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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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.
• Kins was a bit hesitant on letting him step out from her. Which only meant when his hand lingered on her waist, she made sure to remain still. She didn’t want to step back and cause him to think she was having a hard time with them being so close. She was in a way, because it didn’t feel close enough in some way. And yet a startling noise rang through the air. She jumped, a small gasp leaving her as her hand flew to her chest. As if she could still her heart that was now hammering away in it.
He was stepping away after a second and turned it off. She was also wondering what in the world song was suddenly playing, but as he turned and explained that it was an alarm, it all made sense. “Ah, that’s a pretty smart reminder. I should probably do that myself.” She said, lifting a hand to push back some of her short dark hair. “I guess that’s my cue to start heading home. Would hate to have another cop stop me and question what I was doing out.” A small jab. A light tease to him. “Dinner was great.”
Kins watched him as he seemed to be comfortable in that moment. He came to her, closing that distance that she tried to keep between her and the rest of the world. She tensed out of instinct, but as his hands took hold of hers and placed them where they needed to be. She stepped slightly towards him as his hand curled around her waist and he stated that it was easy. She scoffed playfully at him, her eyes immediately on their feet that she could see between them. Trying her best to keep from stepping on his feet.
He was a lot more experienced, even if it was just swaying and taking a few steps here and there. Though she seemed to understand it after a few moments. Getting just comfortable enough to looked back up at him. Flashing him a bright smile and continuing to dance with him to the song. Though before she knew it, it was ending and she was lingering a moment with her hands on him. “Thank you.” She said to him with the faintest pink color under her cheeks.
She turned a slightly wide eyed look to him. She had assumed he might have laughed it off. Or full on dismissed the idea considering that scene in Titanic had been nude. And she was judging the expected reaction simply off of how he reacted when she asked to see his prom pictures. That was a mistake clearly on her part. She now really wanted to win this game. See what he would actually allow her to get away with in the name of 'art' and see how his confidence held up. Though a small, creeping blush made its way up her neck and into there cheeks. She was glad for the distraction of throwing her darts.
Kins watched as his darts flew through the air. Her heart picking up its pace every time there was a thump against the dart board as he threw. Either option was going to lead to an interesting interaction for the two. But that last dart had its say. It sunk its tip right into the center of the cork board and Jude turned to her with his arms wide. She had to laugh just a little bit as he seemed to be accepting his win gracefully. "Looks like we are." She said, though she assumed he would be saving it for another time. That was until he asked her what song she wanted to dance with him to. Her heart stuttered in her chest as she thought about what song to have him play.
She reached out a hand, slipping his phone from his hand and into hers. Doing a quick search and finding the song before she went to his coffee table and set the phone down after hitting play. Letting the song start playing for the two. A nervousness settled into her stomach as she turned towards him. Her one hand coming up to rub her arm nervously, biting her lip just a little as she slowly dragged her eyes up to him. Her heart beat was loud in her ears as she stood there waiting. He would have to make the first move, as she was now incredibly nervous. "I've never slow danced with someone." She told him quietly.
She grinned, definitely picking up what his tone was putting down. "Like one of my French girls." She quoted and teased all at once. Staring down at the board before she tossed the last three at the board. None hit the bullseye, but she had them hit the board and stick. Which was good enough for her. Especially when he commented about how he felt like he was getting hustled. "You are the one who said we should play." She teased. "But I'm sure you will do just fine." She encouraged, stepping to the side to let him take his turn.
She noticed how small the darts were compared to his hands. She wondered how small her hand would be in his, though she quickly dismissed it as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the dart board. "Let's see what you got then." She said, nodding towards the board.
Kins was beyond thrilled that her begging wore the man down that easily. Distant could mean so many things... Okay maybe it didn't mean different lengths of time but her distant and his distant could mean two different times. And her's was likely more close than his was anyways. She was sure that she could argue that she was an awkward teen, but her pictures involved nurses, and no hair, and god she hated that breathing assistance that wrapped around her face and into her nose. She had been terrified it was going to leave a permanent indent in her skin when she finally got to ditch it.
"I want to dance with you."
