Markus Taylor

37 He/Him Medical Staff FC: Tom Hiddleston Closed RP Account

[liviawilliams]

who: open starter ( @thecatastrophicrpg​ )

when & where: mid afternoon - town hall

of all the things to hit them while they’re still in recovery mode…a natural disaster hadn’t made livia’s list of potential problems.

a raging storm is surprisingly easier to deal with though then kidnappings and random debilitating illnesses especially once she reaches town hall and reassures herself that her brother and fletcher are both safe and accounted for.

the council seem to be run off their feet, people trapped outside the walls and people missing that should be safely within, so liv had tracked down jesse once she’d arrived (unwilling to take direction from any of his co-leaders) and thrown herself into the task he’d directed her to - approaching the people trying to settle in town hall, taking care of their trivial needs, extra blankets, a cup of something hot…

fairvale was her home,  helping out in some small way -it was the least she could do.

she maintains a calm expression with every person she approaches, easy because despite everything she’s feeling calmer than she has in weeks anyway, and as she taps them on the shoulders or waves to get their attention she asks some variation of the same question too.

“do you need anything?”

[markus-taylor]

A summer storm that came out of no where was certainly not on the list of things Markus would have suspected to create such a panic amongst the town. With the dead walking and people becoming far more dangerous than the insatiable dead, it was easy to forget that Mother Nature could be as equally devastating. Especially when it was the last thing on your mind.

After the initial hit, people were flocking to the town hall, and Markus was quick to encourage people inside. Occasionally, he would look out towards the walls, rain pelting against his skin, as a deep frown settled on his features, worry for Sloane washing over. He hadn’t wanted her to leave the other day, but that was mostly because he didn’t want her to leave his side, her warmth a great comfort to him. But now, he wished he had of kept her from going. Was she okay? Was she safe? God, he hoped so. 

He did his best to bury his unease, painting a calm, pleasant smile on his face once inside, going around and making sure the people inside where as comfortable as possible, ignoring just how soaked he was.

It was when someone tapped on his shoulder did he jump, flinching just a bit, turning to face the person trying to get his attention.

“Oh, ah. No I think I’m- Oh, wait. Do you know if there are any blankets or towels in here? I’ve a few people who are absolutely soaked to the bone and got a slight chill.”

[markus-taylor]

juney-mooney​:

**~**

Juney just offered a small smile while she busied herself making a second cup of tea. After all that time of wishing and wondering, her friend finally had the love of her life back. She was sure that Markus felt the same way and she was truly happy for them. There had to be some happiness to find in this whole mess that used to be the world. And if anyone deserved that, it was Sloane. 

“Thankfully, tea is easy to make. Not something we need to find on supply runs. This house had a whole garden out back. A little over grown but tons of herbs just thrived.” She slid the cup across the counter to him. “Maybe not as good as across the pond but still decent.”

-

“You know, I’ve always been of the mindset that tea tastes better with company,” Markus mused, taking the cup and raising it to his lips. He’s never been a picky man with his choice of beverage, and it was hard to mess up tea. Unless you let it get too cold. “Much appreciated,” he thanked her with a nod.

It was strange. Finding Sloane had been like finding a needle in a rather large haystack. Finding Sloane had started to become an impossible feat until it simply just... happened by accident. He surely wasn’t expecting that. But he was so glad they found each other. He’d been worried sick at the start of the apocalypse, of their initial separation.

Stranger still, Juney was here! While they didn’t have much of an interaction in the past, they had met a couple of times. It was good to have another familiar face around. He was glad that, at least, Sloane had her here. 

He sipped at his tea, slowly, because he had a good bit of time before he needed to be at the clinic. “You said there’s a garden out back? Perhaps I could start tending to it, you think?” He used to do a good bit of gardening, but eventually fell out of it once he started getting too busy to properly care for it. A little garden would be a good way to help with provisions. Not quite to the degree that the farms could, but still.”

