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.
Aelin was shivering. The cold autumn air was cutting through the long coat she had worn. It wasn't her warmest jacket, but it was her longest and she needed that coverage because there was no way in hell her father would have allowed her out of the house in the dress she was wearing. Not to mention it would have completely given her away as well. She got word of a secret party that a classmate was throwing in the metro station. Down the tunnel, first alcove on the left, up the stairs and through the double doors on the end. Apparently someone knew someone who worked there and didn't mind leaving some doors unlocked for a price. She had counted down the days.
And fortunately for her, her father had been swamped with "duties" so her normal guard, Casey, had been on assignment with him instead of her. It was fortunate because out of all of her father's guards, he was the only one who could always see through her tricks. There was no ditching him, but the new guy, Alex? She lost him blocks ago.
Aelin pulled her jacket tighter around herself and hurried into the metro station. She stuck to the edge of the walls, feigning an interest in posters and ads as she waited for the few people who were standing around to get on the train. As they boarded and left, Aelin glanced around quickly before climbing down into the darkened subway opening.
Her feet moved fast as she followed the directions along the cold tunnel, tripping just once. She made it to the stairs and opened the door, the pulse of loud music calling to her. She shrugged the jacket off as she opened the doors at the end, a smile playing on her lips. There were at least fifty people dancing, laughing, living inside. Music blared and lights flashed as she made her way deeper into the crowd. Bodies were pushing against bodies as she wound her way through the cluster of people. She had a self-satisfied smile on her lips as she thought about what her father would have to say about this.
As a guy walked past, carrying an armful of red, plastic cups she grabbed one, swallowing the bitter alcohol down with a small wince. It was awful, but hey, you only lived once. At least that's what she reminded herself as she took another swallow. She had just started to dance, to sway in rhythm to the music when the sound of sirens blared over the music. Shouting and screaming erupted and people began shoving this way and that. She caught the word "raid" before someone shoved into her hard, her body falling to the ground.
”Are you sure this is a good idea?” He shouted the words over the beat of the music, it didn’t matter his friend Brad was already laughing. Brad shoved a drink into his hand, he watched the other mouth the words lighten up. He wasn’t even sure how he had gotten here; a couple of drinks had led to a metro ride and now he was here. Brad was a wild child, he should have known better than to trust him to pick the nights activities. Thomas was left alone on the packed dance floor as Brad found a pretty, tipsy, blonde to dance with. Brad shot Thomas a thumbs up from his position on the dance floor, as if that would make up for him being ditched.
The music was loud, he could feel the base in his bones. Lights flickered on and off to the beat of the music. There was a wild energy that filled the space. It was hard not to get sucked into the energy of it all. His feet stuck to the floor from spilt drinks. There was at least fifty people packed together, what if one of them was infected? This was the perfect environment for a super spreader to take them all out. He shook his head, not allowing the thought to take hold.
Thomas brought the red cup to his lips, drinking back the contents. Thomas picked up another cup as it passed, tipping those contents back as well. Trying to give himself some liquid courage as he was pulled deeper into the bodies on the dance floor. He moved his body the best he could, he was an awkward dancer at best. But the thrash of bodies around him told him it didn’t matter, everyone was just trying to have a good time. Everyone was just trying to forget what their lives had turned into.
He wasn’t sure how long it had been when he heard the sirens, people began to scream. There was a chaotic energy that set in. People were running for the exits, trying to get out before the police descended on them. Thomas’s body was shoved this way and that as people rushed past him. No one cared, he could see the back of Brads head as he exited the space. It would seem it was every man for himself. Thomas was forced towards the door with the crowd, he almost tripped on the body on the floor. People were stepping over her, their goal to get out as fast as possible.
Thomas reached down, helping her to her feet even as the bodies around him shoved him. ”You okay?” He yelled the words as he got her to her feet, keeping her close as the crowd threatened to send them both to the ground. ”Common!” He shouted the word as he tried his best to help her towards the door. The music had cut out and all that could be heard was screaming and the sound of sirens. There was no comradery now to the crowd, it was every man for himself and it showed.
