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.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CODING
GRAPHICS
ADVERTISING
CHARACTERS
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!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
APPLICATIONS
THREAD MODERATION
MEDIATOR
CHARACTERS
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!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CLAIMS
DIRECTORY
CHARACTERS
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"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Breaking rules and laws weren’t really something Carmen wasn’t familiar with. When she was younger she had her fair share of run-ins with cops, resulting in getting arrested but was always let go because of lack of evidence. She somehow always managed to escape, although, admittedly a lot of times Az was the reason why. With every year she learned how to avoid getting into trouble and while she might not have a perfect set of skills yet, she had yet to be arrested again - hopefully not anytime soon.
Needless to say, Carmen didn’t really care about going out past curfew. If someone would catch her she could just dangle her medical ID in front of their noses for proof that she was indeed allowed outside. A lie here and there: problem solved. Swapping her heels with a pair of black combat boots and her dress with a simple pair of black skinny jeans and a matching t-shirt, she tossed a fully stuffed duffel bag over her shoulder and walked out of her room, through the back of the LUX and out of the building via the emergency exit. She didn’t always need everyone or anyone to know where she was heading or the fact that she was going out… sometimes even Az was left out. Although, he probably knew anyway.
Soft steps carried her down the smaller roads, turning corners through stinky alleys. The lights were already shut off but the brunette knew her way around the area. It was quite a walk to get to her desired destination but it would always be worth it for Carmen. While it was unusually quiet for a city this size some things would never change. Every so often screams echoed through the darkness in the distance, the sound of shots being fired here and there, sirens of both police and fire department ringing out through the night. The only thing that visibly changed was the emptiness of the streets. It was almost hauntingly empty if it weren’t for the patrols.
She watched as they tried to shoo away a bunch of homeless people, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose in disgust at the lack of humanity. It’s not like they had any place to escape to for the curfew. Shelters were closed because of the lack of volunteers or money. There was no money to buy food and as people were hoarding they stopped donating it in fear of starvation. Ridiculous, Carmen thought, curious eyes watching as she waited for the patrol to continue their route.
Despite having attempted to dismiss the gathering it didn’t take long for them to return to their place. What else were they supposed to do? Carmen strode over to the bunch, her signature smile spreading across her face as she approached them. She set down her bag and opened it, revealing water bottles and sandwiches. Carmen wasn’t the best cook in the world but she could manage to make simple sandwiches… at least it wouldn’t be too bad to give them food poisoning.
Distributing the water and the food she looked over to a man sitting with his back against a wall. "Hey Jared. How’s the swelling on your cheek? Better today?" she asked, tossing him a sandwich before handing out two of each to a mother and her child. Jared, 41, former teacher, got into a fight last night. He definitely wasn’t made for the streets but he would survive.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Carmen braced herself for another attack when she heard more footsteps approaching her. Her hand slid to the knife she carried with her, strapped to her waist. It was halfway out of its sheath, chocolate eyes narrowing at the silhouette coming closer and closer-
‘You must be really mad to be calling me Ambrose.’
As soon as she heard his voice emerge from the smoke she heaved a sigh of relief, the knife dropping back into its leather sneath. The brunette wasn’t aware of how stressful and agonizing these few minutes were to her until he came into view. “You bet! I’m so mad I can’t even explain it in words to you. Out of all the stupid things you’ve done this is certainly on top of the list.” she said, almost yelled but held herself back, taking in consideration that they still weren’t alone - at least they didn’t know. She didn’t necessarily wanted to know, or see, how many bodies were hidden underneath the smoke.
Mouthing a silent wow she shrugged as if nothing happened and this was the most normal thing in the world. “Let’s go?” Carmen repeated after him, baffled. “That’s all you’re gonna say?” She shook her head, dark curls bouncing against her cheeks. She wanted to smack him, just one little smack on his shoulder, for being such an idiot.