[juney-mooney-deactivated2022052]

When: Morning of a normal day

Where: Their home

Who: Juney and @markus-taylor​

It was strange how she was becoming used to the routine again. Get up, make some tea, go to work, teach, volunteer where she could, go home, make dinner, go to bed…rinse and repeat. Her thoughts were lost in the monotony of it all and she chastised herself for the thought. Isn’t this what she had dreamt of all those months stuck at home and barely surviving? Yes…but now she was questioning why. 

Light footfalls in the hallway reminded her she wasn’t alone here and her negativity was best kept locked away where it belonged. She grinned at the man now making his way into the kitchen. “Morning! Loanie left already. Not sure what she had going on today but she was in a hurry. Want some tea?”

[markus-taylor]

-

Markus had just rolled out of bed, Sloane having left long ago. Something about heading out beyond the walls, much to his displeasure. Not only because he found the idea of her leaving the safety the walls provided to be less than agreeable, but because he simply didn’t want to let her go or leave the comfort of their bed. Her presence was a comfort he greatly missed, one he took for granted until it was no longer there, and she’d be gone for a while.

But, she was capable, he knew. It was her duty to the town, one she had performed quite often. She’d be fine.

He shuffled into the kitchen, hair slightly tousled from sleep. “Good morning, Juney,” he greeted in kind, offering her a tired smile. “I believe her leaving in such a hurry was my doing,” he said with a wry chuckle. He couldn’t quite keep his hands to himself while she was getting ready to leave. Innocently, mind you. He behaved himself. “I’d love some, yes.” 

[markus-taylor]

liamhart​:

                             ━━━━━━⋆✩⋆━━━━━━

it’s a new face, and a new touch he isn’t used to. one that’s enough to bring him to jump a foot in the air the moment he’s given the contact. not a fault of the stranger, simply his own and, he backs up enough to put space between them, his teeth furiously chewing at the already sore knuckle of his finger.

“yeah — kinda — have you seen jo? or fletcher? or… or are they done for the day?” he murmurs, looking back down the corridor with the hopes that maybe either one of them would sense something wrong and come to rescue him.

“kinda wanna um… i mean, if they’re busy then… then that’s okay…”

-

Markus reached to rub at the back of his neck once the boy mentioned two names he didn’t recognize. Fletcher or Jo. Colleagues of his, no doubt, though ones he’s yet to have the pleasure -or displeasure, depending on who these people were- of meeting. At least as far as he could remember. The amount of people he’s met, quite a bit more than the group he was in before, on top of finding Sloane again... It was a little overwhelming.  

“Ah, apologies. A-again. I don’t- I’m not sure who those people are. But we can go look for them if you’d like.” He paused, staring at the young man. “But, ah... I’m not busy. If you’d consider me for whatever is troubling you?” He motioned between the two of them. “If you are comfortable, of course. I completely understand if you aren’t. I’m just- My services are available to you, if you so choose. Is what I’m saying.”

[markus-taylor]

Where: Hard Times Tavern, karaoke night

Who: @thesloanezone

Markus had cleaned up considerably well since his arrival to Fairvale. His beard, neatly trimmed. His hair was still a little longer than he was used to, but he didn’t fret too much about it.

He slinked through the crowd, a drink in hand. Water, for his beloved. God, he still couldn’t believe he had found her.. It was like a surreal dream, one that he was still afraid would end in the morning. But it never did, and he was grateful.

He held her drink up high to avoid someone hitting it, because wasted water would be a waste. He came up behind her, laying a hand on her back, slowly gliding down until it rested at the small of her back. He held out the glass, bringing it around in front of her, though not before stealing a few sips for himself.

“Here you are, pet,” he said, bringing his lips to the shell of her ear as he spoke, planting a soft kiss at her cheek. “God, I miss nights like this.” And he did. Truly. The people, the ambiance, the fun. But mostly, he missed watching how Sloane lit up when doing things she enjoyed.

