* ◟ SURPRISE , SURPRISE –- A DECISION HE’S made has come back to bite him right in the ass . twenty - nine years of this , should seamus really be surprised ? the blond doesn’t think it matters , because his footsteps are sparsely heard & his posture’s a little too straight ( ‘ since when has SEAMUS walked like a pastor ? ’ someone says when they think he can’t hear ) , but at he’s good ( or , rather , he thinks he’s good ) at hiding secrets . rounds the corner & sea blue hues land on the other , face melting from harsh & concentrated to as friendly as he can muster . ‘ by any chance , have you seen a little golden pup around carrying a socket wrench ? ’ he asks fast , hoping to disorient them with the question , get an honest answer & LEAVE before anything else is asked . ‘ little thing , can’t be older than a few months . ’
HE HARDLY REMEMBERS HAVING ONE . a dog , that is . it’s been a long time since he’s owned one , and it feels just as long since he’s last seen one . pets are the last thing on his mind since the end of the world . in fact , cliff HARDLY sees the point in owning one . it’s not like they can give rabies vaccinations anymore . his brow lifts and his arms cross over his torso , mostly out of habit . ❝ since when have you had a dog ? ❞ curiosity . there’s no rules against pets , in fact some of them have uses , but a puppy could put them in danger . ❝ and you let it steal your socket wrench ? ❞
“i can’t believe how comfortable some of these beds are.” leticia mused, letting herself fall back onto the bed of a teenage girl in one of the available houses. it was hard to choose a house to live in all by herself when each home looked like a museum of someone else’s life. like a dollhouse, the girl’s room seemed almost perfectly preserved–a butterfly pinned beneath a glass frame. she missed living in a full house or in her small, studio apartment. this house was lovely and whoever had taken care of it before everything had survived at least for a little while. there was no stink of mildew or rotting food like some of the others she’d declined despite their more impressive layouts. this house was small, but clean and well-loved.
“how did you pick a place?” they were all so similar, little mausoleums filled with dead secrets. closets filled with the scent of other people and dust. “i just feel like an intruder anywhere i go.” a sensation that wasn’t new. intrusion was an anxiety she’d had since she was old enough to walk, intruding on her abuela’s secrets. “i mean, did you just settle on the best layout and clear everything out or–” she let the words hang in the air, finger tracing the curling edge of a magazine cutout collage above the dead girl’s bed–shuddering barely visible; she felt like she was walking over someone’s grave.
THE GREATEST PERK OF BEING A LEADER is being able to live in an apartment . it’s much smaller than where his family used to reside before everything , but with only his daughter in tow , he doesn’t see a point for anything bigger . especially when being in a house means sharing . he was never good at that . of course , he hasn’t always been a leader . he’s seen his fair share of living with others and would never wish to go back . his own space is needed and with his daughter’s company the only one he truly welcomes , their residence is perfect in his eyes .
❝ my daughter picked . ❞ cliff admits , hands shoved into pockets . he doesn’t like thinking about the past . about their first day in woodbridge , about their old group , about anything before present time . there’s no point and too much pain . he shakes his head at her words , tongue clicking . ❝ this is your home now , for as long as you wish . you’re no more an intruder than anyone else here . ❞ perhaps she’d see them all as intruders . he can’t remember who has been there since the beginning , but he knows there are still some in the community . ❝ that’s up to you . most people just leave things where they are ... but you can redecorate . ❞ though he doesn’t see much of a reason .
nikola was nothing if not curious. as a girl, she would often leave her bed in the night and listen to her father argue with his associates in russian from the landing on the stairs. she learned the more uncouth vernacular this way–words their mother never spoke around her. it earned her a fair amount of harsh words, groundings, and a time or two a slap across her cheek. yet she was not dissuaded. curiosity could kill the cat that was nikola volkova, but satisfaction resurrected well beyond her nine lives.
this insatiable curiosity was what had drawn her from her sleeping quarters in the armory, this time to follow one of her colleagues as they slipped out in the dead of night during a time that they were not on shift. pulling her boots swiftly over her feet, she pulled her coat off the hook and did her best to walk softly as she followed after them into the night–keeping a good pace, but slow enough that she had some distance between them.
as the perimeter guard rounded a corner, hushed voices could be heard and nik hurried to catch up to him. as she rounded the corner of the building, someone behind her made to pull her back behind the facade of the building and she stifled a gasp of surprise. “what the fuck?” she whispered, turning on her heel to face the other.