She actually faltered there. What did he just asked? Maybe it was because of the prom talk. But she blinked at him, a soft expression on her face for what he asked of her. A dance. He wanted to dance with her for whatever reason and she was suddenly finding herself wanting to lose this darts game. Except then he was turning the question on her. What did she want? Her eyes betrayed her as she moved them from his eyes to his mouth for a moment. And they lingered longer than they should have. And then she was looking back to the dart board, feeling her cheeks burn with a blush as she did. "If I win," She started, her hand lifting and readying to throw her first dart. "Then you let me paint you." And she'd pull back her hand and release the dart, striking just outside the bullseye before she looked back to him. "However I want."
Kins felt a pout grow on her face as he told her that there was no way she was seeing those pictures. "Oh but Jude, you have no idea how happy it would make me to see those." She teased. And then, because she could, she took it a step further. "I don't get to relive a prom, but you have one I could see! Maybe not tonight, but some day, you will have to show me. Pretty please, with a cherry on top." Was she trying to guilt him into showing her the photos? Yes. Did she feel bad about that? Not really. The soft smile on her face should have been a clue for that on its own.
"That would be an insult to you. Isn’t the challenge better?"
He had a point there. The challenge was better. She knew it, and clearly so did he. "I suppose you are right." She told him as she slipped out of the kitchen. She walked her way to the dart board and then put one foot in front of the other and walked ten paces away from it so she could get her distance approximately right. She was sure her ten paces was very different than Jude's. But his apartment also wasn't large enough for probably ten of his own. So they'd have to use hers. When he gestured for her to go first, she stepped towards the dart board, readying her arm when something crossed her mind. "Wager?" She asked, looking at him from over her shoulder. Her eyes shinning mischievously as she waited for his response.
"You have a point. I hadn't quite grown into my ears when I had my prom pictures taken."
A wicked grin came across her face at that. "Please, dear lord, tell me that you have these pictures still." She wanted to see them. She desperately wanted to see a young Jude, back in his high school days. Dressed up in a suit and tie combo taking pictures with his prom date and his apparently very prominent ears. "What was it like? Your prom. Who did you bring? What did you wear? Tell me everything." She asked. She was curious, and she was sure that this would be a better topic of conversation to have over dinner than her trying to avoid asking about his ex wife. She wanted to know her name, his daughters name. They were a part of him. She realized that the moment she found out about him, and even if they could make it to a third and fourth date, or even further, they would always be a part of him. Even if she was there.
The dinner was good, and they shared many looks over the food. Their eyes meeting and Kins giving him a small smile each time before she was focused back on her plate and eating again. She ate until her stomach said 'enough', trying to not over stuff herself but also trying to not take forever to finish her food as she realized that Jude had finished his own. Before she could even think about taking her own plate to the sink, he was on it. He really didn't want her lifting a finger to help with this, and for a moment she felt really honored that he was treating her this way. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good date. Even with the rocky start, he had been the best date she had had in a very long time.
"Ready to lose at darts?"
She stood from her seat and followed him into the kitchen, leaning against the doorway as he took care of the dishes. "If this is a date, doesn't that mean you are supposed to let me win? You know, be a gentleman?" She teased, watching as he went to the drawer and pulled out the darts. They lingered in the air for a moment as she looked between them and his face, before she pushed off the wall and made her way to him, taking the darts that he offered. Perhaps letting her hand brush his more than it needed to for her to grab the darts. She started for the living room, tossing a look over her shoulder at him as she did. "Try and keep up officer." she teased.
"Just because you’re a survivor doesn’t mean you have to feel grateful for everything. You were robbed of a large chunk of your life. You deserve all of it and more."
That alone almost brought her to tears. She felt the lump rising in her throat at his words. She had always buried the feeling. She had been bitter for a long time over it. And eventually she knew that she had to let it go. No matter how many tears she shed, no matter how much anger built in her chest, it wouldn't give her back those years. Instead, she got to awkwardly stumble through some of those firsts in her early twenties. Though the current health crisis put a big halt on those plans."I am angry enough about the body that was left behind. No need to make things worse by being upset because I didn't get to take awkward prom pictures or have a regular after school hang out group." She paused for a moment and laughed a little. "I mean, I guess I did in a way. The nurses and some of the other patients were there a lot."