“I hope you don’t mind me being too forward, Dr. Campbell, but I fully intend on stealing many dances with you tonight,” he said coyly, an impish grin gracing his lips as his fingers rubbed small circles into her back.

[markus-taylor]

thesloanezone​:

🤟🏻

Pet. Sloane should have hated a nickname like that - would have hated it, from anyone else. Markus, alone, got away with it. Although, Sloane reckoned Bishan and his Cat nickname was close; if miles apart in meaning. “Mmm,” she agreed, accepting the water with a appreciative smile. “Did you? I don’t remember you being a party animal, Doctor Taylor.”

She and Junie had hugged, shared beds, cuddled at times, but it was always mutual and platonic affection. Markus had physical strength and size the women lacked, giving Sloane back a feeling of security she’d been without for too long. She’d finally been able to relax her shoulders, share her grief, stop being so darn chipper all the time. She was returning to being Sloane again. Hell, even the Georgia accent that had returned so strongly, was toning itself back down.

His fingers tickled, and Sloane wiggled in response, laughing behind her free hand. “If you keep calling me that, people are going to think my PhD is in medicine.” She spun in a little half-circle, careful to stay in the ring of his arm. “Have I ever, once, objected to you being forward?”

-

“What?” He scoffed, feigning offense. “I was the wildest party animal.” A pause. “Okay, so… maybe not quite.” But that didn’t mean he didn’t miss it. Perhaps it wasn’t for his enjoyment, but rather the meaning behind it. It reminded him of times before, and that in of itself was enough to brighten his mood. A load of bittersweet memories that lingered in the back of his mind of what life used to be for a great many people.

Memories that will forever remain just that. At least until nights like this spring up. It was the little things.

“I imagine there might have been one or two times, but I can’t recall. Though I couldn’t imagine why. I’m quite charming.” He motioned with a gentle tilt of his head at the line of people, waiting for their chance at the karaoke machine. “Are you going to sing? You should, if you weren’t planning on it. I’ll be your biggest fan.”

[markus-taylor]

Where: Hard Times Tavern, karaoke night

Who: @thesloanezone

Markus had cleaned up considerably well since his arrival to Fairvale. His beard, neatly trimmed. His hair was still a little longer than he was used to, but he didn’t fret too much about it.

He slinked through the crowd, a drink in hand. Water, for his beloved. God, he still couldn’t believe he had found her.. It was like a surreal dream, one that he was still afraid would end in the morning. But it never did, and he was grateful.

He held her drink up high to avoid someone hitting it, because wasted water would be a waste. He came up behind her, laying a hand on her back, slowly gliding down until it rested at the small of her back. He held out the glass, bringing it around in front of her, though not before stealing a few sips for himself.

“Here you are, pet,” he said, bringing his lips to the shell of her ear as he spoke, planting a soft kiss at her cheek. “God, I miss nights like this.” And he did. Truly. The people, the ambiance, the fun. But mostly, he missed watching how Sloane lit up when doing things she enjoyed.

“I hope you don’t mind me being too forward, Dr. Campbell, but I fully intend on stealing many dances with you tonight,” he said coyly, an impish grin gracing his lips as his fingers rubbed small circles into her back.

[markus-taylor]

thesloanezone​:

🤟🏻

Her partner was still talking, but his voice was back underwater. Sloane left him to it, circling the car at a clip and stopping just in front of her past. The hand tight around her ring finally released, and Sloane nervously held his face in both hands. Still afraid of soap bubbles.

“Markus, you - “ Fifty questions attempted to tumble out at the same time, Stammering and failing to voice any of them, Sloane huffed. Then, finally, stupidly, she apologized. “I look terrible, I’m sorry. You must have.. and here I am. Not a lick of makeup. And my hair.”  Letting him go, She brushed tears away and fought down the pressure in her chest.

She swallowed hard and tried again. Her smile shy. “It’s good to see you again, Dr. Taylor.”