ACTIVITY WAS SCARCE AT NIGHT . regardless , his sleeping schedule was abysmal and his own paranoia kept him alert at all hours . two years later , and he still would never grow used to the safety of woodbridge . part of him would always be looking behind his shoulder , listening closely for shuffling footsteps and groans . even with walls surrounding them , even with people keeping watch , human error was inevitable . it had happened once for him and he always wondered when it would happen again .
it’s when there’s an absence at the main gates that his pace quickens . the community is quietest at night , at the lowest point of concern but that is no reason to abandon a post . whoever has done so will face consequences , a loss of rations the first thought that comes to mind . to be exiled is rare and only in dire situations . with needing every person they have , it would be difficult to let numbers dwindle . and yet , cliff would rather force someone to leave than have a disobedient resident . the last thing they need is a PROBLEM .
❝ i said grab her attention , not grab her physically . ❞ he hisses into the dark , approaching from the shadows . it’s one of the off duty guards he does trust , nodding and letting cliff situate whatever’s going on . ❝ it’s nikola , right ? sorry about that . didn’t mean to have him scare you . ❞ though he’s never been quite good with faces , he’s familiar with the shift schedules and names . ❝ there a reason why you’re out of bed and following someone ? ❞ he would deny it if accused , but the man has a thrill for playing hall monitor .
jesse glanced down from his perch at the sound of an approach, where he was working on restoring a patch of roof. it was a precarious operation; he’d nearly dropped a shitload of tiles off the side of it when he’d started. there was undeniably a better way to handle things. a safer way. but jesse was in a hurry; it felt like rain was coming. “ you can stand there. it’s a free country. but if i drop these on your head, you gotta accept at least twenty - five percent of the responsibility. you good with that? ”
HIS FOOTSTEPS ARE SLOW . if any slower , he’d be frozen . he’s making his afternoon rounds , seeing if anyone needs assistance or has a question for whichever leader they can drag into their mess . the day has been quiet so far and they’ve gone DAYS without any sort of accident . if someone spills water one more time , he’s convinced he’ll exile them . in their situation , when supplies are so precious , there is no room for failure . he’s paused , for a moment , checking the clipboard in his grip . with a shake of his head , cliff takes a couple steps to the left . ❝ where’s out of bounds ? ❞ he takes a glance around the general vicinity , noticing the discarded tiles to the side . some are broken . ❝ these yours ? ❞
( 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢 . 𝐜𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 . 𝐡𝐞/𝐡𝐢𝐦 . ) / CLIFFORD “ CLIFF ” RUSSELL has been with the group for two years and is currently doing their part in the community as a member of the leader council . while here , the forty four year old has created the reputation of being cynical & adamant , but can also be known as adaptable & benevolent . in a sticky situation , they will resort to flight mode and their current weapon is a silenced pistol .
pinterest . & connections . & playlist .
hello ! i’m cait , one of your friendly neighborhood admins ! this group ? god ... you have no idea how long this baby has been existing in limbo . and i could not be ... more grateful to have so many of you with us . *casper vc* can i keep you ? before i burst into tears like the baby i am , let’s play get to know cliff !
BASIC INFORMATION .
FULL NAME : clifford earl russell .
MEANING : lives near the ford by the cliff . ( ???? )
NICKNAME(S) : cliff, russell, etc .
BIRTH DATE : january 10th .
AGE : forty four .
ZODIAC : capricorn .
GENDER : cis male .
PRONOUNS : he / him .
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : heteroromantic .
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : heterosexual .
NATIONALITY : american .
ETHNICITY : caucasian .
ACCENT : slight southern drawl , usually does a good job at hiding it .
CURRENT LOCATION : woodbridge safe zone .
OCCUPATION : member of the leader council .
OCCUPATION BEFORE OUTBREAK : english college professor & failed author .
LIVING CONDITIONS : lives in one of the apartments in the apartment complex with his daughter .
FACE CLAIM : john krasinski .
BACKGROUND .
BIRTH PLACE : monroe , louisiana .
HOMETOWN : athens , ohio .
SOCIAL CLASS : middle .
EDUCATION LEVEL : college graduate .
FATHER : earl russell , deceased .
MOTHER : marielle russell , deceased .
