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.
Pierce didn’t believe this was what was actually playing out in front of him. He wanted to smack his face and try and get a hold on himself. There was no way this was the reality that he was in with this woman leading all this madness. He should have just kept driving, should have left the pretty face to wonder to where ever she was going before he arrived. Serves him right, there was a reason he kept women at a distance after what his ex had done to him. And the moment he allowed himself to try and be the gentleman in the situation, here he was, staring at a group of guys that definitely had an advantage over himself and Quinn.
As the woman threatened the curfew thing, backing up what he said, he didn’t think it was going to work. And boy, he was right. Except the little dark haired woman jumped into action. She was quick and easily handled the men that came towards her. He stepped out farther from his side of the car. Well hell if there was one thing going for him, it was his overall size and the fact that he was at least in shape. The man was not prior military or anything of the sorts, but he had thrown a couple punches back in his day. Not something he was super proud of but he felt like he might do some damage if needed.
He had to compose his face as Quinn started talking him up. Jesus she wanted to get him killed. A beast? Military? He crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to make himself appear bigger than he was, trying to make himself look as intimidating as possible. What he was hoping was for them to stop at that point. But they only paused, looking him over with a critical look before one of them decided to try his luck out with Pierce. He made a mental note that if he survived this, Quinn was going to owe him EVERYTHING he could think of. And he’d track her down for it. She was taking that god damn cat home.
And with that he found himself face to face with a male who was cracking back a fist. Pierce decided to rush him, grabbing the man by the front of his shirt and hearing the fabric rip a little made him a bit proud of himself. The two exchanged a few blows before Pierce knocked one on him that sent the other male to his behind on the concrete below their feet. “Enough.” He shouted, whether it was to the idiots in front of him or sent to the woman with him, stopping either from making any other dumb moves.
He saw lights ahead, and nodded towards them. He’d rather deal with the military then these idiots any day. “Back up is here. I suggest ya’ll make a run for it.” He said, which seemed to send a threatening message to the men. As they all scrambled and started heading off it other directions at a fast run. The lights ahead turned again and he almost sagged in relief that it seemed like another civilian was just trying to get home. He turned sharp blue eyes to the military woman with him. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” He finally let out, hands resting on his hips as he shook his head, trying to get rid of the adrenaline that was rushing through him.
Pierce watched her with the little ball of fur in her arms. Quinn truly seemed to be enjoying her moment with the cat. It actually warmed his heart a little watching the two. He was however, sad to watch her face fall as she explained how she couldn’t. That even though she looked so comfortable and the cat clearly was in love, she wouldn’t be taking it home today. As he drove and stared at the road ahead, he did a small shrug. Possibly reading her thoughts, but also something he found himself offering before he could think much about it. “I mean, I would want to do a check up on them. And perhaps some lab work to make sure everything is okay. Sometimes that takes a few weeks, especially now with the whole pandemic and shortage thing.” He started, his blue eyes glancing over to look back at her. “I could hang onto the cat until you find out if you get moved into the city.”
What the hell did he just offer? And why? He had an office cat. Sure, she was friendly and enjoyed other cats. But now to possibly have two? Because what if Quinn wasn’t able to move into the city. She was right about the military base not letting her have a cat running around. That he was one hundred percent sure about. He had never seen anything except work dogs at a military base. And that was only judging from the movies he had watched. He believed they had to be somewhat accurate in that at least?
As they drove, he spotted what looked like a group of people down the street. He let his brows pull together as he saw them peering into a car and immediately found himself praying that wasn’t her car. That he could just continue driving on so they didn’t find themselves in any trouble. And that might have happened if the brunette next to him didn’t suddenly as him to stop the car. She was moving as he pushed on the breaks, not quite stopping all the way but letting the car roll slowly forward. He watched her start digging in his backseat before she was unbuckled and opening her car door. “Quinn! I don’t think this is a good idea. Don’t get out of the car.” He said as he hit the breaks so she didn’t get hurt when she got out.
Next thing he knew a cat was dumped into his lap and he was told to stay inside the car. Like hell, he was going to. He wasn’t about to let her do whatever it was she was going to do without back up. He gently put the cat in the backseat as he put the jeep into park and got out of his driver-side door. Just in time to see the can of dog food she had grabbed from his backseat go flying through the air and hitting one of the men square in the face. Damn, she had an arm. Had they not been standing in front of a group that outnumbered him, he would have cheered her on. But he was a bit more worried about what the hell was about to happen.