Carmen bit her lower lip, glaring up at him. “Come on. I found a way out.” she told him, worry all over her face as her eyes wandered over his body. His clothes were stained with the color of his blood and his pale face looked even paler now. Knowing Az but also considering the fact that he was still standing and hadn’t passed out yet she sincerely hoped the bullet either passed through or it was just a flesh wound and nothing vital was hit. Chances were low but she liked her chances low rather than nonexistent. Nevertheless, the amount of blood he must have lost was more dangerous than the number of enemies they had in this building.
Swinging her arm around his waist she tried to support him, at least until they made it to the office she found to be accessible. She could feel the dampness of his shirt as the scarlet tinted her hand and arm but she didn’t care. “How are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Lightheaded?” she asked him, eyebrows drawing together in more worry as they made their way through the hallway which was not exposed to the smoke, everything in their sight was clear.
She tried to focus on walking them to the right office, the one near the end of the hallway. It seemed to stretch out in front of her the closer they were getting. Her gaze flickered to Az a few times, checking on him, on his wound hidden underneath his shirt. There was so much blood she couldn’t even see a difference anymore whether or not there was more.
“This one!” she yelped, reaching out with one hand to push the door open, carrying the two of them inside. Her eyes focused on the window. Their escape route. She didn’t want him to but there was no other chance. It was the only and the quickest way out. They couldn’t afford to take another exit, not anymore, not with Az in this condition. Carmen wasn't too keen on throwing herself out of a window at that height but what else could she do. She wasn't too keen on dying either. So there was that. “We have to jump out of the window… Do you think you can manage?”
[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"]
“Hell will break loose if you don’t.” she warned him, almost threatening him, to ensure he will do his best to return. Carmen hesitated slightly, balling her hands into fists, taking one step back but returning to her original position. She watched, horrified, as he rushed back into the danger, vanishing through the fog. Mumbling something under her breath she squinted at the corridor, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of Az, but as she realized she couldn’t she turned around, head whipping around as eyes looking for a way out.
Turning one doorknob after another, only finding locked doors so far, Carmen ran through the corridor, her booted feet leaving some white residue because of the bug bombs. She didn’t care about leaving those prints. The two of them were already targeted anyway and she was pretty sure those soldiers alerted their comrades. Noises of a fight sometimes managed its way through the fog to her ears, sending goosebumps all across her body whenever she heard something. Her heart dropped with every scream erupting from the corridor she couldn’t see, only able to guess what’s happening over there. She prayed for Az to return in one piece - or uninjured aside from the gunshot wound he had already suffered - and hoped he would make it because if he didn’t she sure as hell would drag his lifeless body out of the building and still give him a scolding. Dead or alive.
She quickly shook her head to dismiss any negative thoughts. He was fine, she tried telling herself repeatedly. It’s Az. Of course, he would be fine, otherwise, he wouldn’t be Az. Taking a deep breath she gathered herself again, focusing on the task he assigned her - to find an escape route. Carmen almost wanted to turn back, after finding out all offices were locked until she came across one unlocked door. Her heart skipped a beat every time a gunshot was released.
A wave of relief washed over her as she turned the knob and it opened. She opened the door wider, wanting to go inside, but something was blocking it from fully opening. It was just ajar enough to get her head through. So she did, peeking around the corner to see what was blocking it from opening. A quiet gasp escaped her lips as a limp body seemed to be the issue. Triggering the nurse inside of her she bent down, trying to pry it open just a little more so she could slide her arm through, laying her fingers on the side of the body’s neck to check for a pulse. None. Carmen sighed, relieved but also disappointed.
However, it seemed to be the only one so at least that was something. She pushed at the door more, throwing herself at the wood, using all of her available body weight. It took a moment but in the end, she managed to open it halfway but it was enough for her to slide through, drag the body aside and open the door fully. Her eyes quickly scanned the room before they rested on the windows. She jogged over, pushing one of the windows up to open, head sticking outside to see how high it the floor they were on was from the ground. A little… high. They could jump… but if they landed wrong it would cost them a broken bone or two.