She waited patiently for his response so she could help set the table, but he shook his head at her. Her head tilted lightly as she looked up at him as he came towards her. Her heart rate spiking through the roof as he approached and then took her hand. She was pretty sure that if he listened closely enough, he'd be able to hear the hammering going on in her chest. He was overwhelming. Tall, broad, and had a presence that made her feel at ease and yet on the edge of a cliff waiting to free fall all at once. She followed quickly behind him, two of her steps needed for just one of his.
"You sit. Drink the wine. I’ve got the rest."
If it had been any other time, she would have argued about his resistance to her help. But instead, she slipped into the seat and let out a small squeak of a surprise when he lifted her seat and moved her in. As if she was nothing but a small pillow resting on the seat. She turned her head to watch him retreat back into the kitchen, telling her stomach to stop with the butterflies and for her heart to give it a rest. She wasn't going to make it through the rest of the night if it kept up with what it was currently doing. Upon his return, she had indeed drank more of her wine and found herself watching him closely instead of the meal he laid out before her.
Kins eyes lingered on him for a moment after he took a seat and drank some of his wine before they moved to the plate in front of her. The scent was delicious and her stomach clenched in a way of saying 'hurry it up, up there!'. So without waiting much longer, she grabbed her silverware and went to work. She got a few bites in, her head nodding along with her bites to show her approval. "This is really good." She said between bites, trying her best to eat at a decent pace and not just stuff it into her mouth. "I'm assuming this is like a staple of yours?" She said, smiling over at him from her seat.
Her arms around him were shaking, but the moment that he wrapped her in his, she tensed for a moment. Even though she knew she wanted it, she wanted to be held to him, her body knew better. It was telling her to be careful. That even though he seemed to have changed some of his habits, she still didn't know what he did at work. Which meant he could be sick right now and neither of them knew. In a way, it made her want to scold him that he had not been more careful. That he had been so reckless with his own life, but after hearing that he lost his family, the ones he held closest. She could see why he didn't care. But it still filled her with a dread to think that she would have never had met him if he had just been a little more careless.
"I’m sorry you didn’t get to have much of a childhood."
She felt a shrug move half of her shoulders, her eyes looking away from him as well. "Someone had to help balance out all those happy teen years in the world. Guess it was my turn in the universe." She said, acting like it wasn't a big deal. Deep down, it hurt her in a way. She had spent many nights crying, looking over social media of girls her age. Laughing and taking random drives with friends. Going on trips and getting ready to prom. Picking out homecoming dresses. Cheering in the stands for their high school football team. Posting random pictures of them getting done up for no reason together. "Even though I missed most of it, I at least got to walk the stage for graduation. So I didn't miss out of everything." She tried to reassure him. Or maybe it was herself.
She looked at a him as he thanked her for telling him. A ghost of a smile on her lips. She knew this conversation was far from over. Eventually, they'd have to get into the details of it, for both of them. If they were to continue being in one another lives. As a friend, or something more, that was still up for determination. But eventually they would have to get into the gritty details. Like how long ago he lost them, how he had lost them, was she the one who played piano or did he, things like that. Just like she was sure that they would have to dive further into her sickness. What cancer she had, the fact that she had a pretty decent chance of it coming back, the fact that a lot of her was left to not function...
"If you’re still interested in this date, the food is still hot."
She was immediately distracted by her spiral into the 'how do I tell this man that if he wants a family, I cannot give him one' talk. And it wasn't because he mentioned the food still being hot and ready for them. It was the simple, four letter word that he dropped casually in the middle of his sentence. 'Date'. A blush crawled its way up her neck and into her cheeks. Her hazel eyes holding his as she felt a giddy smile start to fill her face. "It does smell delicious. And I'd hate to waste food on our date, especially when you worked so hard on it." It was her way of agreeing with him. This was a date.
She made herself at home, opening his freezer to refill their glasses, well more hers than his, before she slipped it back in. And then she grabbed both glasses and set them down on the table. She had been a bad guest, and she could only hope to make up for it now. "Silverware?" She asked, hoping to at least help grab some of the stuff they'd need. Just like he had done when they were at her apartment. If he told her where it was, she'd make quick work of grabbing a fork and knife and setting the table with them.