Shouts erupted as the man who just got his held his nose, blood clearly running down it. “Quinn, get your ass back in the car.” He said, knowing he had no right to demand things from her. But goddammit, this was not looking good in their favor. The shouting continued as the group started heading towards them. “Hey fellas, how about we just all go our own ways. You guys head home before the next patrol comes through, we will head on our way. All good. Your face looks fine. Just put some ice on it.” Yeah right, like that was going to work.
He thought it was odd that she left her phone in her car. He wouldn't have done that, had he been in her shoes. Whether the phone was dead or not. Simply because if he even decided to walk home, at least he'd have that to plug in and be set for when the battery had enough charge to turn back on. Or perhaps if he even stopped in to one of the very few places that would have been open for him to charge a phone. But that was his mind, not hers. She had thought more along the lines of 'what good would it do me?'. And in a way, it made sense. He just didn't think that way.
"Don’t worry. I don’t arrest people. That’s not part of my job. I’m doing more office related work than anything else really."
Though it was meant to be reassuring, Pierce lifted an eyebrow. He was slightly skeptical, but right now she was sort of at his mercy. So hopefully him helping her out weighed in his favor of her not turning him in to one of her buddies who did do the arrests. "A lot of stories are going around about those arrests... and I have a lot of people depending on me. Their little fur balls too." He wasn't trying to make her explain again how she wasn't going to arrest him. Pierce was more so just putting it out there that he was a doctor of sorts at the end of the day. And he really didn't need to head ache of trying to get bailed out.
How embarrassing would that be? He didn't really have anyone close by to call. So he'd be calling up one of the techs or his office manager. And he did not want to have to live with that gossip for the rest of his career. 'Remember that one time Dr Ryker got arrested?' Yeah, no he didn't need that head ache. He gave her a short nod at where she mentioned her car was at. He figured it was probably going to be one of the only ones and would make it easy for him to spot it.
Pierce almost laughed at the scene that unfolded in front of him. A young kitten he has seen around launched itself into the young womans arms and made itself a home there. Purring happily at the attention that it was soaking up. His eyes softened lightly at the sight, he truly loved when he could see a good connection between a pet and their owner. He listened to her talk about wanting a pet, but how her family told her no. Immediately, especially watching the two of them, he thought that she should have one. Perhaps this one. "Well, you are older now. And it looks like someone picked you." He said, gesturing to the one in her hands. "I've got some good starter supplies back at my office." He'd love to see one of the friendly ones from the streets find a good home. "They can ride with us until our next stop, don't have to decide now."
He did laugh at bit at her comment on her coworkers. "Ah, the beasts that come out of the military." He joked. Clearly he wasn't saying it about her. But he has meet some very... "manly" as they would describe themselves, men. He always scoffed at them, because there was nothing good about their behavior. He was sure that there were good ones out there, but he hadn't met one yet. All he knew was the fact that everyone he met had already been married and divorced at least once, thought they were some special gift to women from god, and thought that they owned everything. And Pierce didn't put up with that. "I'm sure there are some good ones, but I've yet to find one." He said to her as he started their drive back up the road. Headed to the next stop.
He got that a lot. Tall, blonde, in shape, he looked more like a personal trainer on some days than anything else. He raised the same hand that placed the card in the door and rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a small nervous laugh. “Yeah, I forgot my vet shirt back at home,” he joked. Hoping he wasn’t about to offend her with his dad joke. Sometimes he just couldn’t help it. It was like word vomit of bad jokes and with it being this late, he blamed it on exhaustion. At least this time.
He was about to open his mouth to say something to reassure her that he wasn’t some rapist or kidnapper when she opened his door. He shifted back into his seat completely, so that she had plenty of room on her side of the car. He wasn’t offended when she looked into the back seat. He probably would have done the same thing if he was in her shoes. Though she would have gotten an eye full of probably empty water bottles, a white coat or two, and an extra pair of shoes he kept back there. Nothing that was going to jump out and get her. He watched her fumble in her pocket for a second before she produced a military ID.
