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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 8, 2024 0:20:34 GMT
"What the hell are you looking, pendejo? Wanna go again, huh?" Gabriel snapped at the man, knowing it was his fault for having Gabriel end up at the police station. Gabriel wasn't the type of person to go around picking fights with anyone and if something akin to a fight broke out, it would only be because he was pushed to his limits and that's exactly what this man had done.
Gabriel had been out with a few co-workers watching the game and that drunkard soon butted into the conversation that they were having and started being unsavory and then he mentioned his son and that was when Gabriel got up and gave the man a real piece of his mind which resulted in a fight between the two of them that resulted in the owner of the bar calling the cops on the two of them.
While the man tried to flee the scene only to stumble and end up with a bleeding cut that he tried to pinpoint on Gabriel. But, he knew there were witnesses around, so he knew that he won't be spending too long at the station. He'll just have to call his brother to bail him out.
Some people may feel some sort of sick satisfaction after a nasty fight, but Gabriel didn't feel any of that. He only looked down at his bruised knuckles only to find himself looking at a reminder, that wasn't going to last for much longer, of how he had snapped.
Had Gabriel used his full strength, that man wouldn't be walking and talking right now and while that was testament to his self-control, it still could've gone terribly and Gabriel couldn't help but feel like absolute shit over it.
He pressed his hand against his wounded knuckles to hide the fact that it was going to heal soon and instead looked up, only to find himself looking at none other than Cameron. The person who brought him here in the first place. He could tell that the other used less force in comparison to the way his partner was restraining the drunkard who kept on spewing profanities the whole time.
His co-workers teased him relentlessly, calling him Cameron's favorite barista, and always asking about the Mastrano kid who resembles a golden retriever whenever the other would take a while to come into the coffee shop. At first, it was just a huge inconvenience for him, but then he started disliking Cameron less and less each time.
Gabriel looked away with a quiet sigh falling from his lips. Fuck. He hated being seen like this. He wondered if the ground would open up and swallow him whole if he stared at it hard enough. Gabriel reached for the ice pack that was he given to press against his bruised eye as a way to not keep looking at Cameron for long. "I didn't do it." Gabriel spoke up after a moment or so of uncomfortable silence that was brought on by none other than Gabriel himself. "The..." He made a gesture toward his forehead, talking about the man's cut. "Cut. He did it to himself." Gabriel explained, knowing that he might as well get that out of the way before that old bastard tried to pin it on him. He sure as hell was responsible for the other bruises, though. He'll, at least, own up to that.
** pendejo = asshole.
TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 10, 2024 0:11:59 GMT
As someone who was born and raised in Forks, Cameron really should be able to say that he knew the town completely but he had led such a sheltered life while he was growing up that it was only when he was kicked out of home that he had started getting to know the town properly. He knew that there were risks to living in Forks, by now he had dealt with so many of the mysterious deaths and disappearances himself that it almost felt like he could work those cases in his sleep. For such a small town Forks definitely seemed to have more than its fair share of major crimes and Cameron knew that a lot of them were supernatural related. There was a part of him that knew that it was risky to live in a town like this especially since his dad had told him that so many of their kind had been wiped out by vampires a long time ago but the town was his home and even after everything that had happened there, Cameron was still reluctant to leave it. The fact that Alexis wanted to stay and Olivia was still in town as well definitely helped influence that decision, had it just been his mom and Cole living there then Cameron would have said to Alex that the two of them should get out of there as fast as they could but neither of them wanted to leave Olivia behind so it just wasn’t an option. Thankfully Cameron had learned how to stay under the radar of the vampires and shapeshifters who called the town their home, most of them seemed to believe that his kind were extinct and Cameron was more than happy to let it stay that way. He and Alex had decided to join Nick’s pack when they moved to town as there was still safety in numbers but for the most part it was still just him and Alex like always although now they had Lucy to look after as well. Cameron hadn’t been surprised when Nick had asked him and Alex to reach out to the new Children of the Moon who had moved to Forks, there were four of them and it was clear that something awful had happened to them but Cameron wasn’t sure what just yet. He had already extended