There were two ways out and they were both bottle necked with people, Thomas looked around in a wild motion. Trying to see another way out. The DJ and other event staff were leaving out a door behind the makeshift stage. Thomas pointed, dropping his head so that his mouth was closer to her ear so that she could hear him. ”There!” They would have to fight against the stream of people, but it was better than being stuck in the bottle neck or to run directly into the police.
Aelin's body hit the ground and she scrambled to get back on her feet. This wasn't her first time being somewhere that she wasn't supposed to be, disobeying orders and rules. She had seen how quickly things could turn and knew that if she didn't get back onto her feet, she was likely to get seriously hurt or killed in the stampede of people. She barely made it to her knees when someone knocked into her, causing a quick yelp to leave her lips. She found herself sprawling again as finally, mercifully, someone leaned down, parting the sea of people and asking if she was okay. Aelin nodded, "Yeah, thanks." She tried to reply over the sound of people shouting.
The guy shouted for her to come along and follow him and she nodded, grabbing for his hand. The sirens were growing louder and the two of them were pushed along with the crowd. The doors weren't large enough for the huge mass that was trying to exit at once and she wondered, if they were caught, how she could possibly get away with this.
There would be no hiding her actions if she was taken into the police station. There was no quick-thinking plan that she could have at her disposal. If she ended up in cuffs, she was done for. Especially once the tabloids got ahold of the story. That was all best-case scenario. Worst case was that they didn't get to leave the underground thrown-together club at all. She pushed that last thought away as he moved close to her, his voice standing out against the crowd. She nodded and followed his direction.
They were essentially fish swimming in the opposite direction of the stream, but she stayed close to him, trying to weave in between people instead of just barreling their way across. She was pushed roughly once, her hand almost getting pulled from his, but they both held firm. The guy seemed to have a direction in mind and as he was currently her best chance at making it out, she stuck to him as close as she could get.
When they made it to the small stage area she noticed the second exit. Still holding onto his hand, she found herself following along, out of the second door, up a darkened set of stairs and through a hallway. They almost made it to the exit, the red-lit sign glowing at the other end of the hall. As they were half-way there however, the sound of policemen yelling orders became louder. She realized they wouldn't make it.
Aelin stopped, tugging his hand so he'd follow her. She ran back in the direction they came, turning the knob on the first door that they had passed and stepping inside. The lights were off, but she could make out what looked like a supply closet, the smell of chemicals enveloping her. She waited for the guy to come in and she closed the door quietly, locking it from the inside.
Her chest was rising and falling rapidly from the running and the adrenaline. She moved to the nearest wall, closing her eyes as she listened to the police move through the hallway. They poured through two, maybe three seconds after the door had locked. She counted at least two different voices, but guessed that there was probably more. She waited until the sound of their footsteps passed before she spoke up in the dark, "Thank you...for getting me out of there."
Her hand found his in the chaos. He held onto her as tightly as she gripped him. He tried to shield her the best he could as they moved. The bodies moving against them weren’t kind. His body was thrown this way and that as they moved. He kept his attention on the exit behind the stage. People were panicked, running for the biggest opening they could. He and whoever he had picked up were the only ones not making their way to an obvious exit. This was a gamble and if it didn’t work out it would be on him. Thomas had no idea what was behind the door to the rear of the stage. It had to be better than being bottle necked in with the rest of the people at the party.
He was a biochemist, working for one of the top research companies. What would it look like if he was caught here? What would happen if he was arrested? How would it look for someone like him to be at a supposedly secret underground party? Not good. If he was caught and arrested, it wasn’t going to be a slap on his hand. He couldn’t let that happen.
They didn’t let go of each other as they moved through the door. It was dark in the hallway, he almost tripped going up the stairs. He could hear his heartbeat in his head as they ran. The end was in sight, the harsh red glow of the exit sign seemed to mock them. They were almost to the door, a few more strides and they would be through it.
Thomas came to a stop as the female did. He could hear them now, police coming toward them through the door before them. His chest worked from the effort of running. Shit. It was the only thing that rattled through his mind. He was frozen, staring at the door. Her hand was still in his, she was the one pulling him now. Back the way they had come, he wanted to protest. Going back the way they had come wouldn’t help. But it was better than facing the police head on, maybe they could go back- they could hide under the stage maybe. His mind was racing trying to figure out an option.