He quickly scanned the ID as she spoke up, repeating her name for him. “Nice to meet you Quinn,” he nodded as he shifted his car into gear. He assumed she would point out where he would need to turn to get back to her car as they went. Before he took his foot of the break though, he unplugged his phone and offered her the charger in case her phone was still with her. “You can charge up if you want,” He figured it’d probably make her feel a bit better to have a phone at least on and working. Not that she looked insanely uncomfortable with him now.
As she asked him about what he was doing, part of him hoped it wasn’t because she was going to arrest him after this. He was way past curfew and she clearly had a job that was known recently for the arrests. Pierce glanced over at her with bright blue eyes. “I just left work, and on my way home, I stop by the abandoned areas here to feed some of the ownerless pets.” He gave her a small smile as he saw one of the cats that was extremely friendly with him meowing at him from her corner. He nodded lightly towards her and pulled over. “Hope you don’t mind a few stops between here and your car, I still have a few bowls and obviously a couple expecting customers,” And with that he was out of his car and popping his trunk.
The gray cat was immediately, wrapped in between his feet, curling in and out while purring almost as loud as his jeep. He crouched down and scratched under her chin before scooping some food out for her into the bowl he had in the back. He made quick rounds to putting the food away from the street and then checking her over once. A friend of hers trotted up, black and white spotted, but kept just out of reach from Pierce. He did a visual once over, and once content with his scan he made his way back over to the car. With the back shut and him back into the drivers seat, he turned towards her. “How far is your car from here?”
Pierce had known they had slipped into a time where it was a bit more dangerous. He should have, like most others, kept moving along down the road and not even bothered to stop. But of course, it would have ate away at him the rest of the night wondering if harm could have fallen upon someone. If it was a man, he probably wouldn't have stopped, and that was a bit messed up to think. He was sure that people would shout at him something about equality and how even though she was a woman she could have handled herself. But unfortunately, he knew that other people were awful sometimes. And since he didn't have bad intent, he knew that at least he would be one interaction this woman didn't have to worry about.
The dark haired woman seemed a bit tense as he stopped his car, but he should have expected as much. He would have done the same thing had he been walking by himself down the road, no car in sight. He didn't take any offense to it.
"Yes, everything’s okay. It’s just that my car broke down and my phone died at the same time. Would you mind if I make a quick phone call with yours? I’m not sure if recovery services are operating now but it should be worth a try."
Now, in almost any other circumstance, he would have handed over his phone without much thought. But it was late at night, in an area where people really shouldn't be. In his head, red flags start to appear because he should be a bit more cautious. Next thing he could know, he was being dragged out of his car by a whole bunch of people who he didn't see because he was distracted by a woman in possible distress. The thought alone had him check his rearview window just in case. Paranoia at its finest thanks to these pressing times.
He reached down to his phone after a moments pause and unplugged it from his car. "What I am about to say is going to sound sketchy as all hell," He prefaces as he looks back up at her. He reminded himself that he didn't know this woman from Adam, so he had no right to just blindly trust her. Last time he blindly trusted a woman, he wound up embarrassingly standing at a church alter for hours on end. "But considering the times, and currently place, I would prefer you make the call while I drive you back to your car. I can take a look at it, not that I am a car genius. Or at least I can give you a ride back into a busier part of town." Yeah that still sounded sketchy as all hell. He quickly looked around his car for a business card of his. Just to try and put her somewhat at ease to know who he was.
He found one and brought it towards her, sticking in it the rubber that would usually hold the window up on the jeep. So that way she didn't have to reach into his car for the card he offered. The front of the card had a few different animals across the front, all looking happy and healthy, with "RYKER VETERINARY CLINIC" printed across the top. A phone number and fax number at the very bottom. On the back, was a professional picture of him in a navy button down shirt, a stethoscope around his shoulders, and his office tabby, Betsy, purring into his neck. One of the girls picked that picture because, and he quotes, his arms looked great and Betsy just made it downright adorable. His name printed there next to him in bold letters (along with Betsy's name) with some cheesy line one of the office girls added. "Pierce Ryker," He offered her as he leaned back into his seat and hit the unlock button on his car.