She approached him, and Markus remained rooted where he stood, unable to move. His feet now far too heavy for him to move. Weighed down by uncertainty that only grew the closer she got. 

It was crushing, the amount of guilt he felt then and there. For so many things. For not going with her. For just standing there. For having come so close to just giving up. For not embracing her.

The lump in his throat was impossible to swallow, his lips trembling as she cupped his face. That simple touch was enough to break him, crush his resolve. He let out a shaky huff of a laugh as his eyes grew moist, tears beginning to pour down his cheeks as he leaned into her touch.

I’m so sorry, he wants to say, but can’t bring himself to say it.

God, he missed her. He had missed her so much, and now she was there in front of him. And all he could do was stand there, sniffling like a child.

“Hush, you,” he chided, finally regaining enough composure to speak, to wipe away his own tears. He reached to cup her own face, shooing away her hands so that he could dry hers himself, dragging his thumb across her cheeks. Tilting her head back so that he could look down at her, take her all in. “You’re lovely, pet. As lovely as I remember. Lovelier.” He stared down at her for just a moment longer before finally drawing her into a tight hug, burying his face into her hair, breathing her in. 

“It’s been far too long, Dr. Campbell.”

[liamhart]

where: fairvale clinic who: @markus-taylor​

it’s with a gentle push of courage that he enters the clinic this time around. for days now, he’d been hovering around the place as he once did, an anxious expression of sorts creasing between his brows the longer he looked at the doors. one would think, after all the time he’d spent here, he might avoid the clinic like the plague now. it isn’t as if he didn’t dream of it any more, or the way his brother had almost died. again.

but he wants fletcher. or jo. he wants a familiar face he knows he can trust with his heart and the things on his mind and, while he feels it isn’t fair to become more of a burden than he already is; he wanted advice. a friendly word that he knows is true. a reassurance that he’s alright.

and, it’s evidently clear how he doesn’t want to be here in the grand scheme of things. the walls feel suffocating and he swears he can still smell the sickness that once plagued the halls. a sickness that still, to this day, he feels responsible for. irrationally so, this much he’s aware, and yet.

though, when he arrives at fletcher’s office and then jo’s and finds them no where to be seen, well, his heart just about falls into his boots. the one time he manages to walk through the doors and, he can’t find them. his timing has always been just off though, hasn’t it?

“so stupid,” he mumbles quietly to himself, backing out of jo’s office to flee. “m’so stupid.”

[markus-taylor]

It had taken a considerable amount of time to get Sloane to let him leave the house after his arrival. Which was understandable. He hardly wanted to leave her side, the both of them clinging desperately to one another, as if both were utterly terrified  that if one lets the other go, they’d disappear.

But, eventually, they’d need to leave. He’d need to go around and introduce himself to the townsfolk. Sloane would need to get back to what it was that she did.

He was currently at the clinic, having been assigned to join the medical staff, which made sense, given his history. Which was good, he decided. It offered him a sense purpose again. Any chance he got to help, he would take it. And, from his understanding, the medical staff was primarily a young group of people. Which, there was nothing wrong with that.

He’s exploring when he came across a clearly distressed young man, who, by the way, nearly ran into Markus when backing up. Markus was quick to lay a hand on his shoulder to keep him from running into him before awkwardly removing his hand. “Apologies, lad,” he started, looking around for a moment before looking back at him.

Yes, he was clearly in some sort of distress. “Are.. Are you alright?” A stupid question, because, obviously, he wasn’t. But he wasn’t asking to see if the boy was okay or not.

He was asking to offer him a chance to talk, an ear to listen if he wanted.

[markus-taylor]

thesloanezone​:

🤟🏻

Sloane was shaking. Just a fine tremble, but combined with the heart jumping around her chest, and Sloane suspected she might faint. 

