ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
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Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Aug 30, 2021 16:50:56 GMT
Had things worked out differently then Elias would have been graduating this year. He was a year older than the others in his class at the Salvatore School and he could have joined as a senior when he transferred but he had known that there was so much that he’d needed to learn about who he really was. He had moved around so much over the course of his life that his education had been really disjointed and in a way it had been a relief when Doctor Saltzman had suggested that he repeat his junior year. It meant that he would be in the same classes as Gabriela and Adelina and given that they were the only real friends he’d had in Mystic Falls he had known that that wasn’t a bad thing. His life had changed the day he had been killed by someone that his foster parents had wronged and he was literally reborn from the ashes. He was dead when Antonio and Ethan made it to the apartment that he’d shared with his foster parents and he knew that they thought he was gone for good and he knew that he should have been but he was fortunate to have been given a second chance. He hadn’t known that he was supernatural before that or that his friends were supernatural as well but a lot of things had suddenly made sense and he knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way. Right now things were better than they ever had been, he had been adopted into the Alvarez family and thanks to an assignment that he had been given by one of his teachers he had learned that Ethan was his biological father. For all his life he had been drifting along with no idea who he really was or where he really belonged but now he had found his home and he knew that he wasn’t going to give that up for anything. That day he had spent some time with his sisters before heading off on his own while they caught up with some of their other friends. Their dads were working and Elias knew that he should probably find something to do to keep him busy for a while but instead he decided to drop by the firehouse. The captain had told him that he was welcome there anytime and Elias couldn’t deny that he felt a connection to the place. He was abandoned outside the firehouse when he was just a baby and that was where his life had really started. Things weren’t great until he was taken in by Antonio and Ethan but now he was happy and he owed it all to his family. Every evening they all ate dinner together but his dads and uncle weren’t due to finish their shift just yet so he knew that it wouldn’t hurt to hang out at the firehouse for a bit until they were done. Heading inside, Elias looked around the floor but couldn’t see any sign of his family. “Hi Mason, are my dads around?” he asked as his gaze came to rest on the man. MASON LOCKWOOD
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MASON LOCKWOOD
Werewolf
Posts: 152
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 4, 2024 16:18:54 GMT
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Post by MASON LOCKWOOD on Aug 30, 2021 19:08:15 GMT
He’d never expected it to be anything other than a way to prove to Tyler that he was sticking it around. Mason Lockwood getting his hands dirty at the fire station. Years after running out of town, tossing away any real claim to the family money, he’d been forced back for Tyler’s sake. Not penniless, as a Lockwood he never would’ve been that, but not exactly flush. Teaching holiday makers to surf in Florida wasn’t a money maker, wasn’t even any sort of career, but it had been him standing on his own two feet until Katherine had kicked them out from under him.
Green eyes fixed on the windows of the station’s lounge area, Mason studied the square, the people rushing to and fro on a warm summer afternoon. Katherine might’ve scurried away herself, the might of the Mikaelsons leaving her skittish, but she was never gone for long. It wouldn’t matter to her that, like him, Tyler had skittered away from her grasping hands – his turning leaving him useless to her little games. Soon she’d grow bored and she’d come back, ready to turn feelings that should’ve been burned out of him against him. Those months they’d had together had left him too open to her machinations, some twisted little part of still wanting her. If Maya had a clue about any of this she would’ve smacked him for it. More than anybody she’d always been his biggest cheerleader, the one who believed he could get out, the one who’d believed he could do this when he got back. The one with the day off from the station so she wasn’t here to pull him out of his head.
In fact the place was quiet … too quiet.
Mason raked his teeth over his lower lip, rocking back in the chair. Fingers tapped restlessly at the table. Half the crew had gone on a run over to the next town to pick up some equipment. The truck remained, a skeleton crew big enough to handle any emergency that came in spread out throughout the station, leaving the place feeling like he was the only one in it. Restlessly he pushed his way to his feet. A half dozen paces to the fridge, tugging open the door of it, standing staring into it like something to occupy his mind was gonna leap out.
He guessed the kid was as good a distraction as anybody. Mason turned as he heard Elias call out, mouth twitching into a grin as he nodded into the still open fridge. ”Hey. You want a soda or something?” Even though he wasn’t sure he wanted one he grabbed a can for himself all the same, tightening fingers around it as he turned to lean back against the counter in the small galley kitchen. ”They’re both out. Next town over. The station over there got some new extrication equipment, offered up their old stuff if we wanted it. You need them for something or is this just an ‘at a loose end for the afternoon’ kinda visit?” The way most people’s kids did in a town like this. Not like his own dad. Richard might’ve been at their dad’s heels at all times, but the thought of being trapped in an office with him and all those expectations left him uneasy even now.