Kins couldn't stop her word vomit if she wanted to. Even as he said her name. She couldn't stop it. She was apologizing, saying out loud that she was stupid for looking at anything between them as some sort of... anything. She wasn't able to look at him while she said what she felt like she had to. And that was when the next shock of the night struck her. His hand reaching forward and taking hers, she jumped a little, her eyes wide as she looked up to him, her heart pounding in her ears as she tightened her hand on his out of instinct. She hadn't touched someone in so long. It was almost a foreign feeling.
"Kins, slow down. This isn’t your fault."
She let out a small burst of a laugh. There was no humor behind it. Of course this was her fault. Who would just walk into someones home, for the first time, and think it was okay to just go around opening doors and going through whatever she could find. She blamed him in a way. Something about him sparked her curiosity and made her want to know things. And yet, this was turning out to be nothing she had expected to learn about him. As he told her that it wasn't her fault and how it was something that he didn't like to talk about, she wanted to say 'well of course'. But instead of speaking, she squeezed his hand. Until he hit her with a sentence that made her face fall.
"I guess I should start by saying I’m not divorced."
Her brows pulled together in confusion as his hand released her. She swallowed hard and watched his internal struggle on the words that he wanted to say. "Jude you-" She stopped the moment he started to talk again. Though his eyes could not meet hers, she never looked away from him. Not once. Gazing up into his face as she watched the pain roll through him. The words coming from him as he started to tell his story.
"So I lost them both."
She couldn't stop the tears that built up in her eyes at that point. Tears for him. Not pity, but sadness for the pain that he had endured on his own. The pain that drove him to leave behind everything that he knew and start somewhere without them. She wasn't sure what she would do if she had been in his shoes.
"So I put everything I kept in that room, and I haven’t been back in it since I moved in."
His dark gaze was still away from her. She knew pain, she had lived years in physical pain. Emotional pain went right along with it, hand in hand like it was a romance novel. It was something that she never wanted to see others go through. Not someone like Jude. It explained everything in a way. And without waiting much long, she moved into him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her body shaking lightly from the contact and the fact that she knew she should be stumbling away. Keeping a distance in the 'just in case' field. But she wouldn't. So instead she held him tightly, standing in his kitchen.
"I am sorry for your loss. But just know, you aren't alone." She told him, a whisper in a way. It was easy to feel alone when you had that kind of pain in your heart and mind. "Not anymore." Because she was there. And from his earlier words, it seemed he wanted her to be there as well. "I got away from my home." She said lightly, her arms loosening on him in case he wanted to pull away. "It's why I wound up here. As beautiful as the beaches were, as much help as I got there... all I could picture was the lonely days I spent staring at the ceiling panels while the warm weather taunted me." It was cruel in a way.
"I had cancer. I was pumped so full of radiation and had multiple bone marrow transplants before my sixteenth birthday. Quite the accomplishment. Though, its a bit scary to see the scarring." She told him, her voice calm though. As if it was like she was reading off a piece of a story from a book. "I spent years in a hospital bed. All those teenage milestones were a bit different for me. The biggest one was staying alive." She pulled away then, slowly retracting herself as she made it to the second glass of wine he had poured. Washing down the lump in her throat before she continued. "I survived," She gestured to herself, her eyes on him for a moment. "But I have a weakened immune system amongst other parts of me ruined. A basic cold can knock me on my ass for weeks. Where as a normal person is sick for a handful of days."
She paused then. And suddenly, she felt a small blush hit her cheeks as she took a large gulp of wine. "I don't want to take away from what happened to you. But I guess... I guess what I am trying to say is I understand wanting to get away from the bad. And while you will never forget it, it is always going to be a part of you..." She let out a curse. "I'm not really good at this."
"Honestly, with all the work, it’s more like a rest stop these days."