Making sure the are was safe she ran back as fast as she could, coughing as the fog had spread through the other corridors. “Az?” she screamed, a little scared of receiving no answer. “Az? I found a way!” she tried again, her heart pounding in her chest, her eyes tearing up ever so slightly from the fog and the thought of no answer, of leaving alone. “We need to get out-” Someone pulling her hair forced her to stop mid-sentence as she was dragged backward. The person let go but Carmen failed to balance and fell to the floor. A curse left her lips before she hastily pushed her hair out of her face and stumbled back onto her feet. Once she was standing she looked at the soldier in front of him, already looking in pretty bad shape. A grin played around her lips as she didn't hesitate to swing her left fist into his face, followed by her right elbow against his temple, giving him the final blow.
Turning back to the corridor she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Ambrose you better get back here or I swear..."
[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"]
„Sorry, sorry, sorry.“ she whispered as quietly as she could, hoping it wouldn’t have caused them any trouble. A wave of relief washed over her when Az told her no one would have heard that, opening the door to make sure it was clear. Carmen snapped her head around the moment a gunshot rang through the corridor. Her long, ebony hair whipped to the other side, wafting a delicate scent of lavender through the air around her. A cry escaped her lips and Az name followed shortly after. Her stomach curled, her muscles tightened, her eyes wide in horror as she looked at Az. For a moment time seemed to stand still…. so, so, so very still. She wanted to ask if he was alright, of course she knew he wasn't. Her eyes spotted the wet spot on his shirt, some sort of rage and anger starting to build up inside her. Oh how she wished for a rifle now. She would throw herself into the rain of bullets to get revenge.
She tried to keep calm, reminding herself that this was like work, she was used to this. Used to seeing gunshot wounds, used to people being rushed through the emergency room. This was no different, she told herself. Carmen took a shaky breath, brown eyes frantically searching for a way out. She halted in the doorway, the strangers approaching dangerously fast. She found herself looking through the shelves of the maintenance room, searching for anything useful. In the back of the lowest shelf she finally managed to find insect foggers. The cans were a little dusty and she hoped they weren‘t past the expiration date but as long as they somehow worked it should be better than nothing. Carmen grabbed the two cans, shaking them wildly to strengthen their effect and popped off the lid.
Within another moment she pushed the top in to activate the bug bombs, a strong odor and mist already emerging as she threw them at the attackers. She quickly moved over to Az, grabbing one of his arms. „Can you run?“ she asked, coughing slightly at the bad smell of the fogger. Making sure he was indeed able to move she tried supporting him as much as he needed to get going, feeling the need to grab his hand and just drag him behind her. She wouldn‘t even think about leaving him there and running off alone, knowing he would be dead meat. Carmen had always been, and still was, loyal to the Legion - especially as second in command - but the bond between her and Az was something entirely different and much stronger.
Running down the corridor Carmen whipped her head over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the soldiers but she couldn‘t spot anyone. The fog was thick enough to block the view from both parties. „We need to get out of here right now. Don‘t even think about going back there!“ she said, quite aware of how Az would like to handle situations like these, hoping he would listen to her, but also knowing he most likely won‘t.