She opened a door, pulling him inside with her. As soon as he was inside, he heard the click of the doors lock. Her hand left his, he could hear her shuffle in the room. It was dark, he strained to see even though there was no light except for what filtered in through the crack under the door. They were in a supply closet, the smell of chemicals hit him full force as he entered. He tried to slow his breathing as he heard the police approaching. Every muscle in his body tensed as they moved past the door, one little door separated them from being caught.
He was listening to the sounds outside the door. The officers moving past and into the underground club. He wasn’t sure how long they were in silence before she spoke, pulling his attention to her in the darkness. She hadn’t moved from her position near the far wall. ”I should be thanking you, I didn’t even see this closet.” He had been so focused on getting out he hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings.
”How long do you think we should stay here?” They could make a run for it, or they could stay and wait it out. They had no idea how many officers were here. They had no idea where they were staged or how big this operation was, how many were waiting outside for squirters? There was no telling how thoroughly they would search the space. ”Either way, my names Thomas. I’m really starting to wish I hadn’t been dragged here tonight.” The last words were almost a grumble. He would be giving Brad hell for this.
The shouting and sounds of moving feet began dulling to a soft echo and Aelin found herself wondering how long they would have to stay in the room. It looked like their luck was holding, at least for the moment. The officers didn't seem to be too worried about checking every room, she didn't hear any other doors opening but she knew that could change at any minute. Once the people in the club were apprehended it would be a coin toss to see if they continued looking for more.
His voice pulled her thoughts back into the room and she shrugged in the dark. "It's the only positive side effect of having someone watching you 24/7. The exits stand out." She let her mind wander to the guard whose care she had slipped out from. She wondered if he had raised the alarm that she was missing yet. She doubted it. It would mean almost instant dismissal. She hoped he had kept the knowledge to himself, buying her a little more time to sneak back in, pending she made it out of this place without being in handcuffs.
He asked how long she thought they'd need to stay, echoing her thoughts and she listened to the noises outside for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure." She stood up and moved back to the door, straining to hear voices. The door was too solid to hear much though. "Hopefully they'll round up everyone and leave. Do you know when the station opens up for the day?" They were in a cleaning closet, so at least it wasn't the breakroom which could be filled with people when shifts were up. Still, they needed to get out of here before the work crews came in. That or leave after their arrival to blend in. Aelin pulled her cell out, it was on airplane mode so it couldn't be tracked, but she could work the flashlight feature. She scanned the room once, to make sure there wasn't any windows.
He mentioned his name was Thomas and she grinned in the dark when he complained about coming. "Nice to meet you. I'm Aelin." Sure it had been a stupid idea, but that was what life was about wasn't it? She walked over to where he was, choosing to sit down with a few feet of space between them. She put her phone in the middle so they'd have a little light. The door to the room was solid and she doubted the phone's little light could be seen from outside. "Why? Is dancing not your thing?" She watched him, a friendly smile still on her lips. She didn't regret tonight, at least not at the moment. Had she been handcuffed? Sure. But at least right now, she had no regrets on her choices.
Aelin leaned over so her dress wouldn't ride up and slipped her high heels off. The dress was going to be ruined, but she didn't care. She was still hoping for the chance to sneak back into the house so she wouldn't have to explain it off. She set the shoes to the side, thankful that they were now off and put her attention back to Thomas. "So, are you from here?" He looked to be about her age, if not maybe a few years older. She didn't think she had ever seen him before, though that wasn't a surprise. Unless he ran in the same small political circles she did there wasn't a high chance of her knowing him. Little exposure to the outside world was yet another reason why she couldn't wait to leave her metaphorical prison.
His attention went to her as she spoke, she had noticed the exits. The statement left him with more questions than answers. Who was she that she needed to be watched? He didn’t personally know anyone with a bodyguard. It seemed like a little bit of an outdated thing. He wasn’t even sure what kind of person would need a bodyguard. If that was in fact the type of person who was watching her. ”Guess I’ve never had to be the type of person to look for them.” He admitted, more curious then before.