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ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
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Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Feb 27, 2022 19:11:47 GMT
Elias had moved around a lot over the years but this was the first time that he had somewhere that really felt like home. He had spent such a long time feeling like he wasn’t really wanted by anyone but now he had two dads who loved him and two sisters that he adored. It was the family that he had always wanted and he knew that he wanted to make the most of the time that he had with them. He knew that things had been awkward with his grandparents as from what he could gather they had struggled to accept that his parents were getting married at first but they had come through for them in the end and that meant that Elias had had the chance to get to know them. He’d never had grandparents before and he had an uncle around that he could talk to now as well so he knew that things really couldn’t be any better than they were right now. It had come as a shock when he had learned that Ethan was his biological father, Antonio and the girls had often commented about how alike the two of them looked and others had too but it had never occurred to Elias that it could be true. His school project had revealed the truth and if he was honest he was glad that it had done. He knew that his dad had felt guilty about not being there for him for a while, that had been clear whenever he had looked at him, but Elias really didn’t blame him for it. He knew that if Ethan had known then he would have been there for him so he didn’t hold any ill will towards him, in fact it was a relief to finally know that he had someone whose blood he shared in his life. For the first time in his life he felt settled and he knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way. He had found the place where he belonged and the truth was that it was an incredible feeling. He had decided to repeat a year at school after finding out that he was a phoenix since he had known that there was so much that he had needed to learn about what he was and he knew that it was the right decision. He had made some friends at the Salvatore School and even though none of them were exactly like him he knew that it really didn’t matter. He was finally able to get some answers to the questions he’d had for such a long time and even though he knew that some of the friends he’d made would eventually grow old and leave him behind his family would always be there as would some of the other people who had come into his life over the last year or so and he knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way. That day he had decided to stop by the firehouse to see if he could spend some time with his parents while they waited for their shift to finish but he quickly realised that the place wasn’t bustling the way it often did when he stopped by. It was still a little strange to think that this was the same firehouse that he had been left outside of when he was a baby but a few of the people who still worked there had been there that day so it felt like home to him too. Seeing Mason, Elias felt a smile touch his lips at the guy’s offer. “Sure that would be great, thanks,” he nodded as he reached the kitchen. “I just had some free time so I figured I’d come and hang out here until the end of shift. I can go find something else to do if you’re busy though,” he offered, not wanting to put him out if he could help it. MASON LOCKWOOD
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MASON LOCKWOOD
Werewolf
Posts: 152
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 4, 2024 16:18:54 GMT
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Post by MASON LOCKWOOD on Apr 16, 2022 16:32:12 GMT
The fire crew had always been among those that were too small for his family to take notice of most of the time. They were worker bees, going out into Mystic Falls and getting their hands dirty, clearing up everybody else’s mess. Maybe once a year his dad, or eventually Richard, would trot out with them at one town parade or another. Glad handing, waving to the newspapers for photos but Mason was willing to bet neither his dad or Richard would’ve been able to name any of them, even the guys who’d been at this for decades. They’d recognised him when he’d arrived for training though and Mason was damn sure that he’d been put through his paces all the harder for it. The rich boy had to prove himself. Maya hadn’t changed their minds on it and in a way he was glad that she hadn’t. He wasn’t Richard or his parents and he’d shown that every time the alarm had run and he’d gone out there with them.
Him being left as part of the skeleton crew showed that they trusted him now, you didn’t leave your weakest link behind. Still, part of him could’ve done with the trip out there. A distraction from thoughts of the woman who’d put him on the path to all of this, albeit unintentionally, since it seemed that Katherine’s only aim then had been to ruin his life and leave him the perfect little tool for Niklaus Mikaelson.
Boredom would’ve grated on his nerves until either the crew was back or the alarm rang but then one of Antonio and Ethan’s kids had turned up. Family didn’t end with blood, the station was proof of that, extending through the uniform in a way he’d never known until he’d started here. Mason smiled with the relief as he turned away from the fridge with a soda for himself in his hand. He snagged one for Elias, held it out to him before he settled back against the counter. ”You’ve got great timing,” he quipped, popping the top of his can. ”If you’d been an hour earlier they probably would’ve talked you into going with them.” Or he could’ve talked the two of them into staying and spending time with Elias and he would’ve ended up on the truck instead, a momentary escape from the town and the nest of snakes still writhing beneath his life here.
