"i've been trying to determine whether you're avoiding people intentionally."
cassian motioned vaguely towards the bustling food court, their current position tucked just far enough away from the worst of the crowd to escape the constant noise without entirely removing themselves from it. a faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth as he balanced his tray against one arm, the other making a small, almost absent gesture in the direction of the gathered survivors.
"or whether you're simply wiser than the rest of us," he added, a quiet chuckle following as he set his tray down on the table nearby. part of him considered waiting. once upon a time, he would have. his upbringing had all but guaranteed it. one did not simply sit down at another person's table uninvited. then again, the world had ended, and if society insisted on collapsing, it seemed only fair to borrow a few liberties from its remains.
even so, he left an empty seat between them before settling into the chair. "you don't mind, do you?" the question came after the fact, polite enough to acknowledge the possibility that he might.
“you're remarkably quiet out there, i've noticed that.” cassian had spent most of his life around animals, reading them, handling them, learning the subtle differences between nervousness and confidence, between caution and outright fear. his profession had demanded a certain awareness of movement, of space, of things left unsaid. finding someone who moved with the same sort of quiet precision had been unexpected.
"most people make far more noise than they realise."
(luke thompson, gay, male + he/him) welcome to the metrocenter, cassian lockhart ! they’re a 36 year old survivor who has braved the wastes of america to join our little flock. they’ve decided to employ their skills as a hunter which will help us out tons. from our psych eval we can determine they’re graceful, intuitive, idealistic, but have also been noted to be competitive, petty, posh. they didn’t have much when they got here, except for his favorite bridle, championship equestrian competition gold medal on a leather string and an old photograph.
SURVIVOR DOSSIER
NAME: LOCKHART, CASSIAN ALEXANDER
FILE STATUS: [OPEN]
CURRENT STATUS: [ACTIVE]
AGE: 35
SEX: MALE
PRONOUNS: HE / HIM
ORIENTATION: HOMOSEXUAL
PLACE OF BIRTH: LONDON, ENGLAND
NATIONALITY: BRITISH
LAST CONFIRMED LOCATION: WASHINGTON
PRIMARY OCCUPATION (PRE-OUTBREAK): PROFESSIONAL EQUESTRIAN
PHYSICAL PROFILE
HEIGHT: 5'11"
HAIR: BROWN
EYES: BLUE
BUILD: Lean. Athletic. Consistent with long-term equestrian conditioning.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES:
Exceptionally upright posture
Numerous healed fractures consistent with riding accidents
Minor scarring along right forearm
Small scar beneath jawline
Frequently observed wearing riding gloves
TATTOOS:
None documented
PROFESSIONAL RECORD
DISCIPLINES:
Show Jumping
Dressage
EDUCATION:
Elite Boarding School Education
University of Cambridge
KNOWN PROFICIENCIES:
Advanced Horsemanship
Animal Handling
Competitive Strategy
Route Planning
Fencing
Emergency Veterinary Care
Negotiation
CAREER NOTES:
Subject participated in organized equestrian competition from early childhood.
Professional records indicate extensive international competition experience throughout Europe and North America.
Recovered records suggest consistent success within elite show jumping and dressage circuits.
Travel history indicates regular movement between the United Kingdom and the United States prior to outbreak conditions.
Measured. Deliberate. Prefers precision over aggression.
Displays strong situational awareness and notable composure under pressure.
Avoids unnecessary conflict but responds decisively when engaged.
RISK ASSESSMENT:
Subject displays a tendency toward self-endangerment when animals or vulnerable individuals are threatened.
Further observation recommended.
FILE REMARKS:
Initial evaluations suggested limited survival potential due to subject's privileged background and lack of conventional field experience.
Current observations indicate greater practical competency than anticipated.
Notable strengths include endurance, injury management, animal care, navigation and maintaining composure during high-stress situations.
Assessment remains ongoing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Initial assessment: liability.
Current assessment: unclear.
BACKGROUND SUMMARY
Available records indicate Cassian Alexander Lockhart was born in London, England, to a prominent family with longstanding ties to law, philanthropy, and cultural institutions.
Subject's mother died shortly following childbirth.
The majority of subject's upbringing occurred within private educational institutions, family estates, and competitive sporting environments.
Public records and recovered accounts describe a childhood characterized by significant expectations, emotional distance, and achievement-based validation.
Academic performance remained consistently exceptional.
Subject later attended Cambridge before pursuing professional equestrian competition full-time.
Individuals familiar with the subject frequently describe him as disciplined, articulate, and highly self-controlled.
Several accounts suggest horses represented the subject's primary emotional attachment throughout adolescence and adulthood.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Subject established a successful international career in show jumping and dressage competition.
Travel records indicate extensive movement throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.
Prior to the outbreak, subject spent substantial periods in Kentucky and Florida participating in seasonal competition circuits, training programs, and sponsorship obligations.
Recovered correspondence suggests these travel commitments served as both professional opportunities and a means of distancing himself from family expectations in England.
Competition records indicate repeated victories at national and international levels.
Despite public success, personal writings recovered from archived online sources suggest recurring dissatisfaction with achievement as a source of personal fulfillment.
OUTBREAK RECORD
Subject was present in Kentucky at the time of initial outbreak conditions.
Available reports place him at a private training facility outside Lexington during the earliest stages of societal collapse.
Communication attempts directed toward family members in England ceased shortly thereafter.
No confirmed contact has been documented since.
Early survivor testimony describes an individual matching the subject's description assisting stable personnel with evacuation efforts and delaying departure in order to secure animals remaining on the property.
Multiple accounts indicate the subject released horses from their paddocks and turnout areas before abandoning the facility. The decision is believed to have been made in an effort to improve the animals' chances of survival following the collapse of local infrastructure and supply chains.
Records suggest one of the released horses belonged to the subject.
No confirmed sightings have been documented since.
Movement patterns place the subject alongside multiple survivor groups throughout the months following the outbreak, though records indicate he rarely remained with any single group for extended periods.
Following arrival within the settlement, subject was assigned to hunting operations.
Performance evaluations indicate above-average patience, observation skills and accuracy in the field.
Several reports note an unusual ability to remain calm during prolonged tracking assignments and high-stress situations.
Witness statements consistently describe the subject as cooperative, reserved and reliable, though emotionally difficult to read.
While effective in hunting operations, subject demonstrates limited aptitude for close-quarters engagements involving infected populations.
Observed combat behaviour suggests hesitation during direct encounters and a preference for avoidance, distance, or strategic withdrawal whenever possible.