She echoed his concern and questions. How long with this take? How long would the raid last for? How long until someone came and found them? She questioned when the station would open, ”curfews over at six am. The trains start running about an hour before for non civilians that need to get to work.” Thomas pulled out his own phone looking to the lock screen for the time. ”We have a couple of hours till it opens.” He shoved his phone back into his pocket as she illuminated the space around them with her own phone.
He glanced to the door, as if someone was going to break it down at any second. He had no idea how long they would be in here, introducing himself seemed like a good option. His eyes were on her as she stepped forward, closer to him in the small space. She offered her name, Aelin. She set her phone down as a light source, the light caught all the angles of her face from bellow. She was young than him by a couple of years, but not much. She sat, making herself comfortable on the floor a few feet from him. He glanced at the door before he made his way to the floor as well. Sitting facing her, keeping the distance she had place between them.
The smile on her face helped to put his nerves at ease. He couldn’t help but offer a smile back when she asked him about dancing. Even though they were locked in a supply closet she seemed to be in high spirits. ”Not exactly. Always been more of a beer holding head bobber.” He went on after a slight pause. ”A friend dragged me out, he of course took off at the first sign of a pretty face. I guess I’m just questioning why I would put myself at risk over a party. I don’t know if you’ve heard but theres this virus going around.” His words were a tease as he spoke, everyone knew about the virus. It was kinda the hot topic around the world.
He drummed his fingers against his knees, feeling the nervous energy of knowing he was trapped here. He knew that it would be a long few hour’s if they didn’t talk, but he didn’t know what to talk about. The weather? That seemed boring at best. Aelin broke the silence as she popped off her heels, she wanted to know if he was from around here. ”Born and raised,” he started off knowing he couldn’t leave it at that he went on. ”Went to Lethford High School, than the university. Im guessing Im a few years older than you because I don’t recognize you. I was in Cadets for years, my dad wanted me to be a solider. I didn’t exactly live up to expectations.” He admitted, there was always the chance she wasn’t from here. ”What about you? Im guessing you ditched whoever was watching you? Please don’t tell me you are a princess or something.” He inquired after her earlier comment, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Aelin didn't reply to the comment he made about not being the type to have someone watching over him. He was most definitely a public school kid. Not that she had anything against that type of education. It was just all too common for people in her circles to have at least one layer of security. Especially with how the world was working lately. There were people losing their jobs, needing money desperately for the very basic of supplies and food. Wealthy people like her family were all too aware of the precarious nature that put their lives in.
She was relieved when Thomas spoke, knowing the train times. She had to admit that he was more than likely right, they would be here for a few more hours. Aelin had decided to make herself comfortable and she watched as he did the same, sitting in the spot near her, but not too close. It was a little silly, the more she thought about it. She had just been dancing shoulder to shoulder with a ton of strangers, it was a little odd to now give distance between her and him. She didn't want to make him any more nervous than he already looked though.
She had grinned and he had grinned back. He had a nice smile. She thought he looked much cuter with it than the nervous look he had been sporting earlier. Aelin gave a soft chuckle at his idea of dancing. "Well, at least you'll have a phenomenal story to tell when this is all over. That beats staying at home and drinking a beer alone right?" She ran a hand through her hair, gently finger-combing out the tangle that must have occurred from her being shoved to the ground.
She listened as he spoke, thinking over what he said about the party. It was true of course, and sure, when you wrote it out, it might sound ridiculous to go to a place like this during a pandemic but that didn't mean life should cease to be exciting. "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences." She retorted. Aelin had written a paper on Eleanor Roosevelt, the quote coming easily to her mind. "I don't think she had a secret dance club in mind when she said that but I think it still applies." And that, in essence, was a quote that she liked to live by. That and almost everything Oscar Wilde was quoted for as well.
Aelin leaned back, her palms on the ground as she listened to him say where he was from. She was right, he had been a public school kid. When he mentioned the cadets and being a soldier her chin tilted ever so slightly, curious. "What do you do instead?" She could write novel upon novel on fathers and their damning expectations.