SIBLING(S) : lawrence russell , deceased . faye russell , missing .
BIRTH ORDER : clifford , lawrence , faye .
CHILDREN : evangeline ‘ evie ’ russell .
PET(S) : none anymore . had a dog , toby , while his daughter was growing up .
PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS : dawn russell , wife & mother of evie , deceased .
ARRESTS? : none .
PRISON TIME? : none .
SKILLS & ABILITIES .
PHYSICAL STRENGTH : moderate .
OFFENSE : moderate .
DEFENSE : strong .
SPEED : moderate .
INTELLIGENCE : moderate .
ACCURACY : strong .
AGILITY : weak .
STAMINA : moderate .
TEAMWORK : weak .
TALENTS : hand eye coordination , fluent in asl , public speaking .
SHORTCOMINGS : crowds , inability to deal with failure , making friends .
LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN : english ( fluent ) , american sign language ( fluent ) , can translate spanish .
DRIVE? : yes .
JUMP-STAR A CAR? : no .
CHANGE A FLAT TIRE? : yes .
RIDE A BICYCLE? : yes .
SWIM? : yes .
PLAY AN INSTRUMENT? : yes , trumpet .
PLAY CHESS? : yes .
BRAID HAIR? : no .
TIE A TIE? : yes .
PICK A LOCK? : no .
TIMELINE .
was born in monroe , louisiana to earl and marielle russell . had a younger brother , lawrence , and a younger sister , faye . they had a decently normal life -- cliff would go fishing and hunting with his father on the weekends , against his own desires , while doing well in school during the week . he was always a fan of stories ... telling them , writing them , making them up . even listening to new stories from people he didn’t know . always a curious boy , he had dreams of learning the world’s best stories . in his mind , that was through books .
he had a decent amount of friends , but was always more of a loner . used to have an intense fear of crowds . while he still doesn’t like them in present time , it’s not so much of a fear anymore . his time would rather be spent alone and with a pile of books than anything else .
received a marching band scholarship from ohio university , where he decided to go to college . yes , cliff was in marching band . he hated it , but once he started freshman year of high school he never stopped . he majored in english and actually ended up teaching at the school after a failed career .
met the love of his life in college . her name was dawn and she worked at the on campus coffee shop , a place cliff spent most of his time . she memorized his order and he memorized those beautiful brown eyes of hers . he also began to learn american sign language , as dawn was deaf . for a while , they communicated through index cards , even with cliff learned she could read lips quite fluently . eventually , cliff surprised her with what he’d learned and they had a full conversation with signing . funnily enough , dawn was the one to ask out cliff first . he said yes , obviously . two years later , they married . the year after that came their first and only child .
cliff had hesitations about becoming a father . he didn’t know if he was fit for the role . the minute he held his daughter in his arms , though ... she became the center of his world . it hasn’t changed since .
his first year out of college was a whirlwind . dawn had encouraged him to publish a book he’d been working on for years . though he originally had trouble finding a publisher , once it hit the shelves , the book practically flew off of them . it was a best seller in no time . once time passed and it left the best seller’s list , nothing cliff wrote was ever close to the success of his first novel . it was a sci fi book and the rest of his were other genres . even the sequel did poorly . almost going bankrupt and losing hope , cliff took a teaching position at his old college .
though he thought he’d be miserable , he honestly loved his job . the hours weren’t incredibly demanding and the pay was decent . besides , his students understood his own interests and he was able to help many of them with their future careers . he felt as if he had a purpose again . it was ten years of bliss ... and then the apocalypse hit .
okay , so it wasn’t total bliss . cliff was burnt out at his job and his marriage was another thing that began to fail . he loved his wife but things weren’t as they once were . they had both changed . in fact , the divorce papers had been signed when the news of a virus outbreak happened . cliff didn’t think much of it , until pictures of the deceased began to surface . he was skeptic , but still didn’t believe it could be an actual zombie apocalypse . only when one of their neighbors was bitten did they learn the true extent of the situation . not knowing what to do or where to go , cliff and his family stayed exactly where they were . that is , until they completely ran out of supplies . a few months later , they packed their bags and left .
