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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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"]two paper moons hanging on the night ceiling sometimes to be seen, or unseen
[attr="class","dilyric3"]as it please
[attr="class","dibody3"] Christian hurried after a group of people but they dispersed so quickly he barely followed one of them until they vanished in direction of a closeby subway station entrance. He jogged back to where he came from, where he saw them.
His flashlight was aimed at one of the paintings or rather, graffitis, on the wall. He inspected it carefully, the spray paint still wet and dripping drown the stones. Whoever had done that must be nearby somewhere. The talk of solo artists or a group of artists spreading their anti-law enforcement pictures all over Lethford City had already reached the police department a while ago. He saw a couple of hate messages painted on buildings cooperating with the police and military but never really gave it any thought. People always had something to be mad about and hatred against law enforcement was old news.
“Damnit someone sprayed graffiti on our car. We’re so doomed. Where are you anyway?!” Christian heard his partner speak on the radio. He tilted his head slightly, scrunching his nose as he turned off the flashlight for a brief moment. Actually doing my job unlike you, he quietly thought to himself. “I saw suspicious activity nearby. Your little restroom break took too long. Couldn’t bother to wait.” the young officer replied, mentally rolling his eyes in slight annoyance at his partner. The two of them weren’t best friends and the chances of them becoming best friends were very, very low. They just accepted each other as it was, not able to change or switch partners anyhow.
Christian’s sense of duty was stronger and more distinct than his. Plus, he was fitter. Much fitter. He would be up and in the car within a second. His partner, however, would slog after him like a slug. There were times when Christian would have loved to drive off without him, but he couldn’t. He sadly wasn’t allowed to.
“Suspect spotted. Trailing on foot. Stay by the car!” he said, adding some curses after taking his thumb off the button. Christian took off, a light jog turning into a sprint within moments. This was going to be a breeze, he thought, and perhaps hoped. The heels of his black duty boots trudged against the ground as he rushed after the silhouette of a woman. “Lethford City Police Department! Stop!”
“I said STOP.” He was already listing all the charges inside his head: disorderly conduct, public vandalism, vandalism against government property, fleeing and attempting to elude police. He followed without a break, fast but carefully turning the corner as they did. Whoever was trying to outrun him, seemed to be slowing down. It shouldn’t take him long to catch up. If he could get just a little closer he could attempt to tackle them. But he was too far away, still.
“I can do this all night long if you don’t stop!” he yelled, his breath staggering ever so slightly. He was going to pursue that person to the other side of the city if he had to. There was no way he would let someone escape. “Wanna bet who lasts longer?!”
[attr="class","ditags3"]@gwen - hope this is okay. btw, do whatever you want lmao throw trash at him, spray paint at him, throw the spray paint can at him, kick him pfft
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]two paper moons hanging on the night ceiling sometimes to be seen, or unseen
[attr="class","dilyric3"]as it please
[attr="class","dibody3"] Christian nodded along as his partner kept talking about his failed attempt at having his neighbor arrested for not abiding the law and throwing parties. "I mean I get annoyed by calls like this too but he's having people over every single day and doesn't give a frick about the pandemic. It's because of people like him it's getting worse." he rambled, slapping the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. Chris raised his eyebrows, almost choking at the coffee he was sipping on. "What did this innocent steering wheel ever do to you. You should let it out on the punching bags at the police gym after the shift. I'll gladly join you." he offered, wiping off some drops of coffee which had landed on his pants after accidentally spitting out some.
"There's nothing you can do now. Idiots will be idiots and even if we arrest him he will be freed with a fine to pay and continue to throw parties every night. Let natural selection do its job." he said and shrugged, cupping the luke warm coffee in his hand to savor the leftover heat before taking another sip.
Watching the street in front of them and the alleys they passed while patrolling this neighborhood his eyes halted on some graffiti on a wall. They stopped at a red light, giving him some more time to look at it. He snickered, shaking his head and pointed at it for his partner to see. "If I get my hands on these people I will make them scrub the walls until it looks newly built again."
"Let me use the restroom over there real quick. I'll be right back." his partner said before rushing out of the car and hurrying across the street towards some poorly lit restroom sign. Christian sighed, tapping the window on his side as he continued watching the area to check for any kind of disturbances. His eyes caught a hint of movement further down an alley. "He's so slow." he sighed and snatched the keys of the car before stepping outside, making sure to lock it. His partner would have to wait once he was done.
Christian unsnapped his flashlight from his belt and turned it on, holding it in front of him as he jogged towards the alley. He slowed down once he was near the spot where he had seen a silhouette of a person turn around the corner. Careful steps made their way closer and closer. "LCPD. Stop whatever you're doing."