She could clearly see that. It looked like one of those highway rest stops. Plain. Made for a quick stop in and get back on the road. She found herself looking at it like a challenge. He had already told her last time that maybe she could spruce it up. Which is why they even talked about a second... dinner get together? She still wasn't so sure about the date thing. She wanted to ask. Kins even thought about it in that moment. And she found herself staring over at him. "If you want, I can help bring some color into your rest stop." She said lightly, chickening out on asking if he wanted this to be a date. Or maybe she just didn't want the rejection at this point. As confident as she could be sometimes, she didn't know if she could handle hearing it out loud just yet.
"Do I get a gold star now?"
There was no shame in her look as she watched him walk away from her. She decided in that moment that she liked his broad shoulders quite a lot. They almost filled the door way into the kitchen as he disappeared into it. "Or something like it." She said to his back. Was that a small flirtation? A tease? She felt the smile on her face and turned a bright red before she had made the decision to disappear down the hallway on the trip to finding the bathroom. And instead, opening the whole can of worms that seemed to leave her mind racing with what the hell she had stumbled across.
She didn't think twice about entering the room, or touching the piano, or playing it. Nor did she think twice about fixing the frame until she saw the picture in it, but it had been too late at that point. By the time she set the photo back, face down, and stood from the bench, he was in the doorway. She stood with the bench between them, her hazel eyes wide with confusion and a million and one questions danced behind her close lips as she looked at him. Watched the way he seemed to look over the room, as if it wasn't familiar or in his apartment. It wasn't something he knew well. And when his eyes landed back on her, all she could do was stare at him.
"I’m sorry. I probably should have told you about this part before you came over."
But what part was this? He was married, maybe recently separated. Which explained the boxes and bare living space. The somewhat sudden move on his end from Chicago. She had completely read into this the wrong way from the start. And now she was reflecting back on their time together and feeling like an utter fool. He was harsh on her at first, then took pity on her because of the rain. And she had made him feel like he owed her, when she jumped out of the cruiser and put out the fire. He probably just felt bad when he came across her in that situation with a man she had gone on a date with once, months ago. And Jude, trying to be nice, didn't want to tell her he wasn't interested after that event. Though it really didn't make sense why he'd invite her to dinner tonight... maybe he just wanted a friend outside of the police station. And she was the first one who sort of stuck around.
"I’ll answer any questions you have, but I’d prefer to do it with a glass of wine. And the bruschetta’ll burn so… That’s the bathroom. I’ll be in the kitchen."
And then he was gone. The moment she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore, she ran from the room almost. Quickly turning the light off and shutting the door, and then locking herself in the bathroom. She scrubbed her hands for a whole minute, until they were red from washing them too hard. Out of frustration and embarrassment. She looked up at herself in the mirror and found that there was a pool of tears building in her eyes. She angrily wiped them away. This was ridiculous. This was childish. She was no longer a child, she was an adult. She shouldn't be crying over this. It was what? Three times actually seeing him and only a week or two of actually conversing with him. Now that she thought about it, that might be why he was not pouring into the details of his day like she did.
God, why was she so stupid? She splashed her face with water and rubbed her eyes. Before she wiped her hands on the towel he had out. It looked fresh, but she didn't risk drying her face. So she shook the water the best from it that she could before she took a deep breath and made her way out of the bathroom. She glanced at the front door. Maybe she could save them both the awkward dinner and just leave. But she found her feet instead, moving towards the kitchen. As embarrassed as she was going to be, she wanted to know. She wanted to hear what she had just found, what secret he felt that he should have told her about before she came over. And as she looked at him. She felt the words fall from her mouth.
"Jude I am so sorry. I should have shut the door the moment I realized it wasn't the bathroom. I didn't mean to pry." She didn't mean to be nosey, but she wanted to know him. "And you don't have to explain anything to me. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way. I... I've never been great at reading people and... god I feel so stupid. I am so sorry. I know divorces aren't easy and I... well I just... " A hand ran through her short hair and she found herself staring at a random spot on the floor between them. "This is all my fault. I can go." Because that would solve that right?
"If anyone’s going to do the scaring off here, it’s likely going to be me."
She gave him a half smirk at his statement. He sounded so confident in it, and yet here she was. "I have stared death in its face. Trust me, I don't spook easily." A little gallows humor as they went about. Though she did have to admit, between the two, she was definitely the more outgoing and the one who seemed better with people. But every time she thought about how he had treated her before, like she was some criminal, she couldn't help but think of the way that he saved that little girl. And how well he had handled everything with her and the mother. She had watched from a distance, but she could see the way the girl looked at him as if he was just this angel that was sent to save her. That spoke volumes to her.