With a slam, Pierce closed up the back of his navy Jeep Wrangler. Several bags of dog food and cat food sitting in the back with a clean can to scoop out the food as needed. This was part of his routine when leaving the office, before he headed home. Feed some of the strays and give them a visual once over before going home and enjoying his next day off. He was a softie when it came to the strays that ran around. He wanted them to be taken care of, but wouldn't go to the extent of trying to catch them. They weren't hurting anyone, and he kept an eye to make sure they were not hurt themselves.
Besides do you know how hard it is to get someone to adopt one of them right now? Damn near impossible. So it was safer and less stressful to just come give them some food and then let them be. It also let him decompress after a long day of having to be professional. He changed into a pair of jeans and a black henley before double checking the doors to the office were locked. He knew that one of his vet techs would be there in a few hours to do rounds of letting out the few dogs who were staying there, as well as checking on the cat that had just finished with their surgery. But he never wanted to be the one who was caught leaving things unlocked. He was the damn Doctor of the place.
It was later than he was supposed to be leaving, but the owners of the cat had rushed his door a few minutes after closing. Their cat was screaming and clearly in pain. Which prompted an emergency surgery. Thankfully, all things went well and sent his staff home as he explained the care that would be needed once the cat was clear to go home. He promised to close down for them. Though he was sure that he forgot something that no doubt the tech coming later would catch. She was good, and that's why he kept her on staff. But at least he remembered to shut off the lights and lock the doors.
As he turned the jeep on, he finally got a flash of the time. 11:30pm. Well then. He looked down at his watch. The thing had died about an hour ago, so much for having a smart watch. Though it doesn't help when you forget to charge it the night before. He plugged his phone into the car, turned up the music to a comfortable level,and headed for damn near deserted side of town.
About 20 minutes of driving, he hit his first stop. A familiar little black puff ball was waiting patiently on the sidewalk. Upon hearing the purr of his engine, she jumped up and started pacing in front of the small bowl he had on the corner of a building. He parked next to the curb, though he could have stopped in the middle of the road and would have no issue of blocking traffic. "Hello beautiful, how are you doing?" he said in greeting as the cat started to wrap herself in between his legs as he walked to the back of his car. He scratched the back of ears and gave her a once over before getting to work on feeding her. A small pat on her soft side and he was off to his next stop.
Some of the dogs and cats got used to him making visits. They sat perched at spots where he left food, some scattered when he arrived, watching from a safe spot. He had made friendly progress on a few, but others clearly were not interested in him. Just in the food he would place down. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair before he shifted back into drive. "Two more stops," Pierce said to the inside of his car. As he turned onto a street ahead, he did a double take, seeing a figure bigger than he was prepared to see. No, not a figure, a person. A woman from the slight build. He slowed his vehicle as she seemed to look up and down the street.
What was someone doing out here well past the witching hour, by themselves? His gentleman side kicked in, over the side that told him to be cautious. He pulled his vehicle up near her, with enough distance so he wasn't very threatening. He rolled the passenger side window, the nearest to her, down. "You okay there ma'am?" He spoke clearly, keeping his blue eyes on her.
Being a vet, doesn't that mean you are an animal lover? Well you can count on that when it comes to Pierce. Probably about the only thing he holds in high favor once he turned 32. People let you down, animals? Not so much. Sure they bite and such, but its expected. He is a sucker for any cute pets or critters that crawl along. He has a gentle hand, no matter how big they are and keeps a smooth, calm voice while he works with them. It's quite funny that he can be such a "softie", when outside of work, he is known for his grunts of replies.
Personable at work, able to explain anything to any of the owners, no matter how stupid they might seem at the time. His staff gets along with him and enjoy their time, though if you ask them anything about him, they would probably turn their heads slightly and say 'huh, I don't know much actually'. And that's how he liked it. No need for them to pry.
Outside of work, he isn't a social butterfly, but also not a hermit. He is more of a go with the flow, if conversation is needed, he tries his best to carry one. If not, he has no problem sitting there in silence as well, being comfortable in his own skin. He has been given a hard time by friends about how he doesn't quite support/lift people up. To which he always replies, what have you done to deserve that. He doesn't believe in building people up who just expect it or think they deserve it and yet have done nothing to earn it. He tells them to go talk to a therapist if that's what they need. He is a vet.