Thomas then asked if she was a princess and she found herself laughing softly in the quiet space between them. She shook her head, "No. I am definitely not a princess. My dad is the mayor, which comes along with the wonderful prize of always having a bodyguard around." She rolled her eyes on the last part before continuing, "Tonight one of the new guys was in charge however, so I was able to slip out pretty easily." She shrugged before flipping her hair behind her, off her shoulders. "I was born here. Attended a private school in the next city over, and then studied at Harvard. I planned on traveling once I graduated but clearly the virus had other plans."
She had such big dreams, so many things she wanted to see and do. She had thought she would finally be free of this place. It seemed Lethford wasn't ready to let her go yet.
Aelin took off the small handbag that remained slung over one shoulder, which was a miracle in and of itself that it hadn't been lost in the scramble like her jacket currently was. Opening it up, she dug around until she found her pen, taking it a small 3x5 notepad out.
She made four lines on the paper to create a tic-tac-toe board and put it on the ground. She scooted it so that it was between then and spoke up, "Want to play? Before you agree though, if I win I get to ask you any question I want and if you win, same goes for you. No lying and no skipping the question." She was grinning as she held the pen aloft for him to take, if he decided to take her up on the game. Was it juvenile? Maybe, but it beat sitting in silence for the next four hours.
She seemed to still think that this was all better than staying home. He wasn’t so sure, if he was at home he would be sleeping and not having to hide in a chemical filled supply closet with a stranger. He didn’t answer her right away on if this had all been worth it. She pressed on, speaking a familiar quote, it took him half a second to figure out the source. ”Eleanor Roosevelt?” He questioned as he glanced to her. By the way she spoke he had the feeling that she didn’t get out that much. If she had someone watching over her than he doubted she had free reign to do what she wanted.
Her eyes were on him as he spoke, it felt weird to tell a total stranger his story. Even if it was a better way to pass time in the supply closet than sitting in silence. She wanted to know what he did, he shrugged. ”Biochemist, not super exciting.” He spoke the words in a offhanded way, trying not to linger on the topic. Peoples eyes tended to glaze over when he spoke about science, it wasn’t exciting or thrilling. For him it was, but others tended to lose interest quickly. His father sure had.
Half joking as he asked if she was a princess, he really hoped she wasn’t. If the police were concerning whoever was pledged to be her bodyguard would be worse. She laughed though, a light noise that set him at ease. They were both careful to keep the volume of their voices down. There was no telling when someone would walk by the door.
His brows rose in surprise as she admitted that she was the daughter of the mayor. How her father had assigned her a bodyguard, it seemed extreme, but it also made sense. He blinked; it all made a little more sense. Her want to explore, to be free even during a global pandemic. She had slipped her guard and come here, her quote from earlier seemed to make more sense as to her motive. ”So, basically a princess of the city.” He couldn’t help but joke, at least that’s how it seemed to be. ”Harvard, of course.” He laughed, his smile coming easier now. ”Please don’t tell me you studied law, Im already way out of my league.” His words were a tease, but there was some truth to them.
He watched with interest as she pulled out a little note pad and started to write on it. Or rather draw he noted as she lay the little book between them. She wanted to play a game he hadn’t played since he was a child. But there was a twist that came with it. If she won, she could ask him anything. Thomas looked from her to the pad of paper. ”Anything?” He questioned knowing that he would have to break the rules of the game before even starting. He couldn’t tell her anything about his work, at least in regard to the secret trial Prism was conducting.
Hesitating a moment before he took the pen from her, ”deal.” He held the pen for a moment, examining the tic-tac-toe board between them. He drew an X in the middle of the grid, then extended the pen back to her. ”You better not be some master class tic-tac-toe player.” He joked, scooting a little closer to the pad and her so he wouldn’t have to lean so far the next time it was his turn. ”You wouldn’t take advantage of me like that would you?” His tone was light, teasing, the smile easy on his lips as he glanced from her to the pad.
A grin lit up Aelin's face as Thomas guessed the author of the quote. She nodded, "Yeah. Are you a history buff or a literature fan?" She asked him curiously. She made a mental guess that he was a lit fan. There was nothing truly telling on him either way, it wasn't like something along the lines of football where you could take an educated guess based on physical attributes. Nope, just conjecture on her part.