Children had a way of reading people without even realizing that they could. It was often why they were so blunt and 'said mean things'. It wasn't that they were trying to be cruel, they just were stating what they observed and their minds had processed. His comment about 'less of a man cave' had her chuckling. "You didn't have to. I rather like seeing people in their natural habitats." She told him. And it was true, you got to really see them. How their mind worked, what they were comfortable with, what they did. Her house was covered in paint and canvas and pictures. Showing that she was passionate and vibrant in many ways. But that missing canvas in her home also could have told him that she was secretive as well. Not wanting to be easily read for all.
"I don’t, really. But I thought it would be smarter to bring it here than to ask you to go out to a bar."
He understood her without her even explaining exactly what happened to her. She knew that he got the basic idea. She was really sick growing up, she might have not dropped the actual words that she had died twice technically yet, but he could probably have guessed that by now. She actually found it quite amusing that he had not just come straight out and asked her by this point why she had been so sick growing up. And why it effected her now to have her reacting to things the way she did. "Look at you. Working on your social skills. I have to say, I am quite impressed Jude." She teased him as he started to work on removing his own shoes. She was just finishing slipping her feet out of her own and placing them besides his shoes when he was disappearing into the kitchen.
"There’s not much to look at, but make yourself at home. Food’s probably got another ten minutes."
She looked around once more before she moved into the space. Her hand landing on the dart board and looking it over once. It was brand new, he had specifically bought this for the two of them to play. She felt the small smile tug on her lips before she moved into the living room further. There really wasn't much to look at, he had kept it at functional. She wondered if he really would allow her to hang some stuff up. To bring some color into his life. As she walked, she peeked down a hallway, seeing a few doors. "Bathroom at the end of the hall? Just want to wash my hands from the trip over," She called out. She was pretty sure she heard him say 'yes' but she was already halfway down the hall and blocked by a few walls to actually hear what he said.
His house looked extremely clean, and smelled it as well. Like it had been recently deep cleaned for her visit and something about that made her want to tear up. He barely knew her, the strongest part of their connection being that both had saved the other in a way. And the fact that there was some kind of attraction that lingered between them. Yet he was observant enough to see her habits, to pick up on them and realize that he could take extra steps to make sure she felt safe and comfortable in his home. And there was something ridiculously touching about that.
She opened the first door, and quickly realized that it was not the bathroom. But the room instantly grabbed her attention. It was the most life she had seen all crammed into one small room. She flipped the light on, her quest for the bathroom instantly forgotten about as she stepped into the room and took in everything that she could see. The grand piano door up a large amount of the space. It was beautiful and she was drawn to it, slowly walking over the carpet as she noticed the child's rocking horse off to the side. Which made her brows pull together lightly in confusion. Why would he have something like that? And the many boxes that lined the back wall, some boxes, some plastic bins.
Her fingers grazed the top of the piano as she approached it. She lifted the lid to the keys, her fingers lightly tracing over a few ivory pieces as she looked it over. Kins wasn't a musician per se. But she did know a few songs on the piano. Her mother had gotten her a keyboard when she was in the hospital and she learned a few songs back then on it to occupy her time and give her something different to do. "I didn't know you played piano." She called out towards the open door. She sat down and played a soft melody for a moment, noticing that the piano still seemed rather in tune and she let her fingers flow for a few moments. Listening to the melody before something on the edge of the piano caught her eye. A picture frame, laid face down. She reached over and stood it up, figuring it must have fallen over by accident.