[attr="class","ditags3"]@gwen - hope this is okay c:
[attr="class","alibitext"][break] NAME: up to you[break] AGE: 22+[break] MEMBERGROUP: civilian[break] JOB: university student, part-timer somewhere?[break][break]
Meet ___ a rebellious art student who paints graffitis all over the city in protest of aggressive and corrupt military/police forces? Who wants the city to know about the unfair treatments against civilians? Who then gets in trouble with law enforcement aka Christian while spray painting a wall, a military car/police car or something else. This is a rough draft idea and their first encounter would probably be him catching her in the act and trying to arrest her. While he will be totally against her doings I could see him actually trying to support her at some point?[break][break] Just as a side note but this is totally not endgame. I like to keep my characters open and you never know where things are going! [break][break] I don't have a strict vision of her personality in mind so it's completely up to you.[break][break]
FACE CLAIM
[break] I picked Lily Collins for the images but it's totally negotiable. I am pretty open to other faces!
[attr="class","alibipanel"]SMOKE SIGNALS you must have been looking for me
[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"]
Christian shook his head when she brought up the idea of buying a new SIM at the store. “Ugh, it’s alright. I’ll just block him. It’s too much of a hassle to save all my numbers because you never know if they might get lost during the change. Blocking him will do. If not… maybe I should consider getting a freaking restraining order against him.” he said and chuckled lightheartedly at the idea of it - if only he could afford it. “I mean, as long as he doesn’t show up at the apartment it’s gonna be okay. If he has the nerve to terrorize me… us, at home too I won’t be able to hold back. So I really hope for his own good that he won’t have any stupid ideas involving me.” Christian added, his eyes fixed on the ground as he watched his own steps, trying to avoid the ancient grey gum leftovers stuck to the pavement.
One thing he enjoyed about being out and about so early in the morning was the crisp morning air. It wasn’t as nice and fresh in the city as it was in the countryside but it for sure was refreshing. Christian was more of a night owl ever since he’s a teenager. His current schedule consisted of getting out of bed around noon, going to work, spending his three hour lunch break at home napping, going back to work in the afternoon, coming back around 10PM and then spend the rest of the day in front of his laptop. And every second day was a day off. It was a bit odd at the beginning of the whole self-isolation and social distancing regulation but after two weeks it was his new normal. He had gotten used to it so quickly he was glad his teenager self prepared him for this moment. Going outside? Nope, all good. Meeting friends? Nah, gotta save money. Avoiding people at all cost? Hell yes. He would survive this - if the situation wasn’t going to stay like this for the rest of eternity.
The conversation shifting from annoying boss to which alcohol to buy for Nick already helped with his mood. “Hugs…” he mumbled and shuddered at the thought. “A thank you is more than enough for me.” Christian was the kind of guy who showed his dislike of others right in front of them. He didn’t care about pretending to get along with someone because it simply wasn’t worth the effort it took. People who didn’t know him - including his boss, even after several conversations (which seemed more like interrogations) to be honest - thought of him as a friendless introvert. He wasn’t exactly an extrovert but he was in between - an ambivert. A handful of good friends he liked to hang out with including his three roommates he had known for about six years now.
“Two bottles of wine, maybe a bottle of tequila… order pizza or buy frozen pizza? Do I want two pizzas? Three pizzas? Maybe they are having special offers, three for the price of two. Or a pizza and some pepperoni pizza rolls with extra garlic dipping sauce…” he starting mumbling to himself as they continued walking. If he was gonna spend his money then he would spend it for food and booze. Might as well celebrate this great event of losing the worst job in history and being jobless for now.
Maybe he should remind himself to browse the internet for part-time job offers. Christian had never dreamed of working in the service industry. He never planned on earn money by making coffee for others and serving cake. But ever so often life decides to give you very sour lemons and you just can’t make lemonade with those. Perhaps he should hit up his friend after remembering being told their employees at the cafe were all too scared to work so most of them quit. It was a little far away from home but job was job, money was money and during these times he would be lucky to find a job.
“Mmh..” he sighed, hands tucked away safely in his pockets. “Enough about me. We're all so busy despite the present events going on I barely see you at home. What are you up to?” he asked her, his head tilted lightly to the side as he looked at her, his lips pulled up in a genuine smile.