[attr="class","ozapptitle"]BIOGRAPHY
Pierce grew up as the oldest of three. Pierce, Jamie, and Leo, were born to Kelly and Hugo Ryker. On the outside, it seemed like they had quite the desired family life. Kelly and Hugo deeply in love, beautiful children who all had bright futures, being financially well off and able to afford some of the nicer things in life. From the outside, picture perfect family. Like complete with those beach photos you saw above fireplaces where they were all in white and barefoot with big toothy grins and tossed hair. Yeah, they had one of those. And pretty sure a ski trip as well.
But behind that? Not so picturesque. Now there wasn't any hidden torture chambers or chains or anything. More like, dad rarely was there for dinner. When he was, he was buried in his phone. That perfect couple in the picture on the mantel? Constantly bickering and never really spending much time together. The siblings were not close, each one kind of branching into their our areas of interest. Jamie was the artist, she really did make some fantastic pieces and made sure to take advantage of every dime she was allowed from daddy dearest. Leo was the bigger brains of the siblings. Sure, Pierce would ultimately go to school to be a doctor (for animals) but Leo, he had bigger ideas and plans. Now he does some secretive (Pierce is convinced he just doesn't want to share anything of use) stuff with Prism Biotech.
Pierce found animals much easier to be around. They never questioned much, though their eyes could tell you all that you needed to hear. And if you give them your all, they will do the same. He thought he found that in one person however. She was beautiful, all sun kissed skin and dimples to boot. She played coy with him for months when he was in his late twenties. Just flirting around enough to keep him on the hook, making him made with his want to be noticed and held by her. When she finally gave in, he was on cloud nine. Anything she wanted, he made sure to make that possible for her. Family money still came in, because their mom made sure that all her kids were well off, but he made a good living for himself alone.
Had he not been so head over heels for her, he might have noticed the side looks she'd shoot over her shoulder to others. Or the way she would always pout when she didn't get something right away upon request, or if he denied her request. Or perhaps the way she'd do whatever she wanted, no matter what his opinion had been. But it made her happy, and he just wanted her to flash that smile at him. After several years of dating and a year of living together, he asked her to marry him. Pierce could barely contain his happiness and excitement for their wedding as it started approaching. He bent over backwards to make sure that their wedding was everything that his bride to be could want.
If he hadn't been so wrapped up, maybe he would have noticed her burying her face in her phone so often. The day of the wedding came, and he sent off his "I love you and can't wait to see you at the alter" text before getting ready. He barely slept the night before, too excited to finally make her his wife. His suit was sharp, and everything was beautiful. The white roses filled the room with little bursts of lavender. It created a calming sense when you entered the chapel, which later wouldn't prove useful. He stood at the alter, watching everyone walk down. A few minutes past when she was supposed to, hey the bride could be late, probably had a last minute touch up that needed to be done right? As five minutes turned into thirty, guests started to whisper. Pierce looked to his best man who just shrugged before he shifted his eyes over to the maid of honor. Who he noticed was texting on her phone like crazy. He didn't even remember asking where she was, but he heard someone tell him that his bride was not coming.
As time went by, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Pierce turned to face his father who patted him twice before heading for the exit. How long did he stand there? He wasn't even sure. How did he get home? He could only guess that his body took over and drove him home. He found a note there, such a cliche. A note simply stating "I can't do this. I don't love you like you love me". The following months were a blur, boxes to pack, lots of awkward exchanges with his now ex's family as he gave them her stuff. And then packing up his own home and he left. Moving 5 states away to start his own Veterinary office in Lethford, who was seriously lacking animal care outside of the local shelter. His office now going on 3 years of being open.
When the outbreak started, Pierce learned the hard way what a disaster this sickness could be. His father being one of the the ones to fall dead during the first few months. A proper funeral couldn't even be held from the restrictions that had been placed on their home, not that Pierce could even get to his family anyway. Instead, he gets holed up in his office, taking care of strays that have been booted from their homes that he has had too much of a soft spot for to send to the shelter (thankfully he has only come across a few, he is pretty sure his staff would be quite upset at their already full area). Not to mention how he rotates the animals into his home to give them a break from the kennel life if they are feeling well/doing better with their treatment.