Mason sipped at the can, wondering if he could melt Katherine with a hose full of vervain the same way the Wicked Witch of the West had gone with a bucket of water. A huff of humour rolled into his throat as he licked the soda from his lower lip. Elias’ voice cut through the thought, sending his brows hitching. ”I’m gonna be honest, you’ll be saving me sitting here twiddling my thumbs until they get back. Things are … kinda quiet.” His brows waggled as he said the Q word. ”No school for the afternoon?” Unlike Tyler, Elias wasn’t at the high school or Whitmore. Maybe if he’d talked his sister in law into letting Tyler go to the Salvatore School Tyler wouldn’t have ended up down the same rabbit hole he had. Curse triggered, angry about it and probably likely to do something equally as stupid if he didn’t start pulling himself together.
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ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
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Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on May 30, 2023 21:04:47 GMT
Elias was often busy with school so when he wasn’t he knew to make the most of it while it lasted. The family he had now was so much better than any that he had ever let himself dream about while he was growing up in the foster care system and he knew just how lucky he was to have them. Even now there was a part of him that was still waiting for the other shoe to drop and for him to end up alone again but he kept reminding himself that that wasn’t going to happen. It had taken him a long time but he had finally found his forever family, quite literally in his case. Being a phoenix meant that in a few years he would stop ageing and that alone could be quite a scary thought but with his family around him, Elias found that he was actually looking forward to it. He would get to live a long life surrounded by people he loved since his dads and sisters were all immortal like he was and that was something that he knew better than to take for granted. That afternoon was one of those rare ones that Elias had free and it had been an easy decision to head to the fire station to see if his dads were around. There was a part of him that knew he should have called first but he hadn’t even thought about it before heading over there. As it turned out they weren’t there and for a moment he wondered if he might end up making a nuisance of himself without realising it. The day his dads had adopted him was also the day he had learned of his connection to the firehouse, one that even they hadn’t known. He had been left on the doorstep as a baby after being abandoned by the man everyone believed to be his biological father. As it turned out Ethan was his biological dad and they had only found out following an assignment that Mr Mikaelson had set him. That day Elias had found some answers that he had desperately needed and ever since then he had felt a connection to the firehouse. “Let me guess, you were starting to get bored?” Elias chuckled as Mason said that he had great timing. “Thanks,” he said, taking the can he was offered and opening it before taking a sip. “I would have gone if they’d asked, I’m at a bit of a loose end this afternoon,” he admitted. Truth be told Elias was bored, his sisters and his friends were all busy and even though he knew that his dads had to work, he also knew that they got to spend time at the firehouse between calls and that was what he had been counting on that day. “You know you’ve just gone and jinxed it now, right?” he teased as Mason said that it was a bit quiet. “No, I have the afternoon free so I figured I’d come and see them,” he shrugged. He hadn’t seen his uncle around either so he knew that chances were Diego had gone with them. “So what do you normally do around here between calls?” he asked, unable to deny that he was curious. MASON LOCKWOOD
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MASON LOCKWOOD
Werewolf
Posts: 152
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 4, 2024 16:18:54 GMT
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Post by MASON LOCKWOOD on Jun 24, 2023 16:55:16 GMT
Roll out of bed whenever he felt like it, grab breakfast from any one of the food trucks that littered the boardwalk, head out with his board if the water was good enough, stagger back onto the beach after and spend whatever was left of the day bar hopping his way around Miami – it had all been so easy. Leaving Mystic Falls had been a way of avoiding crushing responsibility, but he’d taken that chilled lifestyle to the absolute limit before Katherine had come along. Every now and then Mason still felt the urge to just pack up the truck again and roll out of town – not forever, not the way he’d planned to last time. A breath of fresh air and a little break from the weight of everything he’d tried to shoulder since Carol had called him back. A week long time out that would probably end with him getting another call. No matter how hard he’d worked to try and patch things up with Tyler, things between the two of them were still rocky and Tyler had a talent for being twisted up by others the same way he did. Nope, he was going to have to stick it out for Tyler’s sake, no matter how tempting it got.