He casually mentioned he was a biochemist, skirting over the title like it wasn't anything of importance and her eyes widened slightly, her lips giving a playful grin. "Oh come on. That's immensely interesting." She continued on, "Especially right now. You're kind of on the front lines, just in a different way, if you really think about it." She tilted her head to the side as she continued speaking, "It definitely beats being a boring soldier." She shrugged. Not that she had anything against soldiers of course. She was thankful for them, on the odd occasion that she did think about them. It just wasn't exactly a career choice that she could ever picture anyone purposefully wanting to join.
"So why do you like it?" She asked, genuinely curious. It certainly was a small world. Here she was, barricaded in a cleaning closet with a stranger who had also defied his parents career wishes. It was kismet. Either that or perhaps that having crappy parents was more common that she thought.
She glanced away briefly when the realization of who she was sunk in. She hated that part. The part where normal people put her into the rich-kid brat box and filed her away under naïve and spoiled. He called her a princess of the city and she cringed, meeting his face again, "God no. I would have to run away if that were true."
Thankfully, the subject moved onto her studies and she found the light smile returning to her face. A small shake of her head answered his question. "I am a fan of debate, but no." She felt a lump in her throat, debating on actually telling him her degree or not. He would quite literally be one of the only people in the entire city who knew. Then again, it wasn't like he could tell anyone anything anyway so what did she have to lose? Aelin cleared her throat, "Journalism, actually." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, glancing again at him to gauge the reaction. Not that she figured he would care either way. It wasn't like he knew her or anything about her.
She focused her attention back to the drawing in between them. He asked if she actually meant anything and she nodded, "Anything." She held the pen out, almost certain he'd turn her down. Especially after clarifying the rules. To her surprise, however, he agreed and took the pen from her. She was pleased he had taken her up on it. Not only would that have made their time a lot more awkward if he hadn’t, it also would have been hella boring.
She laughed softly when he made a joke and she grinned, "Yeah, it's actually my side hustle, professional Tic-Tac-Toe shark. There's a secret ring that meets the third Tuesday of the month." She watched him make an X in the middle and she took the pen from him. Aelin placed an O on the top left of the board and handed the pen back over. He moved forward and she found herself grinning again as he teased. "If I were going to do that, I would have challenged you to strip tic-tac-toe or something. Q and A is getting off easy." She smirked, her tone mimicking his.
”More of a lit fan, but I watch the history channel way too much.” He admitted, with a half smile on his lips. He had always been a bit of a nerd, enjoying the company of a book over people. He tried to say his job title as quickly as possible. Trying to pull as little attention to it as possible. He didn’t like to talk about his work, what he did. Most people found it boring, but the real reason was because he couldn’t really talk about his work.
He couldn’t help but shake his head with a little laugh, ”not that interesting trust me.” He pressed not willing to make it sound cool in anyway. ”I wouldn’t say were on the front lines. I’ll leave that title to the nurses, doctors, and the police. Were just squinting into microscopes.” He shrugged as he spoke, humble to the core and not willing to take anything. He wanted to talk about anything other than what he did for work. ”My father would disagree with you, he was a solider and so was my brother. It was set in stone that was what we were supposed to be and I didn’t fall in line.” There was a sad smile on his lips.
She wanted to know why he liked it. He paused, a look of consideration on his features as he processed her question. Why did he like it? It seemed like such a simple question, yet he had to figure out how to put it into words. ”I like it because its science, I know that’s a pretty broad reason but- its just the process of it I guess. The discovery of it, the unknown of it. Science follows rules, it has structure and it makes sense.” He shrugged, knowing how boring it all made him sound.
He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him as she made a face at him for calling her the princess of the city. Her discomfort to her position and her father seemed to be the same as him talking about his job. He pressed on changing the subject, trying to keep it light. He couldn’t help but tease her about the school she had gone too. He was already out of his league, she was the mayors daughter.