She just… hadn’t driven a car in so long. And now doing so with survivors in the car - potentially need to run down or outrun the poor nibblers out there? What if she crashed or flipped the car, somehow, and the lot of them had to hang upside down, pinned by seat belts? Utterly at the mercy of the universe?

“C’mon, Campbell,” her partner tutted, fingers tapping on the dash beside her. Sloane looked at him, apology ready, and glanced beyond him to the new group heading in.

So nice to meet you, Doctor Taylor.

Now she might actually faint.

He’d lost weight (who hadn’t?), and his hair - his beard - was longer than she’d ever seen it. All the time she’d thought of him, lit candles and prayed for him, spilled tears… he’d been frozen in time from their last conversation. Perfect. Forever.

How she’d gotten out of the car was beyond Sloane, but there she froze. Staring over the hood of the little sedan, trying to choke out words. Scared to speak - what if words woke her? Burst the image of him like a soap bubble? What if it wasn’t him, and she was simply delusional?

The other door opened, Sloane heard it echoing from across a canyon. Her partner stood directly in her line of sight, but his features were so vague.  “You cracking on me, Sloane?” The words had to travel through water to be heard.

Her laugh was half-sob, and Sloane gripped the ring around her neck. "I don’t.. maybe.” Her fingers buzzed around the ring, pins and needles.

The car stopped, and everyone in it got out. Markus was the last to get out, his movements slowed as he carefully assessed the area. A bit on edge, still. But, he eventually got out.

He had lost a bit of weight. He had always been tall and a bit on the slim side, but now that food wasn’t always a possibility, or when it was but scarce, he was quick to offer his rations to other people who needed it more. Because he could always go another day without eating. And without access to shears or a barber present, his personal grooming was put on the backburner. Which was a bit annoying because he hated when his facial hair was a long as it was. An annoyance he’d gotten used to.

Maybe now that he was in town, he could get that taken care of. The people who had picked him up looked pretty well taken care of. As well as you could, now, obviously.

He started following after them when he heard people talking a good bit away. The words were a bit intangible, thus, he paid no mind. He was hardly the nosy type. It wasn’t until he heard that one word, that name, did he stop, pausing in his tracks.

Sloane.

No, it couldn’t be..

The man who said it had said it loud and clear, loud enough for even Markus to hear. Part of him wanted to keep walking, not to look, because what was the point? Of getting his hopes up?

But the other part of him.. He knew he couldn’t not look.

And so he did. Slowly, he turned his head towards the two recruiters. A man and a woman, though the former was blocking her a little bit.

A woman.

He felt his heart beat quicken, his breathing becoming increasingly difficult. His palms sweaty. Was that her? He couldn’t tell, and he wanted that damn man to move. He craned his neck just to get a better look and-

If he had of been holding anything, it would have been dropped.

Before he could even think, his body moved on its own, a dragging crawl as he approached, just in case that wasn’t her.. But the closer he got, his pace quickened. He stopped about halfway there.

His throat was tight, and it took a considerable amount of effort to even speak. And when he did, his voice cracked, shuddered, broke. “Sl-Sloane?”

[markus-taylor]

Where: Near the main gate Who: @thesloanezone

He hoped this wasn’t going to be a habit of his... Running into a group of people and agreeing to go off with them. That being said, part of him wondered if it would be a bad thing to simply stay this time.

Sure, he came to Georgia to look for Sloane, but the chances of finding her were slim to none. Georgia was a huge state, and he simply just lacked the means to find her. Something he felt immense guilt for, yes. He cast his gaze to the ring, the one she would have put on him the day they said I do. He wore it around his finger, gently brushing it as if to polish the golden surface. Small scratches could be seen. It was in terrible need of a good polish. Honestly, he really shouldn’t have been wearing it all this time. What if he had lost it? He couldn’t bare it if that happened. He had already lost her. This little trinket was all he had.

Was she even still alive? A thought he was quick to push aside. A thought he couldn’t quite bring himself to entertain. Because the thought of her not being alive was too much.