Meet ____ Romero, one of Carmen's brothers who were treated like princes by her parents. [break][break] He somehow finds out she's now part of a gang and wants her to leave the gang. Maybe he thinks it's too dangerous, maybe he doesn't like it because it's illegal. I could see him working for the police department which would justify his reasons. Now, of course, Carmen doesn't want to leave and doesn't have any future plans of doing so, so they would be constantly fighting about it. She also doesn't understand why he suddenly reappears in her life after all these years and not giving a frick about how they treated her when she was just a child. He will most likely get into trouble with Az too if he tries to just take her away[break][break]
FACE CLAIM
[break] I picked Mario Casas for the images. I am only SEMI-open to other faces (he's too pretty <.<) but they need to be at least part Latino/Hispanic! Shoot me a message if you have a different face in mind but I'm a little picky c: look at hiiim haha[break]
[break]
[attr="class","alibipanel"]LIFE TO FIX Gotta build it back up brick by brick
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Carmen turned halfway, lowering her head to look at Sera sitting on the floor. “It’s just another way of humans dying. I mean, we all do at some point, but the virus is just making it happen… faster.” she said, lips pursed inward before she smacked them and slid down the wall to join her friend on the floor. She leaned back against the cold surface, which she appreciated with the heat haunting her every day since the beginning of summer. One would think a hospital would make use of an air conditioner, but no, they don’t. If they were, it was turned on so low Carmen never noticed anything.
She brought her index finger to her lips, hovering slightly above them, to sign she would keep it a secret. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about this. Your secrets are totally safe with me, as long as you keep mine safe too.” she replied, tilting her head to the side. Her long, full, wavy hair dropped to the side as she did so. Chocolate colored eyes drifted away to the other side of her view and she nodded. “I used to have a spot like this at the public park in our neighborhood until someone stole it from me.” she said and let out a soft laugh, thinking back to the first time she met Az.
“Hmm… a certain someone? Can a woman not dress up for herself?” Carmen joked but pondered, resting her chin on the palms of her hands. Her eyes sparkled at the thought and a chuckle escaped her lips. “Maybe, maybe not. I do have a date tomorrow. It’s my day off so I gotta enjoy what’s left of having a social life with all the social distancing going on. Tall, young, dark curly hair, ocean eyes, EMT.” she said swooning a little and winked, red lips arched into a bright smile. She may or may not have flirted with the guy whenever he came to the ER bringing a patient, but it was only today he actually asked her out.
“How’s work going? Any interesting news I should hear about?” she asked, grabbing her bag and fishing out a mirror. She opened the small, foldable pocket mirror and looked at her eyes, wiping away some smudged eyeliner with her hand.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Carmen nodded along as he explained what they needed the documents for. So she was right, somewhat. But of course, the gang would be the reason for it all. It always was. There chances of them doing it just for fun were very, very slim. “Yep, I see.” she said in response, tagging along behind him. “Maybe we could finally buy medical supplies instead of stealing them from the hospital. I think one of the nurses is getting suspicious about it.” she added, both eyebrows raised in expectation. She didn’t mind taking supplies from the hospital she worked at, but if she got caught at some point… it would be pretty bad - not only for her but for the whole underground clinic too.
She clamped her lips together as soon as she got the signal. Eyes wide, she tried to see - look for the source - but Az was pretty much blocking her sight. While she appreciated the safety he was trying to give her, she would be pretty much fine out there on her own. She knew that he knew that too, but ever so often he wouldn’t show it. Just like other things.
The brunette looked around slightly worried about their non-existent escape routes before Az managed to find an open door, silently telling her to go inside. She followed his demand and slipped inside the small supply closet without a comment. The space was tight, almost too tight for her taste. But it was the only option they had right now. She moved towards the back, pressing her back against the shelves. Her head moved ever so slightly as she looked around the dark room, barely able to make out anything. There was a mop standing next to her and a bucket on the other side.
Her hand hovered over knife holstered at her leg, ready to pull it out if she needed it. She kind of hoped she wouldn’t need to make use of it today, but she would if she had to. It definitely wouldn’t be the first time stabbing someone. She had gotten past that trauma a long time ago. The first time was around the age of 14. Her first attempt to mug someone. Didn’t end too well for the person she tried to mug.
