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Jasper had to be dreaming, there was no other reason for why Tatum was standing here, in his arms, warm and happy and whole. He couldn’t count the number of sleepless nights he’d gone through since leaving London four years ago, sure most of the past years had gone by in a fog. So much of his life had centered around the woman in his arms, he almost hadn’t known how to function without her. ‘Dangerously co-dependent’ was a phrase that had been through their direction once or twice, but Jasper had happily flipped them off while Tatum fingered one of her favorite knives. They were a force to be reckoned with years ago, and he felt for sure they would be just as such, despite the rampaging apocalypse surrounding them every step of the way.

“Traffic.”

Hysterical laughter bubbled up through his chest, forcing him to bite down on his lip to keep it inside. It was almost unrealistic, thinking about the astronomical chance he would find her at this particular place at this specific moment, but Jasper wasn’t in the habit of looking gift horses in the mouth. He had Tatum back. She was alive, and Jasper intended to do each and everything possible to keep her that way. He’d been forced to leave her once before, for his ‘own good’, and he’d be damned if he let it happen again.

“I know that look in your eye, and before you go undressing me in the streets of this fair hamlet, why not point me in the direction of clean water and fresh food and you can have your wicked way with me, hmm?” His tone, thought it be flirtatious, completely mislaid the real truth behind his words. She would take him back to wherever she was holed up, berate him for the terrible bandaging job, and spend the next half hour meticulously cleaning and banding up the serrated cut much better than he ever could. Though he’d had thoughts over the years, he once was a teenager, so sue him, they’d never come to fruition. Tatum would forever be the one out of reach for someone like Jasper, and he was--content.

She was alive.

She was alive, and that’s all that mattered.

    Fall City seemed to be bringing blessings and fortune upon her because it  had not only brought back one person in her life but two. The one who she was holding in her arms, well, he was one that knew every nook and cranny, every dark corner – which were numerous – and every place in her mind where flowers grew – which were practically nonexistent at this point. That is, until her breathed in and let the presence of Jasper wash over her, let her hold him until she felt one hundred percent sure that he was there. There hadn’t been a single moment where she thought he had died, no, if she had made it this far she knew that he would too. What had eaten at her whenever she had a moment to herself was the thought that he was alone out there, alive but lost to her. 

    Not lost, anymore.

        He will never be lost to her ever again. 

    When there was enough space between them, she finally allowed herself to look somewhere other than at his face. But the longer she looked at his face, the more she realized how much he had changed. Funny, what a few years could do to a person, but she assumed that it was probably much the same for her. Four years were nothing and everything – when at the end of the world people learn to care nothing for time. One day blended into the other, Tatum had no concept weekdays or weekends. Time passed without meaning for her, each day having the same goal as the next: survive and try not to kill anyone – at least not yet. But each moment that she spent with him, touching him, feeling his pulse beneath her fingertips. Her eyes gradually lowered and took in his shoulder, doing a quick assessment of the wound. It was already decided in her mind – she would take care of him and no one else would touch a single hair on his head until she was done. 

    Instead of responding to his comment, she merely let the smile on her lips, as bright as the one she used to sport as a child whenever she would fight off one of their numerous foes, speak for itself. Her fingers fluttered across the wound on his shoulder, ghosting across the heated, marred flesh. A pout formed on her lips as she examined it, her hand slipping under the fabric of his shirt to pull it down to see how far it went, how deep it was. Now they both shared their respective scars. Hers was fading and faint, but soon his would be too. Just another scar to add to their very numerous collection. As he pulled her into yet another hug, she buried her face into his neck, a soft sigh leaving her as she felt home. 

    “Missed you…needed you…” she murmured against his skin, her eyes closing briefly in the moments of quiet. All she needed was to feel him breathe and she knew that she would make it through this and never have to be alone. “Same thing.” When she pulled back enough to look at him in the eye, she stepped closer, pulling herself impossibly closer to him. Part of her was being playful, the other part completely serious as she frowned the slightest bit. “You arsehole, how come it took you so long to find me?” 