She didn't really look at the picture at first, focusing on straightening the frame before her hazel eyes settled on what was inside of it. And staring at her, was Jude. Happy, smiling, with his arms around a red headed woman with bright green eyes who stared at the camera. And pressed between them in a sandwich style hug, was a little strawberry blonde girl with Jude's eyes. Confusion was the first step that rolled through her when she looked at this. Jude had a daughter and wife? But where were they? And why was she there now if... She blinked twice before dread spread through her stomach. No, she had just done something so wrong. She immediately reached up and turned the frame back face down. But it was too late, the damage had been done.
tag: @jude | OOC: its trash and short and i'm sorry
Kins smile never faded when the door opened up. And when she saw his face, she couldn't help but almost feel a bit of relief to see him. It was like the nerves were shoved a bit down to allow her giddiness to come forth. Especially when he seemed to be just as happy to see her as she was to see him. This was really starting to feel like a date. And she found those nerve peek up once more at the thought. Did she want it to be one? She had never been really good at picking out men before, their last encounter had proven that. And as a teen, well not a lot of young boys wanted to be with the sick girl. Or they did it out of pity, which fueled a fire in her that burned like a thousand suns. She didn't want pity or hand outs because someone felt bad. Absolutely not under any circumstance.
"Come in. Is that for dinner?"
She had forgotten about the wine bottle for a moment and glanced down at her hand when he motioned to it. "Ah, yes. I figured we did cider last time, perhaps wine tonight. Next time we can just go for shots if you don't decide to run away by then." She teased as she made her way into his apartment, allowing him to shut the door securely behind them. He took the wine bottle, and she gave him a small smile as she took in his apartment. "It smells great in here." She told him, letting her eyes road the walls. She wasn't sure if she should feel relief or sadness looking at it. Relief that she had hit the nail on the head when she guessed what his place would be like. Plain walls. Little furniture. Nothing really personable about the place. Comfortable in a way.
But also, it was painful for the artist in her. She immediately was looking at the walls and trying to picture what to hang there to bring some life to the place. Make it look less like a sterile hospital room. More like a place one would come home to after seeing the ugly in their city. "Oh Jude." She tsked playfully, clicking her tongue as she glanced at him for a moment. The small tug on her lips clearly showing that she was, at the end of her inspection, more inspired than anything else about it. As her eyes turned back though, that was when she spotted the lone dart board. Set up in his living room. "I thought you said you didn't play." She teased, looking at him from over her shoulder. Reaching up to finish taking her masks off and tucking them into her pant pocket.
She looked back at the door before down to her feet. Was he a 'shoes off at the door' kind of person or did he prefer for her to keep them on? She pointed to her shoes, "On or off?" She asked him. She felt her stomach rumble lightly, and was just glad that it didn't yell out as well for them to hear. The air was heavy with pasta and red sauce and she was quite excited to see how well he cooks. Judging by the smell alone, she was guessing he had at least mastered this meal.
Kins was buzzing. She was excited and nervous for the night ahead of her. She was going to see Jude again, and like actually see him and not just when he drove past her wall art. Like actually talk to him and not texting him. Though she definitely seemed to have the longer sides of the conversation. He seemed interested in what she had to say, and the fact that she was talking to him, but he seemed quite awful at texting back. He was definitely a person that was better face to face. And she didn’t like taking phone calls because her masks made it extremely hard to hear her muffled voice over the phone.
She was still embarrassed about the fact that she had fallen asleep during the last time they were together. She wasn’t even quite sure when it happened. But what she did remember in her exhausted haze, was being warm and then picked up. She briefly opened her eyes when she was set on her bed, but the moment the blanket was over her, she was back asleep. She wanted him to stay. She wanted to reach out and ask him to lay next to her and just sleep. No matter how not okay that actually was for her to ask. When she awoke in the early morning, she was confused until she felt embarrassed. He had come into her room to put her down, and she looked around the room. It wasn’t a mess. Just the fact that this was her little space and she would have liked to show him herself.
And then she found his note that was left in her kitchen. Dinner on Saturday. Her heart leapt into her throat and she’d lie if anyone asked, but she blushed and smiled lightly at the words. When it was an appropriate time, she texted him the next day apologizing for falling asleep and that she’d promised to stay awake when she went over to have dinner with him. And then it became a habit. Texting him randomly through her day, just letting him know that she thought about him and wanted to share something in her day with him. Or sending updates on her wall that was now almost done. Which made things very complicated in so many ways. But ways she was choosing to ignore for the time being.