Carmen tugged at her mask, pulling it down to her neck. It was already hard to breathe with it outside, but stuck in this tiny closet it was even worse. Although he was much taller than her, she looked up trying to listen in to whatever was going on outside too, but instead, she just ended up breathing on his neck while doing so. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips when she noticed. “You couldn’t have chosen a bigger room, could you?” she whispered, a playful grin tugging at her full lips. She was just about to make another joke when a crawling sensation appeared around her neckline. Shuddering, Carmen jolted forward, unintentionally launching herself right at Az.
[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"]
“I guess that’s true. But I do miss the good old times. Being young and reckless.” she sighed, a content sigh. Although, she was still quite reckless so that never really changed. But she aged, had an actual job outside of the gang and hit mid-twenties. Time went by too fast. Those depressing thoughts didn’t last long in her head. She dismissed them and replaced a frown with a smile.
Carmen could usually be seen with a smile on her face. It made her look the prettiest and she knew it. She also knew it probably annoyed a lot of people but she couldn’t care less. What she cared about was her own happiness - and of course the Legions - but if others didn’t appreciate it then to hell with them.
"Let's go find the bigger offices. If we're going to find something in paper form it'll probably be in one of those."
When Az told her to move on she placed the documents in her hands back into the drawer - or rather stuffed them back in without a care. The office was already a mess anyway. Heck, the whole building was probably a huge mess. So if those papers weren’t tucked in nicely folded no one would notice.
Carmen followed him carefully, making sure her steps were light and quiet, avoiding the broken bits and pieces scattered on the floor around them. “What exactly are we planning to do if we find something useful? Blackmailing some higher-up government officials? Threatening them? Are we doing it for the money?” she wondered, slipping over the mask they brought with them, and making sure it was tight and secure around her face.
The Legion was all in with the rebels planning the riots and attacks. They knew about the three locations: the City Hall, the Police Department, and the General Hospital. But if Carmen had appeared with her mask on at the hospital they would have run into the danger of someone recognizing her as she was wearing a mask on a daily basis at work, covering half of her face and only leaving her eyes to be seen. She could probably recognize her coworkers too if they would be appearing here now… chances for that to happen were fortunately low. Hopefully.
Carmen stopped in her tracks, the nearby whisper of voices stopping her from moving further. She gave Az a quick pat on the back to warn him, even though he probably heard it before she did. “Do you think this is the right way?”
[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"]
Wriggling out of the blue scrubs, dropping them to the floor before changing into her own clothes. She let her long, wavy hair down, finally freeing it from the tight hair tie. Carmen hated to have her hair up in a ponytail or a bun. It always made her feel stuffy. Unfortunately, the job as a nurse came with a rule to have it tied at all times for security reasons. Thus, she’s happy every time she’s done with her shift. It was just a little thing that bothered her… but it bothered her. Once she was done checking her reflection in the mirror and putting on some lipstick, smacking her lips to make sure it spread evenly, she shut her locker door, grabbed the clothes on the floor, and walked to the return container where she tossed them in. She quickly waved goodbye to her fellow coworkers before heading out of the hospital.
The moment she stepped out of the building, Carmen almost ripped off her mask - of course, trying to avoid smearing her lipstick all over her face - and took the deepest breath in what felt forever. Fresh air. A smile emerged on her face out of sheer happiness of being able to breath. 16 hours inside the stuffy hospital, running, moving, carrying things, all with a mask on… the worst.
She took the bus out of downtown, getting off a few stops before her destination. The streets were empty for the most part and she enjoyed that very much. Carmen always liked to go out for walks - usually at night - but anytime she could be outside, free to move and to do whatever she wanted to do, she would take that chance. Her gaze was directed at the shop windows she passed, looking at the closed store signs with sad eyes. Would there ever be a chance to regularly shop again? However, at that moment she spotted the reflection of a familiar-looking silhouette. She turned around, following her - just out of curiosity. If Carmen and Az had one thing in common it was to make sure to know what their employees and members were up to.