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Jasper didn’t mention the fact that he could count on one hand the number of times he’d gone to the doctor growing up, and all of those time the doctor had used the same ice cold thermometer to test his temperature, under his tongue. He just rolled his eyes and tilted his head enough for the doc to have a better vantage point, “Three days. Got caught by a pack of runners searching for supplies in a small town south of here, thought I’d duck through an alley, only the alley fought back. Lucky for me, it took out the runners too and I was able to escape only a little worse for the wear. Bandaged it up, stumbled my way through some brush, and voila. I am at your mercy. Please tell me I can keep my arm, doc, because I am quite fond of it, have been for some time now, and I’d hate to part so soon.”

Julien examined the physicality of the young man before him. Noting as he went on. Injured shoulder, wound, restricting mobility. A light cough which could have been a residual from their cold winter just past or further damage to ribs. Then lastly a small rash on his upper right arm which from what Julien could see was simply poison ivy. “How long has your shoulder been hurt? What happened?” He needed as many details as possible if to properly treat it, though it looked like he’d done a pretty good job and a dodgy bandage. “What is this? The dark ages? It goes in your ear.” As long as their electric thermometers still worked he’d rather them over old school mercury ones. 

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“Ah, see, now there’s where you’re wrong.” Picking up the pace, Jasper twisted so he was walking backwards in front of her, grin curling his lips into a wicked smile. “I’ve found, that the more you push, the more chances you have at finding what people are truly like on the inside. We are the last of a species, are we not? What better time to find what really makes us tick, what makes us what we are, than right now? Come. Ask me a question, any question, and I will answer to the best of my truthful abilities.”

“And I said no,” she rebuffed him through narrowed lids, teeth clenching in an effort to remain civil. Why she bothered to restrain her natural impulse in the first place was infinitely incomprehensible. “You’re going to learn very quickly not to push your luck with people. Myself included. Now walk away.”

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Jasper kept his movements, and his thoughts, light, focused on his surroundings, taking everything in little by little. It was an impressive settlement, one of the largest and well-protected he’d found that wasn’t military run. He had to hand it to whoever had set it up, and decided he would spend a little time here, see what he could learn, and possible take with him after he’d gone.  Catching the subtle shift of her hand, another puzzle piece slotted into place, and Jasper made sure that his voice was as calming as he could make it, unwilling to startle the innocent lamb too soon, “Now, love, where exactly is that chocolate, hmm?”

Ada questioned her actions once timid feet moved towards the community centre. She wondered if the man was to trust, but knowing men he was not. A gulp was taken as she was reminded with the vile that men were capable of. The man made her nervous, even if his request had been as innocent as chocolate. A hand was brought up to her swollen belly, as if to protect her unborn. What she had gotten herself into? What if she was to get to the kitchens and witness no chocolate, what would the man think? Would he be mad at her for her failure? 

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Jasper wasn’t usually one to let obstacles get in his way, so his speed picked up until he was alongside her, grin in place. “I don’t want another tour guide. I chose you, so that means you are responsible for showing me around.” Pausing he took in the ire on her face, but didn’t waver--he’d stared down far more terrifying people than the woman before him. “Come now, love. What’ve I got to do to get you to say yes?”

Gwen meandered along the street, full of intention and determination until she heard the telltale sound of another’s steps marching in time with her own. And then he spoke, encouraging her lithe figure to halt and half-turn out of a wary regard rather than politeness. “I don’t care,” she deadpanned, although her frame was rigid with caution. Always on the defensive should an unfamiliar face reveal itself as a formidable threat, a predator whom she should be prepared to engage if necessary. “Find another tour guide.”