When Saturday came around, she found herself staring at herself in her mirror for a few moments. The bruise that had appeared on her arm from Kyle was now almost healed, just leaving a green and yellow mark under her skin. She adjusted the short sleeve shirt once more, as if it was going to change what she saw. A pair of light washed skinny denim covered her legs, her tee was made out of a ridiculously soft dark gray fabric. And she had a plaid long sleeve wrapped around her waist, just in case she got cold in his apartment. She ran her hands through her freshly dried hair and told herself to pull it together. She has been around him before. She has had a meal with him before. This wasn’t a date... or was it? Does that mean this would be their second date, and her cooking them dinner was their first?
Kins shoved that out of her head quickly, laced up her shoes, secured her double masks on her face before she sent him a text that she was on her way. He didn’t live really far from her, so she arrived just a few minutes shy of seven o’clock. She made her way to his door and held the neck of the bottle of wine she brought him in one hand as she stared at the door. As if it would announce her arrival without her actually having to knock. She let out a breath, calming her already racing heart, and knocked a solid three taps before she reached up and unhooked one side of her masks. She had already been around him without one. And he seemed to be taking better precautions from what she gathered. Deep down, she knew he wouldn’t risk her getting sick, she could just tell.
The moment the door opened, she was beaming up at him.
She shook her head at him, a small smile on her lips. He really wasn't, though she was also highly aware of him after she caught him one of the times. He could have gone by more for all she had known. Kins was glad that she saw him when she did, and that she became aware of his presence when he would roll by. She almost felt like she was safer, knowing his cruiser would come by and spot her once a day. "Hm, perhaps not. Though maybe you were there more than I actually saw you. " She said with a small shrug. She really wasn't completely sure. But she was glad that she got to talk to him when she did. And the fact that he was now with her.
As the subject seemed to shift back to his father, she could feel the air shift. Suddenly, she didn't want to know the answer, and yet she was craving to as well. This was deeper than just his father. She could feel it in her gut, but when he gave her a vague answer, she knew not to push it. She just nodded her head lightly, letting her short dark hair flop just a bit as she took another drink of her cider. Instead, she would allow him this secret, whatever it was for the time being. And she went into the explanation of her own messed up family tree.Though it more sounded like she was praising her mother, who deserved every single bit of it. But when she mentioned the crying, and his eyes met hers, she felt a blush bloom on her cheeks.
"She sounds like a strong woman."
Kins nodded her head in agreement. "She is. She tried her best to meet every diagnosis and test result head on. Even when I didn't want to know because I was being a moody teen and wanted to just give up." She said matter of factly. She realized how that last sentence sounded for a moment, and she gave him an almost apologetic smile. "Being told that your chances of survival were low and how the treatment could kill you itself, sort of put a lot of dark thoughts in ones head. I had taken to making dark jokes about it to try and make it easier to think that I could just die the next day. Or not wake up when I fell asleep because my body finally gave out." She patted her thigh then. "But somehow, it kept going. Just a little busted now." Kins said with a dark laugh.
"Someone’s competitive. Are you like this with all group activities?"
A small smirk slid to her face as she got the movie ready. "I look forward to you finding that out on your own." She teased and then settled in beside him. Her stomach full and cider helping to settle her nerves, she was resting comfortable next to him. She had seen the movie before, but it had been a while. She found herself laughing lightly in the first few minutes as the movie started to set up the main character. Even though her eyes were on the TV, she was hyper aware of the man who sat a foot away from her. His body was long and toned, and she had decided a while ago that she liked his profile. The one thing she could get a small peek at from the corner of her eyes as she glanced at him.
Afraid to be caught, she tried her best to focus on the movie and not the fact that the air between them seemed to be charged with something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was uncomfortable in a way, but not so that she wanted him to leave her. Just uncomfortable in a way that meant something was new. As she kept overthinking, her eyes were suddenly drawing heavy on themselves. She shifted, tucking her legs under her, hoping that the moment and repositioning would help her sleepiness that was suddenly kicking in. The excitement of the day must have really taken a toll on her.
Before long, and probably only about twenty minutes in, Kins eyes had closed and her body leaned slowly over until her head hit Jude's shoulder softly. Which only briefly stirred her just enough to shift closer to him with a soft, sleepy sigh. Not quite really understanding what was actually happening.