Carmen almost slipped at her first attempt at climbing up the ladder. Her heels weren’t the best choice of footwear if only she had known beforehand that climbing up rooftops would be on her to-do list for the day. She grumbled some mild curses in Spanish under her breath and took off her heels, stuffing them into her bag, until she made it to the top. Once there she paused to slip them back on. Her head whipped around, trying to find the person she had seen earlier.
Spotting the familiar curly mane of an employee at the Lux she tucked a strand of her full, dark hair behind an ear. “Smoking kills approximately 480.000 people each year. The probability of dying from lung cancer might still be higher than dying from the virus.” Carmen said nonchalantly with a shrug, as she stalked over towards Seraphina, her heels clicking on the ground with each step. The brunette placed her bag on the floor before peeking over the edge of the rooftop. “That’s a great hiding spot. How did you find it?” she asked, offering her a warm and grande smile.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Carmen followed Az through the crowd as he led them to the City Hall. Once the riots started she was excused from her main job at the General Hospital. She made a mental note to check on the underground hospital after this was over, knowing it would be flooded with patients in need of some wound care… she just hoped they had enough materials left to last for the day. She was sure Az would be able to get more in no time if she needed it. “I feel like we haven’t done this in a long time.” she said, placing on hand on his shoulder and on on the wall before stepping on his hands to help her lift herself up to the window. She crawled through it, jumping off the edge and landing on the floor with a thud. Carmen first walked to the door, prying it open just a little to take a peek into the hallway. Empty. Good. She closed it as carefully as she could, having a lot of experience already, before taking a quick glance around the room.
“Hmm... leverage.” she repeated after him as she stepped towards the cabinet he had nodded at. Unlike the drawer it wasn’t locked, the documents were all free accessible. She dropped to a crouch and opened the lowest drawer, the old metal rattling a little as it opened. Gloved fingers skimmed quickly but thoroughly through the individual files. There wasn’t anything catching her attention just yet. She worked her way through each drawer until the second top one. Picking it out and flipping through the pages Carmen pursed her lips at the content.
A little head tilt and a click of her tongue against the roof of her mouth to show her uncertainness. “I don’t know what this is but it doesn’t make much sense.” she said, holding the file up to show Az. It was a list with a certain amount of money written down next to each name - but those weren’t normal names. Those names didn't make sense. They appeared to be some sort of codes rather than names but yet they were names.
With a shrug, she lifted her arms and threw the papers into the air like confetti. No one was going to suspect them and the chaos was the perfect cover-up. At least having a little fun should be okay.
Growing up in a big Hispanic family Carmen tends to be on the louder side. She's outgoing and likes to have fun because that was something she couldn't have when she was younger as she was busy taking care of her family almost all by herself despite being a child. She's sassy, snarky and doesn't take sh*t from anyone.
She's very responsible and is someone her friends can always rely on. If there is something you need she will get it for you whether you are sick in bed craving chocolate and coffee from the coffee shop on the other side of the city or you're late to school and forgot your homework at home. She will always treat her friends and gang members as her family.
Despite that Carmen enjoys to have some time to herself just to relax or read and will often spend her time outside rather than at work or at home. Being inside for a long period of time sometimes feels suffocating. Whenever she's at work she has to take small breaks just to get some fresh air. She needs freedom. While she had a fair share of relationships she never could get past the three weeks mark because most of the men she dated were trash and didn't respect her choices.
She's super loyal to her fellow gang members and leader, however, if you get on her bad side be it by being stupid, being caught by the police, threaten their safety, hurt someone of her inner circle, it doesn't really matter, she won't sit still and won't let you get away with it and you will fall victim of her personal wrath.
[attr="class","ozapptitle"]BIOGRAPHY
Carmen was born into a big family consisting of her dad, mom, 3 brothers and 4 sisters. Unlike other hispanic families this one was nowhere near family oriented. It was a mess. Her father used to be a full-time employee but due to an injury he wasn't able to work anymore. So he ended up just sitting around, watching tv and being a lazy and loud bum at home. Her mother tried working part time at a supermarket but household chores and taking care of her husband and children made it very difficult to work more than just a few hours a week.