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Jasper’s grin grew, if that were even possible, and he felt he might have hit the goldmine with this stuttering little lass. “Oh really? Then lead on.” Jasper didn’t know much about this town, or where anything was, and he could use the timid girl to help him in ways she might not even notice. Today chocolate, tomorrow--who knows? He might even be able to find a new weapon or two before heading on.

A small shake of her head indicated that no cats got her tongue, though they had been close to. “I - I’ll try to find chocolate..” she mumbled, but she wasn’t completely sure she would be able to find it. But demands, she wondered what would happen if she was to deny doing his orders. “I think.. I think I saw some in the community centre once.” Lips were bit out of nervousness, blue hues not daring to look up to meet his gaze.

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Jasper’s smirk seemed to grow the more the man let his foot get shoved further and further into his own mouth. When he finally seemed to slow to a halt, Jasper lifted his hands and started a slow clap, “You always let your mouth run away with you? Well impressive, mate. I’ll take you up on that wine, ‘less you’ve got more important things to do with that...bowl.”

“I was offered ‘just about anything’ by you, which is a far better one than what I was offered to kill you.” Isaac huffed out a laugh. “’Sides I’m not like other hitmen, I’m easy.” It took a moment for the reality of his words to set in and he nearly dropped his head into his soup. “Wow, I am really making a good first impression aren’t I.” He murmured as he felt his neck and most of his face burn, undoubtedly turning quite an alarming shade of red. “I do in fact have some wine, which shows what I’m good for really doesn’t it.”

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“Well then.” Jasper took the succinct answer in stride. He hadn’t exactly been expecting bells and whistles when stumbling across the protected little city, but he had been expecting a little...more. Curiosity piqued, he stepped after her, twisting his lips in what he knew to be an inviting smirk that had gotten him into more good graces than he could count, “If I’m not to get a parade in my honor, why not show me around your little town hmm? Least you could do for a newcomer. Wouldn’t want me wandering anywhere I shouldn’t and getting hurt. Down right cruel, if you ask me.”

“No.”

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“First you threaten to kill me, and then offer rose scented water? Methinks your little town’s committee got its wires crossed somewhere down the line.” Grin turning the corners of his lips, Jasper took in the entire package of the man before him; the bowl, the sleeping bag, the sleep-ruffled hair. It was almost too idyllic for such a world they lived in now, that he couldn’t help but be thrown off guard. How long had it been since he felt comfortable enough to wander around with his guard down and only be on the lookout for a heat source, if the way he clutched the bowl to his chest yet didn’t eat from it were any indication. “Although, I will take that vino if you’ve got it. Used my last bottle to molotov a group of those pricks that thought I’d be a tasty treat.”

Isaac raised his eyebrow over the mug of soup in his hands. He had been searching for ages to find anyone who knew how he could heat it up. “No actually, I’ve been sent here to kill you.” Standing with his sleeping bag thrown over his shoulders and sleep-ruffled hair he could not have appeared any less threatening if he’d tried. “Would sir maybe like rose petals strewn in the water? A glass of vino tinto and some scented candles?” His mouth twitched into a grin from the small, wry smile he had presented a moment ago.

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“Oh, well if it’s subtle, then have at it, doc.” Jasper hadn’t quite expected that response, but it was amusing nonetheless. With a twist of his shoulders he pushed off his jacket and didn’t quite hide the wince the movement elicited as he moved his injured shoulder. He’d done his best to bandage the gash he’d gotten from some falling debris on his way to the city, but it could certainly do with someone more qualified to look at it. Jasper gave the thermometer a wary glance and opened his mouth enough for the doctor to place it under his tongue, holding his injured arm closer to his chest as he waited for his prognosis.

“If by welcoming committee you mean some subtle groping and the probing of your ear canal, then yeah, I guess I am.” Julien gave the stranger a small smile, he’d been told his name was Jasper but that was it. He held the thermometer in his hand and some rubber gloves on. “I’ll get right on all those things, just after your check up. Hey maybe I can sort myself a bubble bath whilst I’m at it. I heard the runners actually found some on their last run. Why they brought it back I have no clue. C’mon, it’s policy – mandatory check ups on arrival.”

