched the large pockets of the knitted sweater she wore over her scrubs - which were decorated with a fall leaf print all over it, the base color a deep maroon - she fished out one of the many treats she carried on her person, for whenever a child came through her ward. Crouching down to the girl’s level, Ella held out a sucker. ”And one more from the unicorn herself.” She said, her tone soft and pitched low, that energetic smile on her face slowly melting into a much more warm expression.
And then she was up again, quickly following after Carmen as she moved over to a man - whom she introduced as Jared - directing her on how she could help. The bright, thousand watt smile returned in full force. ”Yes, of course. Hello, Jared.” She wanted to step forward and reach out, clasp his hand in hers or something, and it felt like she might just explode with the urge to do so. But she’d been working on not being quite such a physical person during this pandemic. It was a daily struggle. Gathering up an arm full of said items, Eloise started to weave through the people, handing off a sandwich and bottle of water to each empty hand. Glancing over towards Carmen, she circled around until she was within normal-volume speaking range. ”So, how long have you been coming out here? And how come I wasn’t invited to help sooner?” She asked, her tone teasingly serious.
[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"]
A satisfied smile spread across the brunette’s face as she and Jared watched the ginger pass out meals and water. She nudged him with her elbow and the two of them grinned at each other before Carmen got up and walked towards an elderly woman. She opened the smaller bag, wrapped around her waist, and took out a bunch of dressings and wound disinfectant.
She was slightly taken aback by her question though, fiddling with the materials in her hands. “Umm… because-” she paused, her head bobbing in soft nods, trying to think of a good reason to tell her. She couldn’t possibly say that it’s more or less funded by a gang, even though they didn’t know about it either. Besides, Carmen never really thought about asking someone for help. Especially knowing that this could get people into trouble these days.
It really was ridiculous. While she really appreciated the lockdown to help lower case numbers and force people to stay at home, Carmen wished they would take those who didn’t have a home into consideration. Homeless shelters were overcrowded nowadays - not that they haven’t already been overly populated before the pandemic - and there was basically no place for them to go.
And Carmen knew how it felt to live out on the streets. She could empathize with them, with Jared, with the little girl and her mother. Because at some point she was just like them: someone with no place to go. No place to really call home until the Legion was founded. Those years were full of adventures but also full of pain and dread.
So, in the end, all Carmen did was to shrug as a reply as she proceeded to clean the woman’s cut on her forehead. “I don’t even remember when I started coming out here. I guess I didn’t want to drag innocent unicorns into this.” she laughed, setting aside the dirty wipe. Tilting her head slightly to the side, glancing at Eloise she gave her another shrug. “No one was bothered by them before the pandemic. But suddenly they are. Some of the police understand and turn a blind eye but the military certainly doesn’t. They don’t know the city, they don’t know the people.” Carmen continued, carefully placing the dressing over the cut. “There you go! Make sure to tell someone if you feel like you have a fever.”
Rising up from her crouch, Carmen lifted her arms over her head to stretch. She looked over at the other people sitting around, some hidden underneath their blankets and jackets. “There’s another group nearby. Do you want to join me?” she asked, turning to look at Eloise.
It had been a playful tease, not something Eloise asked actually expecting a deep answer to. But still, as she danced around the group and continued handing things, she wasn’t going to stop Carmen from trying to come up with one. She couldn’t help but giggle silently to herself, flashing that broad, cheerful smile at everyone she handed an item to. The world was much too dark to hold back her smiles. ”I’m not so innocent.” She said, playfully, turning back to Carmen. ”And if this is the new way of breaking the law, then call me a criminal.” She added, shrugging. This was important work. She was disappointed in herself that she hadn’t thought of it first.
Listening to Carmen speak about the patrols - those from local departments and from military - Eloise felt a flash of aggravation. She’d seen it, too, of course. It was easier to mistreat strangers - faces in a sea of endless faces. She shook her head sadly, handing a sandwich and drink to the final person in the group. Coming back over to Carmen, she smiled brightly.
”I think we both know the answer to that. Is this kinda like vigilante work? In that case, my code name is Robin.” Eloise gushed, the cheerful sweetness in her voice actually genuine. Eloise could be happy in the worst of times, it was a gift.
[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"]
Carmen laughed. She wished she could be as bright and full of sunshine like Eloise. Despite being a little similar the brunette was a different kind of bright. If Eloise was the sun at dawn, Carmen could be considered the sun at dusk. She lost all her childlike innocence years ago. Probably the moment she left home to escape. Sometimes the thought about how her family was doing occurred to her, quietly and sneakingly slipping into her head. Of course the moment that would happen she would swat it away like a fly. They never cared much about her. Why should she do it instead?
The brunette shook her head, dark curls bouncing around her face. “Oh no. I could never call you a criminal.” she said playfully but there was a hint of seriousness on her voice. Carmen was prepared to take the blame if things went wrong because she was the real criminal. Vigilante, however, especially the Robin part, sounded much better. Perhaps still not legal but she would never want to consider the red headed nurse as a delinquent. “If you’re Robin, I’ll be Batwoman.”
When she agreed to join Carmen nodded, turning towards Jared. “Keep an eye on the lady over there. I’ll see you around!” she told him, smiling at him and the others as she packed her bags and waved at them one last time. She turned to Eloise and gestured at her to follow, already starting to walk towards another alley.
“Those are nice people. I know everyone was hit pretty hard by this pandemic but they? They didn't have much to begin with and now… now they have nothing left. Some even considered applying for the clinical test trials for Advotex even though no one knows what could happen.”