[attr="class","ditags3"]@charlie -- I wrote this.. two weeks ago, sleep deprieved. Wanted to rewrite it but you told me not to so here you have a piece of junk! (: LOL
[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"]
Brown eyes followed a group of teenagers on the other side of the street as their silhouttes reflected on the windows of the travel agency. Another bunch not following the law. His fingers twitched and he just had the urge to go over and break their group apart - or call the police - but he knew they were busy as it was and they wouldn't send a patrol just for this. Unfortunately. There was nothing he had against those actually working in the field to make sure people stuck to the rules but as much as the public was praising them the system was still lacking a lot.
Christian turned around when a familiar voice said hi. “Hey.” he replied, taking a deep breath and pondering about starting his rant now or later. He knew Charlie wouldn’t mind if he started ranting and getting mad about his boss without a proper conversation beforehand because that’s what he was doing everyday as soon as he came home. He would pretty much open the door, throw his jacket into his room and complain. Well, maybe not complain but letting go of some stress by just venting his anger.
He thought punching his boss in the face would relieve all the stress he had built up over the last two years. Two years of having to bear his boss. The ridiculous thing about it all was that he wasn’t even his real boss. He was just the husband. His name was in no papers, he was not an official member of the team, nothing. Christian and his coworker who was the store manager checked everything. So lawfully he didn’t even have a right to tell Christian what to do but of course he was such a manipulating ass who always got what he wanted by acting like a spoiled brat - not to mention the amount of money he had so he could easily buy everything he wanted, including opinions and whatnot. At some days he seriously wondered why he put up with that crap for so long.
“Sure, I'm okay but I will feel even better after a bottle of wine. Let’s go.” he said and started walking towards the direction of the supermarket. “You think this day could get worse? I lost my job, will most likely get sued and broke something at the chinese market earlier when you called. Worst case would be that they don’t have my wine in stock and the pizza place closed.” he wondered and sighed. “I would rather get involved in a robbery or a fight. Might as well blow off some steam.” Christian jokingly said, checking his phone. Another 6 missed calls. “Crazy bastard.” he murmured under his breath before lifting his arm and for a moment he thought about throwing it on the ground or a nearby building.
He just had so much aggression pent up he really felt like punching something or breaking something. Lips tightly pressed together he dropped his arm, holding his phone tight and handed it over to Charlie. “Do you mind taking this for the rest of the day? Or maybe forever.” he asked her and hoped she would take it or else he really might throw it into the next trash can available.
Maybe instead of wine he should get himself a bottle of tequila. A bottle or two of fermented grapes didn’t seem to cut it today. He knew he shouldn’t be drinking too much, especially since he had been drinking quite a lot ever since the pandemic started and he spent every second day at home or whenever his boss annoyed him to the max, which was basically every day. He wasn’t necessarily addicted or liked getting drunk… there was just something about having a drink and chilling in the living room, watching a movie or tv show.
[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"] Dark eyes were fixed on the mess he made on the floor. Slim fingers picked up shards of the broken glass jar as he started making a pile on the side. One of the employees already hurried over as soon as they heard the noise and left to grab something to clean it up. The older chinese woman was making a fuss about him wanting to clean it himself since he was the one who created the mess to begin with. He just needed to take care of it himself so he told her to go back to whatever she was doing, took the rag out of her hands and continued collecting the pieces of the jar which were scattered all around him.
A sigh escaped his lips as his phone started vibrating inside his pocket. Not again, he thought, being sure it was his boss - or former boss - calling him… most likely to tell him about his lawyer and wanting to sue him. He fished out his airpods case and popped in one of the bluetooth earphones into his ear before checking his phone. Usually he would hesitate to answer any calls but seeing it was Charlie calling he pressed the green answer button and set his phone aside on the shelf next to him. There was no need to greet her because once he had picked up she already started talking to him. He wasn’t in the best of moods right now so her mentioning having finished his wine at home just made him sigh once again. Slightly annoyed, he rubbed the bridge of his nose as he continued listening. “It’s fine.” he answered before she proceeded talking. His gaze fell back onto the red and smelly fermented cabbage on the floor. “I’m in Chinatown, grabbing some food I’ve been craving lately.” he said, throwing a piece of cabbage into a small bucket the woman gave him. He was trying to be careful not to get any of the liquid on his clothes because it would for sure leave a stain and smell.
Christian stood up, his joints making a popping sound after having squatted for too long. He looked at his watch. “How long does it take you to get here? I can be outside in about twenty minutes. There’s a supermarket nearby where I might be able to get my wine. Either way, I don’t care which wine it is as long as it’s italian and dry.” Wiping his hands clean with paper tissues he grabbed his phone again, his thumb hovering over the end call button. “Text me when you get here.” he said and hung up, stuffing his phone back into the pocket.