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Jasper raised a brow at the woman’s continued silence, the sharper edge of his tongue coming out as she continued to sputter out nothingness. “What? Cat got your tongue, or just have nothing worth while to say?”

Ada was used to comply to orders, whether they came from bad or good people but she was indeed not part of the welcoming committee. Was there even one? The small girl remained in place, frowning as she assessed the stranger, contemplating whether doing what he said or not. She did not know if they even had what he specified, was he mad? “I - I..” Ada tried to explain the situation but no words came out of her mouth.

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    Fall City was certainly a sight to behold, one of the only strongholds of humanity he’d seen that hadn’t already fallen apart, or on the verge of it, but what was really shocking, and truly exciting, about the place was the person it held. At the first clatter of weaponry and running, Jasper hadn’t thought much about it. There were plenty of people in this town, enough to have their own agendas, enough that he was barely spared a glance from most, even if most of the gazes held distrust. Not unusual, but he was hoping for a little more warmth.

    He received it, in the form of the last person he’d expected to see alive, but who he’d always been hopeful would survive the hell the world had fallen into. Jasper’s arms were wrapping around Tatum before his mind even had the chance to recognize who exactly it was that had tackled him.  Muscle memory kicking in and keeping his footing, despite the sudden sharp pain in his shoulder, and the added weight of another body in his arms. The familiar scent of Tatum, of family, of home, settled that little part of him that had been running ragged for months, chomping at the bit for any mention of a dark haired women with a killer shot, waiting to hear just one little mention of the most important person to him in the world. Tatum was here, she was alive, and Jasper was entirely sure the smile on his face was going to be permanent at this point.

    Jasper didn’t want to let her go, separating just enough to give his injured shoulder a respite, his free hand clinging to whatever fabric he could grasp that would keep him in contact with her. “You know me, love, always had a soft spot for the chocolates.” Inane chatter seemed to be the only thing he was capable of, so many questions clattering around in his brain that he couldn’t pick just one, and settled on simply staring into his best friend’s face. Reconciling it with the one he remembered from four years ago, god she’d changed, but he supposed so had he--the end of the world tended to do that to people.

    Unable to help himself, he pulled her into another hug, burying his face into her shoulder and wrapping her as tight in his arms as his injured shoulder would allow him. Giving himself this one moment to let it all out, to let every last emotion he’d been clinging to over the last few months free and simply breathe. “Gods, I missed you.”

There was a large clatter, the sure sound of weaponry hitting the ground. Next followed the heavy thud of boots meeting the dirt at a frantic pace. Then came the unmistakable sound of Tatum Knight tackling none other than her best and dearest friend to the ground in a back-breaking hug. She clung to him, her legs wrapped around his waist and her face pressed into the crook of his neck, as if he was a soldier returning from war. And he was, in his own way – weren’t they all at this point? 

It had only taken her mere milliseconds to recognize the voice that had laced itself through the air and settled on her ears, like a long forgotten tune. Then the cadence of the words, teasing and the slightest bit condescending, were the dead give away. That mouth had been the reason why her knuckles had been split open numerous times. It was the reason they had become friends in the first place.

                  And now here he was, flesh and blood, wrapped in her embrace.

When she finally let him up, she grinned and laughed, almost falling over herself in the process of disentangling their limbs. “If I didn’t know any better,” she said amid the laughter that shook her shoulders. “I’d say that your rich-boy side has finally grown on you, what with the fancy chocolates and all that rubbish.” The words had barely left her lips when she found herself tripping onto him again, stepping on her own two feet in her excitement. How had the once graceful, mysterious Tatum Knight become a bumbling mess within the past couple of seconds?

                  Oh, right.

                        Jasper Wolfe was back in her life.

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Jasper wasn’t found by anybody. He showed up at Fall City on his own and after questioning was allowed inside.

