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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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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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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outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
Luna had the weekend off for the first time in a long time, and she still wasn’t going to take any time off to really enjoy it. Even on the days where she did work her shifts at CARE, her nights were spent either working out or roaming the streets after curfew, avoiding patrols and looking for troublemakers to take care of. In between those moments, she was eating and sleeping in probably less than healthy increments. But it was all just one big distraction. She wasn’t concerned about the pandemic, not really. Didn’t really matter to her if she got sick, and there was no one in her life. Her father had made sure of that before he died. Damn him. Even in the time since his death, she’d grown no less bitter. Hadn’t forgiven him, and now that he was gone, she’d probably never get that closure. Probably wouldn’t have gotten it even if he was still alive.
She’d had to settle for the cold feeling of revenge that had been carried out. She didn’t bother with making friends past the few acquaintances she had from her various jobs. Which is why she had time to wander the streets at night, prowling for trouble. She’d closed up the gym - which she didn’t own, but the actual owner was a nice older man who trusted her, as he’d known her for years, and didn’t want to be out during times like these - and taken a quick shower before pulling on an all-black outfit. Her hair went back in a tight bun, pulling the hood of her black zip-up to hide her face better. Her belt was pulled around her waist, outfitted with a few items she used. No gun. Just a taser, baton, and a pair of cuffs. A black mask on her face, and a pair of gloves on her hands. She was ready.
Most nights were quiet, though she’d caught a few people ever since she’d started doing this. Mostly people breaking into buildings or cars, but it still made her feel useful to be out on the streets. In her opinion, most of the patrols were power-drunk, looking to harass anyone they could rather than to keep the peace. Sure, there were good cops. Good soldiers. But so many more went into the forces because they liked control. They liked to enforce their will over others’. It was why she hadn’t made it, at least that was what she thought about her suspension and eventual termination. She couldn’t stand by and let the law or corruption dictate between right and wring, action and inaction. Law and order were very different values than justice, and they didn’t always go hand in hand.
Luna had turned a corner, catching the sound of running feet ahead of her. She watched, curious, as a group of men came out of an alley, laughing and jeering, shoving one another like boys. Quirking a brow, her gaze flicked towards the alley, waiting for the men to wander off before she approached. Turning into the alley, her gaze quickly found a figure in the shadows, but she had to move closer, taking her phone from her pocket and turning on the flashlight. Once she was able to see, she found herself looking at a man, hanging from his feet by a rope that disappeared into a window. ”Need help?” She asked, her tone flat.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Matt knew he was curious, more than that, he was too curious for his own good. He didn’t mind a good adventure but the trouble it caused him was not something he should be running after. But yet here he was, circled by a couple of shady looking men - or as he would lovingly describe them as gorillas. Compared to them he was just ferrell.
“Look, I just wanted to take some pictures of the scenery. You know? The city looks ridiculously great after curfew. You and your men you were just… in my way. You basically photobombed my pictures. I didn’t intend to get your deal on them. Or.. whatever you were doing. Exchanging candy?” Matt tried to talk his way out, scratching his head as he pretended to be innocent, his other hand clutching his camera. He cleared his throat, shifting his weight and gently dropping his camera so it rested against his chest, hanging on a strap. Holding up both hands he gestured at the group in front of him. “Everyone has a weird… kink. That’s nothing to be ashamed off.” he started, a shaky laugh following his futile attempts, perhaps he was instantly regretting his decision.
The group just growled at him and before he could react he found himself hanging upside down from the building. Matt sighed, his camera dangling in the air. He hoped the strap wouldn’t slip over his head. The group laughed and disappeared into the darkness and for a moment he just hung there, thinking about all the awful life choices he had made that forced him to end up where he was right now.
Shaking his head and those thoughts off he arched his back, trying to grab the rope by his feet but even after several attempts, he couldn’t reach it. He almost did it once but he could only grab the rope and do nothing about the knot. His phone dropped out of his pocket after his first try, just as he swung his upper body to the back to gain some momentum. “At least this makes a great story in the news.” he told himself, nodding along, closing his eyes to take a break. ‘Need help?’