After a couple of minutes he finished wiping most of the floor clean. There was a visible red stain on the white tiles but it should come off with some proper cleaning. He took his basket and walked to the cashier. She gave him a dirty look for the mess but he ignored it. On his way out he apologized again, adding a little bow which was more of a nod with his head. His hands vanished back into the pockets of his jeans, a white plastic bag dangling off his wrist. He walked back the way he came from, passing by all the stores he had already seen earlier. Once he reached the chinese gate again he made a left turn before stopping in front of a travel agency where he decided to wait for Charlie to arrive. A quick glance on his phone - no new messages - told him she wasn’t here yet.
Checking out the flyers glued on the window he noticed one for a seven day Paris trip. Right. He almost forgot about his own three day trip to Paris which he had been planning for months. His friends had gifted him a travel voucher and he was just about to book his flight when the pandemic hit the world. Everything was cancelled - the nice four star hotel he found for a cheaper price than usual, the fancy restaurant he made a reservation with, the rooftop bar serving champagne and a beautiful view over the city and the Eiffeltower.
Christian stared at his phone, clutching it tight as if he was trying to break it. He wished it would break. He considered throwing it at the nearest wall or the floor… no the wall sounded more satisfying. The messages kept popping up on his screen and non-stop calls were coming in from none other than his boss. He started cursing under his breath and his heart rate shot up so fast he had to catch his breath at some point. Madness. Pure madness. If he wasn’t going to die because of the ongoing pandemic he surely would because of the stress his boss was causing him every single day. His unread messages and missed calls were probably up in the 100. It was crazy. His boss wsa crazy. Certainly. There was no other explanation. Starting around 6 in the morning until past midnight his phone would buzz and buzz and buzz until he turns it off - which he can’t always do because there were other people in his life too. He wondered if his boss didn’t have friends to bother. No, he apparently knows the whole city. He was married and has a child as well his a mother and even a grandmother. There were enough people around him but yet he had to bother his employees like there was no one else to bother. Christian and his co workers were slowly starting to get sick of his crap.
The three of them had their resignations printed and ready just in case but unfortunately with the outbreak it had been a very difficult task to find a job so they decided to hold it in just a tad bit longer until maybe, maybe the pandemic comes to a stop.
DING. DING. DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.
Oh hell no. That’s it. Christian was just about to enter to store to open it for the morning shift but he’s had enough. “Hey tell me why you aren’t replying to my messages or answer my calls? You’re not even calling me back. What’s wrong with you?” he heard an all too familiar voice from behind him. Christian sight and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t even try anymore. “Hi.” he said, his tone flat and emotionless. He then stepped towards his annoying boss, cracking the knuckles of his hands for a moment before pulling his arm back and swinging it forward to punch him in the face - hard. His bones colliding with the other person’s jaw sent a shiver through his whole body. His knuckles burst open and his hand burned and ached but he couldn’t care less. He proceeded to take out his resignation letter out of the back pocket of his jeans and threw it into his boss’ face. “Here’s my answer to all your calls and all your messages dumbass.” And with that he walked away.
The brunette wasn’t sure where exactly he wanted to go now that he was pretty much jobless. He took his phone to text his roommates about what just happened.
CHRISTIAN 08:48 I punched my boss in the face. Resigned. Probably can’t pay rent. Please buy me pizza. I hope we have some wine left in the fridge.
He tucked it back into the pocket of his jacket, his hands burried into the pockets of his pants. He liked walking, walking around, walking to the stores, to work, home. There was just something about walking that comforted him not to mention walking was the safest way of moving around at the moment - unless you ran into a group of gangsters. He looked around the streets as he walked, breathing in the fresh morning air. A supposedly crowded city morning was just an abandoned one. Barely any people were out and about. Even though it was their new reality it was a little hard to get used to sometimes.
His legs carried him to the Southern part of the city. There wasn’t anything around he would need to go to but he decided to check out some stores in Chinatown to see if they have some good food available. He walked through the entrance, the red traditional chinese arch which was pretty much the same in every city with a chinatown. Nothing great. He wasn’t really a fan of China anyway, yet they were the ones selling imported products the cheapest out of all asian countries. Dark eyes looked at the window displays of each shop. A lot of them were closed - especially the non-food stores. He rolled his eyes at the small K-Pop store which he spotted as he walked past it. Ugh. No thanks. The window was smashed and merchandise displayed in the front was scattered, broken and partly missing. Haha.