they went south and found themselves in kentucky for nearly an entire year . dawn’s parents had still been alive and so they’d set off to find them . while they never found them , they did find a community . a safe zone with a dozen families just like them , surviving the only way they knew how . it was an abandoned school stocked with supplies for months . they stayed as long as the group lasted , until zombies invaded . cliff , dawn and evie escaped without a scratch . that was , until the next day when they’d taken shelter in a nearby home that dawn revealed that hadn’t been the case .
she’d been bitten on her shoulder with no way to amputate the infection ... even though after twenty four hours there wouldn’t have been hope regardless . without informing their daughter , they spent her last night together , playing board games and talking about the past . it was only when they realized their time was up that they told evie what had to happen . cliff refused to have her in the room but did let her have her own personal goodbye . it took him hours to finally get the courage to bid his wife goodbye .
cliff wouldn’t speak for weeks . when communicating with his daughter or anyone else , he would sign . part of him didn’t intend on ever speaking again . in fact , when they’d eventually found themselves in virginia , knocking on the gates of an unfamiliar community , he wouldn’t talk . evie was the one who had to explain and convince the group they wanted to join . when he finally spoke , people were stunned . many thought he couldn’t and others thought he never would . he’d forgotten his own voice .
in the beginning , he was a gardener , content on harvesting and tending to crops in his own isolation . about a month later , one of the leaders was bitten after going on an important supply run . he chose cliff as the one to take his position , not taking no for an answer . cliff didn’t want the job but grew into what was chosen for him . since then , he rarely signs . he’s more outspoken and willing to communicate . cliff has taken his responsibilities and made them his own . he’s found a purpose again . maybe that’s all he really wanted .
PERSONALITY .
usually level headed and rational , though can lose his temper under pressure depending on the situation . will choose to go around the mountain rather than climb it . there’s always another route , another way to survive . you run from the horde , never through it . no human is ever left behind if he can help it . he will do what he can to save others , but doesn’t have a death wish . cliff always needs to return to his daughter .
he’s working on his people skills ... the ones he doesn’t really have . cliff is quiet and keeps to himself , aside from his duties as a leader . he’s doing his best on reaching out and speaking to people . cliff loves being at the rooftop garden , the place a calming memory . he is the overhead of the gardeners , taking count of what needs to be harvested , when it needs to be harvested and making sure the garden is running smoothly .
doesn’t like making decisions without consulting other leaders , despite how small they may be . as awful as he is at teamwork , he’s putting the effort in . he can’t afford to make a misstep and be forced out of woodbridge . he’s trying to remember what it’s like to live , not just survive , but he can’t do that if he’s worried about leaving the safe zone .
DO NOT . MENTION . HIS DEAD WIFE . it probably spread like wildfire once he and evie arrived in woodbridge , so now it’s a known thing . has probably knocked someone on their ass for having asked .
CONNECTIONS .
close bonds . these would probably be fellow leaders / gardeners that cliff has talked to most within his time in the community . even when he used to rarely talk , they got along well . maybe they even preferred when cliff wouldn’t talk .
friendly companions . not that close , but nice enough to each other . will wave if they pass each other in the community . maybe cliff has said like two words to them or ten . maybe he’s even asked how their day is once or twice .
enemies . people who disagree with cliff being a leader or just don’t like him for either reasons or none at all . maybe they don’t think he’s aggressive enough or has the right skills . maybe they just didn’t get off on the right foot and it’s always been sour . maybe your muse is a loose cannon , something cliff hates .
before the community . has your character ever been to louisiana or ohio ? maybe they know cliff from back when he wasn’t such a grump ! bonus points if they knew each other during his college years and they asked where dawn was when they met up again .
one night stand . cliff is ... incredibly emotionally stunted after everything he’s been through . it’s been so long since he’s been with someone , the last person having been his dead wife , so this would probably be something impulsive while he was maybe tipsy . he enjoyed feeling something again , but doesn’t have any desire to let it go any further .
apartment neighbors . cliff and evie live in one of the apartments in the apartment complex . they’re usually quiet and cliff only ever goes home to sleep ( or hide from people ) so they wouldn’t be a bother . maybe it’s just something normal they bond over and tease each other about the weather or the morning paper . something light . cliff needs that .
people he wants to shoot . stay away from his daughter . she’s too pure for this world and he’s already done enough damage . he’ll fuck you up if you contribute to that .
this is long . my deepest apologies . please like this if you’d like to plot ! i’ll probably message you on discord but if you’d prefer to plot on tumblr just let me know !