Matt kept his eyes close as a voice broke through this peaceful silence. He was listening to the city soundscape which mostly consisted of sirens blaring all through the night. “Nah, I’m good.” he replied, forgetting the situation he was in. It took him a moment to remember that he wasn’t lying in his bed back at his apartment. His eyes snapped open, head turning to look for the person the voice belonged to. “Yes, no. I mean help would be very much appreciated. I’m kind of stuck right now. Not just hanging around. You know.” he uttered, gesturing at the ropes and swaying a little back and forth as he tried one more time to get to them himself. Nope. Nothing. “If you could just-”
Luna was a little surprised that his immediate response was to brush her off, which made her balk in surprise, raising her brows at him. Though he might not be able to see her all that well with her shining a light at him. She made a movement as if to turn and leave - he’d said he was good, after all - only to pause and look at him curiously as he quickly changed his mind. One brow still raised questioningly, Luna approached him, shining the light upwards so she could see and so she wasn’t blinding him. ”Be ready to catch yourself.” She told him, reaching down to her boot to slip a knife out of it before reaching up and sawing at the rope holding him prisoner. She was through in just a short few moments, stepping back from him as soon as she was through.
Looking at him curiously, she glanced back down the alley, just to make sure there wasn’t anyone that might try to sneak up on them and cause further issues. She took careful note of the camera hanging from the guy’s neck, wondering if he’d been snooping. A private investigator maybe? Even more reason for her to quickly end this encounter. ”You’re lucky those guys didn’t just beat you or worse, you know.” She told him, her tone serious. If he was a PI, he should be a little better at not getting caught, right?
Inhaling audibly, she shrugged her shoulders. ”Well, if you’re okay now, I’m just gonna….go.” She said, slowly, gesturing towards the alley. She turned off the light she had, shoving her phone back in her back pocket as she made her way quickly down the alley. She had more important things to do tonight.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] ‘Be ready to catch yourself.’
Matteo swallowed, sending up a silent prayer that he wouldn’t fall and break his neck. The height wasn’t that tragic but with his non-existent luck, one could never know. The rope wiggled slightly, swaying him back and forth, as the blade cut through it. Here we go, he thought, hands ready to catch himself. Catch yourself. That was easier said than done. He somehow managed to faceplant the ground, rubbing dirt into his face.
He laid there for a good thirty seconds before pushing himself up with his hands, reaching for his face to brush off the dirt. His next thought, of course, was the camera slung around his neck. Worried eyes checked if it survived the drop, hoping he didn’t smash it as he was being freed from hanging upside down. A phew passed through his lips at the relieving sight of a non-broken camera. His company definitely wouldn’t like to replace it. Not during these difficult times.
Once he was done examining it, he turned his attention towards his savior. “Thanks.” he uttered quickly, the word almost stumbling out of his mouth. A nervous laugh followed, although, he tried to mask it with innocence. He didn’t really do anything to those guys… at least not something that deserved him hanging from the window tied to a rope. This wasn’t Gotham after all. “Hahaha. Oh no, this wasn’t my first encounter with them. I just kinda… like to annoy them you know. They know me. I know them. We’re sorta friends…” he said, shrugging as if it was nothing.
“Hey, let me get your contact details-” the brunette started, gaze dropped to look at his messenger bag as he scrambled around to find his notepad and pen or his phone, but the mess inside the bag was huge. He made a mental note to declutter it once he was home which he probably wouldn’t do anyway. As he raised his head to look at her, her back was already turned towards him and he watched her walk away.
He quickly stuffed back all the unnecessary things back inside the bag. His hands full of old receipts, fresh gum, notes he made here and there, something that looked like what could have been a quarter of a sandwich only rockhard. Tossing that one out without further thoughts his legs carried him after her in a light jog. “Hey, hey, hey. What’s your name? I can make this a big story in tomorrow’s newspaper if you want. It would be a hit!” he told her, voice raised to make sure she heard him. Matteo could already see the headline in his mind.