”Journalism? Really?” He couldn’t help but tilt his head to consider her for a moment. ”Going to take on the world with paper and a pencil?” He couldn’t help but ask, teasing but serious. ”You seem like someone who wouldn’t be able to leave well enough alone.” He offered with a smile, she seemed like the type who wouldn’t stop until she knew the truth. Until everyone knew the truth, that was a dangerous trait to have.
He hated the way his face hurt from smiling, he hated how at ease he felt locked in a supply closet. She had a way of putting people at ease, it would come in handy if she became a journalist. ”Not so secret now is it?” He spoke the words with a smile as she drew her circle in the top left corner. His eyes scanning the paper and planning his next move. He took the pen as she spoke, building off his tease. He couldn’t help the feeling of heat that creeped into his neck at her words. He was grateful for the low lighting and having the paper to focus on. He couldn’t respond for a moment he wasn’t sure what to make of her words. Was she serious? Or was she just teasing him? He knew he was putting way too much thought into the comment. ”Well, thanks for going easy on me.” He spoke the words as he drew an X in the top middle of the board. He had two in a row now. He offered the pen back to her.
”How much trouble will you get in for coming here?” He couldn’t help but ask, glad to have something else to focus on as the heat receded. ”I mean, if they find out.” He couldn’t imagine what her life was like. To have people watching your every move. ”Or am I not allowed to ask anything till I win?” He cocked a brow up at her as he questioned the rules of the game. A small smirk on his lips.
Aelin nodded appreciatively, chuckling at his comment. If she was being honest, she wasn't the biggest history fan. Sure she could appreciate it on occasion, and she had gotten high marks in her studies, but she was much, much more interested in the present. All of the books in the world couldn't drum up the thrill of something happening in the present. The literal action of history in the making. She'd take that over any old history book any day of the week.
He shrugged off his job and Aelin knew she shouldn't press. He clearly wasn't very comfortable discussing his career path, but she wouldn't exactly be herself if she ignored her curiosity. He was a bit of an oddity. Usually people who had taken careers like his would drone on and on about their latest discoveries and tests and whatnot. At least the few who she had the displeasure of being around. Thomas, on the other hand, seemed uncomfortable with discussing it. Which naturally made it more and more interesting to her.
He began to talk about his father and she listened quietly as the reasoning behind his discomfort became something all too familiar. She knew that feeling. The feeling of letting down people who you loved. The anger at them for putting you in that impossible situation. "Well, it's your life, not theirs. At the end of the day, we're responsible for our own happiness. No one else is." At least that was what she told herself at night. When she was feeling guilty for blatantly lying about her passion. When she was feeling like a coward for pretending to be someone she wasn't. Maybe one day she'd be able to listen to her own advice.
Thomas chuckled, seemingly surprised at her choice of career and she let the attention move back to her. She found herself, oddly enough, at ease about disclosing all of it. He wasn't speaking with surprise paired with disappointment, more like surprise with curiosity which she could handle. She shook her head at the paper and pen comment but before she could say anything else he jokingly mentioned her not leaving well enough alone and she found herself moving her hand to her mouth, stifling a genuine laugh. "That might be….very accurate." She grinned.
She was enjoying his company a lot more than she had previously thought. "Photojournalism actually. I want to see everything. Try everything. Be in the middle of everything. You name it." She wanted to see it all and capture it all. Put it all on film and paper for the girls like her stuck in small towns dreaming of something bigger. Was it cheesy? Absolutely, but it was the truth.
She drew her circle and smirked when he matched her little quip, "Damn, you're right. Now I suppose you have no choice but to join us." She watched as he placed his second X and replied, perhaps a little more awkward than before. She didn't press on the matter, instead she took the pen from him as he asked about her getting into trouble. Aelin made an O on the paper, blocking his chance of winning. A normal girl might have let him win the first round, he was clearly more concerned about their situation than she was and one question didn't matter much. That wasn't Aelin though. Even if realistically she couldn't win, she wasn't going to allow him to win willingly.