Rattling around the station the temptation would’ve been there again – only staved off for so long by cleaning up, or double checking the equipment. Luckily for him Elias had turned up, an added distraction from everything that rattled around in the depths of his mind like marbles that were just waiting for him to slip on them. Mason grimaced faintly, taking a sip from his soda. ”Just a little bit. I’ve never been the sort whose happy to just sit around and twiddle their thumbs. It’s a curse.” Or a blessing if you asked him – but it didn’t feel like one right now. He imagined most of the people who worked at the station were just like that, the need to do something being one of the reasons they’d decided to train as firefighters in the first place.
”Sounds like I’m not the only one who’s a little bored,” Mason mused, smiling at Elias. At his age it had been a constant battle to try and keep himself entertained and out of his parents’ way. If you stopped for too long around them then you’d just get drawn into whatever the cause for the week was and he would’ve been driven nuts by the confinement. Setting his can down, Mason held up his hands, crossed his index fingers like that would ward off the fate he’d just tempted. ”Maybe it was on purpose,” he lied. ”I always get told that the Q word is trouble, but I haven’t seen it yet.” Not on the job anyway. There’d been plenty of other areas of his life where he’d hoped for it and fate and karma had both slapped him around anyway, the blows usually handed out by Katherine.
As a teenager he’d lived for those free afternoons. Even before he’d had the truck he’d head out to the woods with friends, hang around the falls or fill up the back of the Grill, monopolising the pool table until people started to drift back home for dinner. There wasn’t half as much freedom to do that these days, not with the trouble that had been simmering in town for the last couple of years. Mason settled back, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles. ”Hopefully you still get to spend some time with them, I’m sure they won’t be too long.” And until then this was a double win – Elias had someone to hang out with while waiting for his dads and he got out of rattling around the place. The corner of his mouth tipped up wryly. ”I’m the lowest guy on the ladder, so all the worst things – cleaning, sorting the equipment, running drills if I’m really trying to avoid everything else. Cooking if it’s my turn. I could probably get something set up for a late lunch if you’re hungry?” It would be another case of killing two birds with one stone – the guys would have something waiting when they got back too.
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ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
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Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Jul 30, 2023 18:59:33 GMT
Elias knew that his dads were meant to be at work but they sometimes had some down time between calls and he had hoped that he would be able to hang out with them for a bit until their shift ended. As it turned out they were out and he would have taken off if Mason hadn’t said that it was fine for him to stick around. Elias got the impression that the guy was perhaps a bit bored and the truth was that he couldn’t really blame him, it had to be odd being the only one around and Elias actually felt a bit bad for him. “I know what you mean, I hate it,” he admitted. “So why didn’t you go with them?” he asked. He had thought it would make sense but perhaps one of them had to stay behind at all times or something, he wasn’t sure. Either way it didn’t seem like it was much fun for Mason right now so Elias knew that he would do all he could to distract the guy. “You’re right about that, my sisters have class this afternoon and my friends are busy so I’m at a bit of a loose end,” Elias shrugged. He hated it, one of the things he loved about living with his family was that there was normally something going on. If it came down to it then he knew that he would head home and take Milo out for a run for a while since he had a feeling the dog wouldn’t be too happy at being cooped up for too long but it was human interaction that Elias had wanted more than animal. “Just you wait, I bet they’ll get back and you’ll have a string of calls come in,” Elias chuckled. He knew that saying things were quiet in a job like this one wasn’t a good idea and he hoped that Mason hadn’t just jinxed the rest of them as well but only time would tell. Taking a sip of his drink, Elias glanced around the firehouse. His dads had taken him for a tour the day they’d adopted him, that was also the day that he had learned that he had been left at the door of the firehouse as a baby. It had taken Elias a long time to fill in the gaps after that but his step-father had dropped him off after his mom had died and since then Elias had bounced around the foster system until his dads took him in. He hadn’t