He arrived at Fall City with medium food and low ammunition and lowmedical supplies.

He had a tear on his shoulder from a piece of debris that fell while on his way to Fall City. It was patched up at the clinic.

They arrived with a modified baseball bat, containing spikes and other sharp corners.

There was no vehicle with Jasper.

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“Are you the welcoming committee, or...” Jasper wasn’t necessarily hostile, but he’d learned to be wary of strangers since a very young age, and even the most charming smile could be deceiving. His own constant smirk a testament to that fact. “If so, I prefer dark chocolate, to milk, and will do just about anything for a bubble bath. So--chop, chop.” With a wink his smirk turned wicked, “Make me feel welcome.”

[jaswolfe-blog]

NAME: Jasper Wolfe

Age: 24

Origin: San Diego, California (London, England)

Formerly: Bartender

Dexterity: Combat, On-The-Spot, Communications

Inability: Hunting, Carpentry, Textiles

BEFORE THE OUTBREAK

Jasper grew up rich, but not happy. His father wanted what was best for his reputation, and his mother was just happy she didn’t have to try for more kids. At times both neglected and revered, Jasper chose to act out in the only way he knew how–by getting into fights and being a general pain in the ass alongside his best friend Tatum.

Because of his money, Jasper ended up taking much of the blame for his and Tatum’s actions, his father willing to shell out the cash to keep his son’s name out of the papers. But his father’s ‘good will’ didn’t last forever, and by the time Jasper was out of school and looking for something else to do, his father was seconds away from throwing him out. Jasper didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he also didn’t exactly know what to do without the life he’d been born into. 

His mother’s untimely death was the final straw that forced Jasper to consider grabbing as much money from his father’s safe and heading out on his own. He almost didn’t go, afraid of what his life would be like, but Tatum convinced him to leave and he figured if he got enough money he might be able to bring her to America with him.

Heading to California, figuring it was the furthest from England that he could get, Jasper took the money he’d taken and bought a bar. He had no idea how to run a business, but he knew how to schmooze people, and pretty soon he had a successful business in the middle of the city. He figured it was only a matter of time before his father somehow managed to find him, but Jasper was going to enjoy it while it lasted–then the apocalypse happened.

AFTER THE OUTBREAK

Once the outbreak started, Jasper thought it would be a great idea to hole up in his bar, with the few patrons left inside, to ‘wait it out’. They had enough supplies to last long enough for the military to gain hold of the chaos, but when hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks, they were eventually forced to venture outside. In less than a day, the small group of people Jasper had helped keep alive in his bar were dead, ambushed by a group of runners, and he was the only one left.

Since then, Jasper has traveled with small groups of people, but never for longer than a week at a time. More often, then not, he would end up the only one alive at the end of the week, and be forced to continue his trek up the coast with more souls heaped onto his shoulders.

The one and only time he stayed with someone for longer than a week, the one time he let his guard down, they took a knife to his throat in the middle of the night. It was only his life growing up on the 'streets’ alongside Tatum that kept him from getting his throat slit and loosing everything he’d worked for. The knife in his boot had ended up in the other man’s jugular and Jasper was suddenly alone. Again. 

Despite the death that followed in his wake, Jasper steadfastly headed north along the coast, searching for some sign that the nightmare he’d woken up to might end soon. The faint hope that maybe, somewhere out there, he’d find the reason why he was always the one that survived while so many died before him. Plus, he really missed snow, and where better to get it then up north.

CONNECTIONS

Tatum Knight: Tatum is one of Jasper’s closest friends from childhood, someone he could always count on and who managed to show him a life outside of the gilded cage his family had forced him into. She showed him how to fight, and how to survive despite all of the odds. He attributes much of his survival to the things she taught him growing up, and hopes that these same things have somehow managed to keep her alive all this time.

CONSENSUS

Face Claim: Rami Malek

Availability: Taken

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