She handed the pen back over, a smirk matching his, "Till ? Awful bold of you to assume you'll get the chance to win." She was playing of course, a grin on her lips before she thought about the question and shrugged, "A lot. Probably. I guess it'd depend on if I was booked, if the lawyers could pay off the arresting officers in time. If not, then…" Then she would be charged, booked, and it would officially be game over. "Then I guess I'd get to find out what it's like disappointing a parent." She let her mind go down that road for just a moment. The choice of being honest with her father and who she was taken away as it would be forced for him to see. For everyone to see really. No hiding it after that.
"God did that sound as horribly privileged as I think it did?" She managed a small chuckle, trying to get the conversation back to something light. The last thing she figured he needed was the mayor's kid having an existential crisis. "You're not going to go all TMZ and call the press after this are you?" She playfully smirked, thought the idea wasn't totally unfounded.
He tried ignore his fathers disappointment, he tried to ignore the fact that they hadn’t spoke since Thomas’s twin brother Charles had died three years ago. They were the only ones left, he and his father. He hadn’t expected family dinner nights or weekly phone calls, but he had expected his father to pick him over the bottle. He pushed the thought from his mind, not willing to dwell on it.
He couldn’t help but smile as she admitted he might be right. He had a feeling he was, she had lived a sheltered life and now she wanted out. She wanted to explore and to live. She seemed like the type that would dig into something until she was satisfied with the answer. She was dangerous in that sense. Her drive would lead her to things she didn’t want to know about the world. ”Photojournalism, so you want to be the one to capture the moments for the rest of us. Seems like a noble career choice.” He admitted, a little impressed that she wanted to get into the thick of it all. She wanted to be the one in the action, Thomas was fine living on the side lines.
”I like my chances.” He was glad to focus on her next move instead of the heat in his neck. Her well placed O blocked his possible win. He took the pen and examined the note pad as he questioned her about their situation. He had a feeling that she would get in a lot more trouble than he would, she was the mayors daughter. That came with weight, that coupled with the fact that she had skirted her guard to come here. He placed his X under her top left O. He offered the pen back to her, considering her.
”It sounded a little privileged.” He offered but smiled all the same. ”Who Aelin? Never met her, seems like a cool chick but I’ve never been locked in a supply closet with her.” He joked as if someone had asked him about their interaction today. He lifted three fingers on his right hand for good measure. ”Scouts honor.” Thomas went on, dropping his hand. ”Besides I don’t even know what a TMZ is. Is that some new form of Mutant Ninja Turtles I don’t know about?” He was half joking half serious, he had to assume it was some kind of news paper.
Aelin gave a dry chuckle when Thomas said it was a noble profession. "Not from the world that I come from." In her small circle of prep-school friends who had graduated together, eight had turned out to be doctors, four had gone into banking, four into politics, and three into managing fortune 500 companies. If they had known she had taken her college courses and chosen a much different plan for her life, they would have all pitied her. Maybe even asked if it was a rebel phase or if she was on drugs. She would, without a shadow of a doubt, be looked at as the failure of her small group. And that was just within that little friend group. Her father and his tight circle of stuffy figureheads was a much more critical bunch.
Thomas admitted that it had sounded a little snobby and Aelin felt the heat come to her cheeks, utterly thankful that the room was being lit with a little cell phone. "Sorry. I promise I'm not usually as pompous as that sounded." She hoped at least. Sure, you couldn't exactly help that your upbringing shaped the person that you ultimately became, but she liked to think she had more of a down-to-earth vibe than most of her prep-school friends. She had no issues wearing outfits out of season or taking the bus when she needed to evade security.
Aelin studied the lines on the paper and quickly amassed that the odds were high that there wouldn't be a winner. She placed her O blocking his X, in the right middle box. She tapped the pen lightly on the ground in thought before tilting her head to the side and holding the pen out to him. "hmm. I think, in the event of no winners…we each get to ask one question. Fair?" She had a small smirk on her lips, her question all ready to go in her mind of course. She was nothing if not prepared.
She watched him with a grin on her lips as he promised not to tell the press anything. She knew he probably thought she was being vain and a little silly but she knew all too well how media could make or break someone. "So you're not a Kardashian fan? Very surprising Thomas the biochemist." She teased him playfully. Aside from being cute, he was fitting very uniformly into the introverted scientist role.