known back then that Ethan was his biological father and neither had Ethan, that was something that they had found out later, but truth be told Elias had felt a connection to the firehouse ever since he’d learned about the history he had with the place and the role it had played in his life. His experience in the foster system hadn’t been good but that wasn’t the fault of anyone at the firehouse, they had looked after him when he had needed it. “Hopefully, if not I’ll hang around and head home with them,” he shrugged, knowing that either way it would be fine. As Mason explained what he normally got up to when he had some free time, Elias grimaced. “That really doesn’t sound great,” he admitted. “Don’t you get tired of doing all that?” It didn’t sound like Mason had much of a choice but it didn’t sound like much fun either. “That would be great actually. I can help, if you like,” he offered. “I’ve helped my dads cook before.”MASON LOCKWOOD
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MASON LOCKWOOD
Werewolf
Posts: 152
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 4, 2024 16:18:54 GMT
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Post by MASON LOCKWOOD on Aug 27, 2023 17:05:31 GMT
Whatever line of work you were in there was usually some sort of hazing when you started, like most people didn’t leave that college idea behind. He’d skipped it back then, avoiding the fate his parents had planned out for him at college. You didn’t have to worry about fraternities and living up to the expectations at your dad’s alma mater when every class you were taking happened on the beach or out on the waves. Mason wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when Maya had talked him into going to the academy here. Hard work? Sore muscles (underused since he’d got back to town and good surf was just a dream)? Early mornings and long shifts? Absolutely. Being stuck with all the worst tasks because he was the newbie on the team? Definitely. Snorting about it now, Mason shook his head at Elias question. ”I couldn’t,” he admitted. ”Somebody’s gotta stay put just in case a call comes in. I don’t mind doing it when there’s something else to do around here, but there’s only so many times you can clean the firehouse before you lose your mind.” Others might’ve flipped on the TV or grabbed a book, appreciating those quiet moments, but he’d always been the sort of guy who’d constantly been on the move. It seemed as though Elias wasn’t different in that regard. At a loose end with everybody else at school or out somewhere else, he’d come in search of his dads. A part of him had always been envious of that sort of relationship between parents and their kids. He’d never willingly gone in search of his own – or Richard, for that matter – they’d only have started weighing him down with those expectations instantly. Mason raked his teeth over his lower lip, tapping his fingers lightly against the can at the thought. ”Well, until they do get back and I’ve got the whole team here, I guess it’s just you and me if a call does come in. That’ll solve your loose end problem, huh?” Some of the other firefighters working at the station had kids, and Maya had the teenagers she worked with. They’d come around the station sometimes, get put through their paces as young unofficial trainees. With both his dads working there, Mason imagined that they might’ve done the same with Elias a time or two. Even if not an emergency was an emergency any way you looked at it, and given how his dads were, Mason imagined Elias would still want to pitch it, despite the danger.
Lifting his can towards Elias as though he was making a toast, Mason nodded to him. ”Sounds like a plan.” Unlike his own parents, he was pretty sure that Toni and Ethan would be ecstatic to see Elias here. They were probably the sort of parents that supported their kids no matter the decisions they made, instead of locking them into that tight framework for a life that they wanted them to have. His own had been the absolute opposite. Mason’s gaze raked over the kitchen they were in, almost as though he could see through the walls to the rest of the station. Even a job like this they’d have frowned upon. It was a service job, far below the lofty political heights they’d found themselves at. His nose wrinkling with his smile, Mason considered Elias’ question for a moment before he shook his head. ”Most of the time it’s not, but it teaches you things you need to know on the job. Everybody goes through it and then eventually the next new guy joins and you take that step up.” Did he get tired of it sometimes though? Yeah, definitely. He drew away from the counter as Elias volunteered to help him put together that lunch. ”Sounds great. How about you take a look in the fridge? See what we can pull together from what’s in there?” Setting his own soda down, he crouched, beginning to poke through the cupboards. They’d just shopped a few days ago, so the station should be pretty well stocked.