Needless to say Carmen was never the center of attention. She was stuck in between - not the youngest, not the oldest, however, she was the oldest of the girls. And with that came responsibility... responsibility a young girl shouldn't be handling. While the sons were all treated as princes, the girls were stuck with helping out wherever they could - mostly doing household chores, grocery shopping etc. But because Carmen was the oldest and the only one old enough to work she had to get - not just one, but two - part time jobs at the age of 12. The restrictions and law didn't stop her or her family from working more than she was allowed to because they needed the money. So make up and clothes had to fix it and make her look more mature. School became the lowest priority and keeping up with grades was nearly impossible. But Carmen wasn't stupid so she tried her best to make sure not to fail her classes, work at a gas station at night and the same supermarket with her mom during the day.
But after being out and about dealing with people all day all Carmen wanted was to have some quiet time for herself. Impossible at home with this mess of a family. Chaos reigned over their small house and if she didn't help with the cleaning and cooking they would all be sleeping in a pile of trash and starve. Whenever she actually had a couple of hours for herself - which usually was during nighttime with everyone else asleep - she took her things and escaped into the night hanging around local parks. It's where she got most of her studying done, where she could actually focus without having someone scream into her ears or being thrown at with pillows or tv remotes.
One night out and walking to her usual spot at a nearby park to catch up on some reading for school she stumbled over a boy - a couple of years older perhaps - and tattoed. And he was occupying her favorite spot. Needless to say Carmen wasn't too happy about it. Out of all places in this huge space he had to choose her - unofficial - spot? Carmen wasn't shy and one thing being with her family taught her was to stand up and say something. So she walked over, book gripped right in her hands in case she might need to use it as a weapon, though it probably wouldn't do much damage. Little did she know this encounter would turn into a tight knot friendship for years.
Not too long after their first meeting Carmen decided to run away from home, abandoning her family - although... they had abandoned her a long time ago - and joined Azazel to live their lives on the streets of Lethford City. It was like an adventure. Of course she would have taken some of the money she had earned, packed some clothes and her favorite book. Only a small bag which would remind her of the old home she had. But she didn't mind her new life despite being young. It gave her a certain kick and she enjoyed the freedom. She didn't mind having days where the two of them would have not enough food or the cold winter days. Soon they would gather other kids like them, runaways, orphans, troubled kids, but not a lot would stay with them. Some returned home, some didn't make it out of situations alive.
During those years she mastered the art of pickpocketing and became a great thief. Stealing goods and wallets were easy but she was excelling at stealing men's hearts. Once she was older she would sweet talk men into buying her stuff, giving her money, whatever she wanted. She made sure not to go too far when it came to the price she had to pay but it was an easy way to make money, money they all needed.
Carmen couldn't attend school anymore but would always try to study as much as possible to at least take the GED tests once she was old enough. At the age of 17 with a fake permit she took the test and she passed. With her high school diploma she decided to attend nursing school while hiding the fact she was a gang member from school. It was very troublesome to finance the gang and the school but being the woman she was she was somehow able to manage it all with the help of her fellow members.
She was 19 when Azazel found them an official hideout place. Carmen was excited but later on she would be even more excited when she proposed the idea of an underground hospital where she could take care of those who couldn't afford medical help - like they did. Once Azazel agreed she made sure they had all supplies they needed and would occasionally steal from the hospital she was officially working at as a A&E nurse. But she would be the nurse for the members as well, patching them up and treating them whenever they needed it.
With the pandemic going on her work quadruplet but she would always make sure to take care of patients at the underground hospital as well, jumping back and forth between her jobs. But with the pandemic other troubles came along and with Az disappearance the Legion dissolved, each member going their own way. Carmen still has her underground clinic which survives with the help of others.
[break]