After some more walking he finally found a shop selling the food he wanted. He grabbed a basket as he went inside, gave the cashier a quick nod and started filling his basket with all sorts of unhealthy imported junk food. As he walked through each aisle the bell over the door announced another customer coming inside. There weren’t a lot of people in this small store but it wasn’t empty either.
Just as he grabbed a glass container with some fermented cabbage it slipped through his hand, crashing on the floor and breaking into pieces resulting in a sharp, red, spicy mess.
Christian likes to take charge of situations regardless of other people's ranks and jobs. He is known to speak up against his bosses a lot. He was told it would be a negative trait as a regular employee but a great trait in any leadership or management position. But he doesn't care to be honest. He likes to speak up for himself and for others if the need is there. He usually likes to be strict and always sticks to the law. Even though he's not working for the police he can be seen breaking apart groups in public spaces or telling teenagers not to drink etc. He can be a very caring guy but usually does it in secret. If you text him you're craving pizza he will show up at your door 15 minutes later to deliver you pizza.
If you tell him you want to take a trip to get some fresh air he will buy plane tickets to Paris. He may not be the friendliest guy out there but he certainly is polite because that's how he was raised. Chris is also known for his resting bitch face but some people rather call it the resting calm face. He's very brave but also very reckless. While he does think about possible consequences he would jump in front of a bullet to save someone without any thoughts. He might not show it in the public but when he is at home or with close friends he gets stressed a lot - mostly because of work - and likes to take it all out in a kickboxing session or with a bottle (or two) of wine.
[attr="class","ozapptitle"]BIOGRAPHY
Christian was born to Gabbi Sattler, an Austrian mechanic, and Walter Lee, a barkeeper. They met each other during vacation in the States. Even though they both were very young and Gabbi's father was against them being together because Walter was Asian they married and he moved to Austria. At the age of 22 she was already pregnant with Christian but he was born premature and had to go through a couple of heart related surgeries before being able to leave the hospital. Three years later she was pregnant with their second child but the baby died shortly after birth. Christian doesn't really remember much about it. He knew he was supposed to have a younger sister but that's about it.
His life was fairly normal from age 1 to 6. He remembers his mom always being at work, his dad taking care of him mostly and his grandfather picking him up from kindergarten with a bicycle. He remembers having a ridiculous amount of nightmares no one could explain to him. At the age of 6 his parents divorced. His dad moved back to the States where he married a new woman. His mom stayed to take care of him because he chose to stay with her after several trials. Right before entering elementary school he visited his dad in the States but his mom suddenly appeared to take him home. Next thing he remembers were a couple of guys dressed in black standing in front of their apartment in Austria threatening his mom.
Age 6-18 were a mix of being a regular student and a rebel. He got into fights with his classmates and into a lot of arguments with his teachers. His mom was busy working everyday that she sent him to some daycare mom who took care of him until she got off work. There he was bullied by the children of the "mom" and was forced to play soccer everyday while getting the ball kicked into his face on several occasions and was locked into their dark basement almost every day. He just hated it. At the age of 9 his aunt whi lived in the same building after they had to move to his deceased grandfather's house. He couldn't complain. He could pretty much do whatever he wanted and his aunt always took care of him. She gave him a weekly allowance, lots of candy, and always cooked his favorite foods. But then at the age of 11 she passed away. He still remembers her sudden fragile body and sunken face. She looked so different from her healthy self.
At the age of 13-15, he was a rebel. He didn't give a f*** about school or friends. He was bullied most of the time in school and spent his free time at home watching television. Around this time his uncle suggested taking him with him on vacation to the States - paying everything. He gladly agreed and during these short 4 weeks, he changed. He started studying and stopped being a lazy bum. Finally graduating from high school.
He took a gap year. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't the type to go to university or college. Gods no he hated studying things he didn't want to study. Not to mention he had a concentration disorder. He started working for his mom's company as an intern for a year - saving money and spending money on a lot of unnecessary things.
After that, he finally decided to enter university but after one year his mom suddenly got depression and soon after passed away after being sick for a couple of days. No one really knows why and he doesn't really want to dig any further into it. What happened happened. The moment the paramedics and the police were in their apartment felt surreal.
He was forced to move out and decided to move to Lethford City where his dad used to live. But by that time he had lost all touch with him. He moved into an apartment with 3 roommates and started working as Barista at a cafe. One year later he got into a fight with one of the roommates and was kicked out. So he found himself another apartment where he could live by himself and entered the local police academy which he absolved. It always was his childhood dream to work for the Police Department but he's quite ambitious, wanting to work his way up, and gets in trouble a lot because he can't keep his curious nose out of other people's businesses.