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ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
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Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Mar 31, 2024 17:54:49 GMT
For most of Elias’s life there had been so much that had been out of his control. He had grown up in foster care after his mom died and the man she’d thought was his father had abandoned him and he had moved around so much that he hadn’t really known whether he was coming or going. None of the placements had lasted that long so he had come to think of each place he’d ended up as just another temporary home. It had made it difficult to really settle in properly or make friends when he’d constantly found himself wondering when he would be shipped off to the next place and he’d really tried to make the best of a bad situation with the foster parents he’d had before his dads had taken him in. In the end they’d ended up getting him killed and that should have been the end of it but somehow that had proved to be the beginning of the next chapter of his life. Now he had two parents he loved, one of whom happened to be his biological dad only Ethan hadn’t known anything about him when his relationship with Elias’s mom had ended, and he had sisters he adored. Now he was able to focus on school without having to worry about finding his way in the world on his own and it was a relief to say the least. “I guess that makes sense. You can’t really play pool properly on your own either,” Elias nodded, remembering the games he’d ended up playing with his dads when they had some free time between calls. There always seemed to be things to do but that was probably a lot easier when there were more people around. That day Elias had found himself at a loose end completely so he’d ended up doing what he usually did, he had gone to the firehouse to see if he could hang out with his dads for a while. He knew that his sisters tended to do the same when they didn’t have anything else to do and there were some who might think that was strange but their family was close. For Elias that meant more than he could put into words after growing up the way he had done and he always tried to make the most of whatever time he was able to spend with them. As it was they weren’t there and Elias wouldn’t have blamed Mason if he had wanted him to leave but he didn’t seem in a hurry for that to happen so Elias had no problem sticking around at all. “Yeah it will, thanks,” he said sincerely as Mason said it would just be the two of them until the others got back which would solve his problem. “If there’s anything you need me to do, just let me know.” Elias was always more than happy to pitch in when he could and that hadn’t changed. He still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life at the moment but after pulling two parents out of their burning home not too long ago there was a part of him that was considering following in the footsteps of his dads, uncle and grandfather. “How long have you been waiting for someone new to come in?” Elias asked, knowing that his dads had probably been pretty lucky not having to go through that. They’d both transferred in from the departments in the town they’d been living in before and it had been the same for his uncle and grandpa. He could see the reasoning behind Mason having to do all of that, though, and he hoped it wouldn’t be too much longer before he was able to take that step up. Taking a sip of his drink, Elias nodded as Mason suggested he take a look in the fridge and see what was in there. “Sure,” he said, getting up from his seat and moving over to the fridge so he could do just that. “Do you feel like anything in particular?” he asked as he opened the fridge and started looking through the contents. It seemed to have plenty of options but he wasn’t sure whether Mason had anything specific in mind or whether any of the others had said about wanting something when they got back. MASON LOCKWOOD
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MASON LOCKWOOD
Werewolf
Posts: 152
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 4, 2024 16:18:54 GMT
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Post by MASON LOCKWOOD on May 4, 2024 16:11:37 GMT
Leaving Mystic Falls hadn’t meant leaving all his memories behind. The same problems were still there, just distant enough that he wasn’t having to fight through them day in, day out. Floating on his board out in the ocean, Mason would let them wash over him, almost like if he thought about them just enough the water would somehow wash them away. The guilt somehow always managed to stick though. He never regretted getting out from under the expectations of his parents or brother, but had regretted leaving Ty in that pressure cooker. Leaving Maya here had been his second regret. He knew she’d never have gone without her family. She had a family that cared for each other, not one that twisted love into something cold and controlling long ago. There’d been a time when Mason had found himself jealous of that, but as he’d finally had his wake up call from Katherine, he’d realised that every family had their secrets and the only way you could change your future was if you were doing it yourself.
Joining the FD after he’d come back had felt like a homecoming of sorts. He got to spend time with Maya most days and this time weren’t parents standing around, disapproving of the people he’d decided to associate himself with. Like the other firefighters and paramedics here, she was a hero. And the place was way too quiet without them. ”You’re right. It’s not the same when you’re the only one working your way around the table.” His agreement ending with a huff of laughter. If he’d gotten desperate enough he’d have tried, he’d image that Elias might’ve done too. You eventually found ways to entertain yourself if you had no other choice in the matter. Having the kid here would solve that problem for him, and maybe give Elias something to do for a while. ”Will do,” Mason promised. ”It might be good to have someone lower on the ladder than me around here.” He was joking, of course. Being rookie did mean you got all the worst duties, but that was to toughen you up, to help you learn the parts of the job they didn’t teach you at the academy. It didn’t matter that he’d been here a couple of years now, until someone less experience joined the team, he was still the rookie.
When he was younger, he would’ve hated it. Mason knew he’d never been the most patient guy around – he hadn’t tied it to the fact that to that pesky curse in his DNA then – and anything close to criticism left him bristling. Times had changed though and with the understanding of who he’d always been underneath, there were far more things he accepted these days. ”A couple of years,” Mason admitted with a wry grin. ”I joined not long before your dads did, but you definitely couldn’t have called them rookies.” They’d seemed so experienced from the start, the sort of guys that everybody else ended up looking up to. It felt right paying them back by making lunch while they were out on the call. He couldn’t count the amount of times they’d all traipsed back in after a heavy call to find food waiting for them, it was a feeling that would almost drive you to your knees. ”Something filling,” Mason told him, plucking a box of rice out. ”How about burritos? We can do it family style, put everything in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.” It was easy enough to reheat later if another call happened to put a rain check on lunch too.
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