No, he decided. He wouldn’t stay long. Maybe long enough to see if they needed any help or something, get some food in his belly. He was far too stubborn to just give up, even if he got a little less hopeful of finding her every day.

As soon as him and the recruiters who found him made it through the gate, he was instantly hit with how different the town was to the outside. It was, well.. It was rather overwhelming. While he wasn’t the most talkative the entire ride, he certainly would have forgotten his ability to speak. A bustling community, not quite the same but close enough to before. Much different from the group he left, too.

[markus-taylor]

thecatastrophicrpg​:

MARKUS NATHANIEL TAYLOR is a THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD member of the medical team originally from WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND who has JUST ARRIVED in fairvale. he is often described as EMPATHETIC, PATIENT & PERCEPTIVE but can also be MISCHIEVOUS, STUBBORN, WORKAHOLIC.

Markus Nathaniel Taylor was born and raised in Westminster, London, England for a good portion of his childhood, up until he was around the age of thirteen. His father and mother, Elliot and Jane Taylor, made one of the biggest decisions of their lives: moving to America. Both of his parents were teachers, which, had equal parts ups and downs. They had higher expectations for him, for what his grades should be, which lead to him being incredibly studious. His grades, for the most part, exceptional. They were tougher on him, on the rare chance that he was in one of their classes. No special treatment. If he acted out in school, not only did he get in trouble there, but he also got a stern talking to at home. Admittedly, that was a rare occurrence, as he was pretty well behaved.

You’d think, with both parents as teachers, that would be the career path he’d chose, but it wasn’t. It was one that he considered, but he ultimately landed on medicine. He always had a kind heart, always wanted to help people in any and every way he could. After graduating high school, Markus went to college for four years before going into medical school. At first, he wanted to do radiology, and that was actually what he went to study for.

It was during one of his first breaks from school did he start to consider pediatrics. His aunt passed away, and him and his family went back to England for the funeral service, after which they went to one of his cousin’s house to eat and catch up. There, his younger cousins flocked to him, and he was happy to oblige and play along with them. He was told that he was really good with dealing with kids, something he’s been told often.

The conversation moved onto his schooling, and he admitted that he wasn’t feeling what he chose. Someone suggested him going into pediatrics, since it seemed more up his alley. He tried to brush it off, but he just kept being drawn back to it. He decided to give it a try after looking into it. Seven years later, he’s completed school and his residency, and now works as a general pediatrician in an unnamed town in California.

It was while he was working, he met his future fiancé, Sloane Campbell. Their relationship was a slow one, gradual friends growing closer and closer until it eventually turned romantic. It was difficult at first, since both of them had very little time to actually spend with one another. Where couples went on dates every weekend, their relationship consisted mostly of Face Time calls. It was hard, but they made it work. He eventually asked her to marry him, and a wedding was set in motion at the beginning of 2019.

Sloane left to visit her parents, and he stayed behind, and that was when the outbreak started, and cities locked down, keeping them both where they were. They kept in touch for as long as cell service stayed up and allowed them to.

It was then that Markus decided to leave California to get to Georgia. During his travels, he found a small group of survivors that were in need of help. They were separated from the rest of their group, and one of the survivors was seriously injured. He helped as best as he could right then and there, but it was getting dark. With his help, he was able to get the group with the rest of their people. He finished patching up the injured survivor and was planning on leaving the next day, but he was convinced to stay with them a little longer. After all, they didn’t have another doctor, and they didn’t have anyone else who was capable. He was reluctant, but he stayed for a little while longer to help patch up the rest of the survivors, and hopefully to teach a few of them some basic medical skills.

He was with them for three months.

He’d try to leave several times, but there always ended up being a reason for him to stay. But, eventually, he did leave.

He found himself searching through a small town, hoping to find some food, half starved. It was then that another group of people found him, offering him a safe haven at a place called Fairvale, and while cautious of them at first, he eventually went with them. And boy, will he be surprised.