Casey

The end of the world is no laughing matter... except to Casey Bell. This young woman is much more interested in spinning a dire situation into something light-hearted, and almost desperately so. One could argue that this is merely how she copes in the new normal of a ruined world, but the way she always looks over her shoulder tells another reason.

first layer: the public eye

What is Casey's general demeanor in public?

It's quite rare to find an easy and genuine smile, so already Casey sticks out like a sore thumb to most she crosses paths with. The small talk she offers appears to come from a place of good will, and her engagement is always genuine.

One thing people will realize is that the focus is never on her. A comment or two about herself before the tables quickly turn is the most anyone gets out of her. As such, while she comes across as friendly and is trust-worthy on the surface, it's hard for many to form a true bond with her and get past this surface layer.

second layer: those in her heart

When you get to know her, what's Casey like?

Opening up is quite hard for Casey, but she does let her walls crumble among friends. Her deepest secrets will stay hidden, but she'll be more willing to talk about herself and let people get a peek into her mind. Her own comfort can easily spell her downfall, though, as she has the tendency to over-share and not realize what she said until it's too late.

While she doesn't try to change people, she'll be more adamant about her own beliefs and encourage friends to expand their horizons. Her own mind is plagued, but others' don't have to be. And she'll do what she can to help her friends realize that.

third layer: those innermost thoughts

With no one to witness them, what are Casey's true thoughts?

Bold is a word that no one but Casey would use to describe herself. Her innermost thoughts are charged and sturdy. She has her own determination to survive and see the day where the world heals.

Yet her mind always throws her back to why she keeps her thoughts under lock-and-key. She made grave mistakes that haunt her, and she sometimes finds herself stuck in them. Much of her self-image has been destroyed by this, and she struggles to see herself as anything other than a human who should've turned already.

before the apocalypse

Casey's childhood was quite standard for a little girl growing up in the Northeastern USA. She was used to being surrounded by male peers, and was seen as "one of the boys" as she would do what very few little girls would. Climbing trees, playing in the mud, and more were all regular activitives for her. Her favorite thing, though, was to find treasures buried in the dirt.

This would eventually lead to Casey's noteworthy college years. She got into Barkwich University, one of the few state colleges and one where she could pursue her dream of being an archeologist. Though for being an anthropology major, she had very few friends, and was content with her small tight-knt group as opposed to a large network of people.

a new year's disaster

The countdown of the new year, 2000, was when everything went wrong. A virus broke out of a special labratory when the clock struck midnight and computers across the world had errors from the jump to 1999 to 2000. It affected everyone, including Casey and her friends.

For the first two years, she was able to stay together with her band of college friends and fend off the horrors of the undead. But this could never last. Her own leadership, fueled by determination to see a better tomorrow, blindisded her to the present. Her own faith as the one to save her friends, and the world, led them into danger.

enter zombolini

Casey's failure to save her own friends led her to being a loner. She started to see herself as the real monster, and wanted to desperately flee from the truth. She was on her own for a few months before she crossed paths with a large man, someone who could clearly hold his own, and who was concerned by the sight of a straggler in the wasteland.

The man, Gabriel, would soon introduce her to a rag-tag group of people calling themselves "Zombolini". They took refuge in an ice rink and, surpirisngly enough, had an actual zombie on their side. Despite her reluctance to be part of a group once more, Casey felt they were actually capable of survival. So she'd learn to kick back once more, and leave it into the others' hands.

charlotte vernon • friendly rival..?

An orderly, prim leader such as Charlotte is bound to butt heads with Casey. The two clash due to differences in just about everything. Casey hardly sees their scuffles as worthwhile, but she does wish that Charlotte could loosen up sometime.

They do eventually work out their differences. Maybe a little too well, going from rivals who disagree on everything to partners (that still disagree on petty things).

wren forester • good friend

Casey and Wren are surprisingly on similar wavelengths. They both enjoy the oddities that life has to offer and make the most of their situations, though sometimes Wren is a bit too much even for her.

gabriel vernon • friend..?

Gabriel intimidates Casey by his looks and stern demeanor more often than not. She knows he has a big heart and cares deeply for the Zombolini crew, but it's hard to make friends with your rival's older brother if you're constantly at each others' throats.

bea • friend and confidant

For someone undead, Casey finds Bea to be someone she can easily talk to. The poor zombie won't remember most of what she said and she does feel like someone is listening when she speaks to her. Casey does hope for the day where Bea comes back to herself, though, and they can have a proper conversation.

physical

• Thin and somewhat short. Her skinniness often looks exaggerated as her clothing is very loose and big.
• Her cropped hair is a bit wavy and always sticks out of her hat in some way.
• When spacing out, she's drawn without a shine in her eye.

demeanor

• Stands with a slight slouch.
• Keeps her arms close to herself.
  • Very clearly touch-starved in that she wants to be close and hold onto people in some way. She doesn't let herself do this, though.
• Usually has an easy smile on her face. Smiles with teeth and laughs more when nervous.

style

• Prefers loose and comfortable clothing.
• Will refuse to wear an outfit if there aren't in pockets in at least one article of clothing. The more pockets, the better.
• Tomboyish; sticks to shirts and pants, avoiding dresses, skirts, and low-cut or revealing tops like the plague.

See Casey's design notes tab for more details and specifics.

• As a titular character in a metafictional kids' cartoon, Zombolini: Apocalypse Now!, some of her character is meant to reference tropes and fit in with the times of the early 2000s.
  • Her androgynous look is a play on the She's a Man in Japan trope.
• Casey's shoes have two "modes" based on the positioning of the rubber strap.
  • Lax Mode: The rubber strap rests on top of the shoe's opening. As she can easily slide her Gatorz on and off this way, Casey wears her shoes in lax mode when there's no imminent threat.
  • Go-Go Mode: The rubber strap secures Casey's heels. She usually has her Gatorz in this "mode" as they're less prone to falling off this way. It should be noted that there are times in the show where this is exagerrated for a gag, such as the team planning and Casey slipping off her shoes to draw attention to the shifting between modes.