the offer of joining the pack to Gabriel and he had refused but Cameron had found that he enjoyed being around the man so the coffee shop where he worked had become Cameron’s new favourite place to go not just when he had some free time on his hands but during his shifts as well. He knew that the others who worked there were amused by it but the truth was that he didn’t care what they thought, he was only interested in what Gabriel thought and the guy hadn’t sent him away yet so Cameron knew that he was going to keep showing up until he did. That day, however, Cameron had had to show up for a different reason entirely. He and Lucas had been called to deal with a bar fight and the last thing he had expected was to see that Gabriel was one of the people who had been involved in the fight. Cameron knew he couldn’t let the guy just walk away no matter how much he might want to, he had a job to do and that meant having to take him to the station. Cameron was gentle as he put Gabriel in the back of the cruiser before going to take details from the witnesses and arrange for the CCTV footage to be sent to the station so he could review it. With that done he drove Gabriel to the station but instead of putting him in a cell like the guy Gabriel had fought with was, Cameron led the guy over to his desk. Gabriel was a Child of the Moon like him which meant that his wounds would heal soon enough but Cameron still grabbed an ice pack for him so he could use it to cover his knuckles while they healed. Cameron knew he needed to talk to Gabriel and take his statement but instead he chose to watch him for a moment. Gabriel was clearly struggling right now and Cameron got the feeling this was probably the last thing he needed so he hoped the CCTV would come through quickly so he could get it all cleared up and send Gabriel on his way. As he said he wasn’t responsible for the cut, Cameron nodded. “I know, the others at the bar said as much. Why don’t you tell me what happened?” he asked, knowing that was as good a place as any to start. GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 10, 2024 0:47:14 GMT
Gabriel knew that Cameron was only here to do his job and deep down, Gabriel was grateful that the one taking his statement was someone he knew. It made this whole uncomfortable situation feel a lot less suffocating. Had his father been around to this point, he might as well have died all over again if he learned that his oldest, and supposedly wisest, son ended up in a fight and was now at the police station giving his statement to the police and if the CCTV didn't catch anything that might clear his name, he might spend time here til his brothers came to bail him out. What an embarrassment.
Gabriel looked at Cameron when it became clear that he believed him and not the old man. It made something he couldn't fathom develop in his chest. Gabriel let out a quiet sigh at Cameron's question before his lips parted so he could recount the details of the night leading up to the fight. "First, it was some jabbing comments about the game. As the game progressed, he got worse. His team was losing, so, I guess he was just takin' it out on us." Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, not really caring about the old man's feelings, he didn't want to justify it, either. The man was wrong, no matter which angle you look at it from. "It just got worse from there." Gabriel revealed, looking to the side before he lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose before lowering it down again. "We tried to ignore it 'cause we were going to leave soon, anyway. Then, he..." Gabriel trailed off with a small frown tugging at his features.
"He mentioned my kid, and I had no idea what I was doin' til my co-workers were pulling me away from him." He's probably dead in a ditch somewhere. Searched the ditches yet? Hah. The man's words still piss him the hell off every time he remembered it. It made him clench his hands into a fist. "That's it, I guess."
TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 11, 2024 1:02:46 GMT
Cameron hadn’t known Gabriel for very long and Cameron still didn’t trust many people but he honestly believed that he was a good guy. He was clearly hurting, that much was obvious, and Cameron had been able to piece it together from the flyers he’d seen around town that the man’s son was missing and that was probably the reason why he wasn’t doing so well. He hadn’t told Gabriel that he had started looking into Daniel’s appearance because he didn’t want to get the guy’s hopes up in case it didn’t pan out. Cameron had no idea whether Daniel was actually in Forks or not but if he was then he knew that he would stop at nothing to bring him home to Gabriel. Right now, though, he had something else to deal with. He needed to make sure that Gabriel didn’t end up being the one to pay the price for the bar fight so he needed to get to the bottom of what had happened. “Unfortunately there are a lot of guys around here who like to do that,” Cameron said, nodding his head in understanding when Gabriel said that the other guy’s team was losing so he was taking it out on them. It wasn’t the first time that had happened and it definitely wouldn’t be the last, it was just unfortunate that Gabriel had been caught in the crossfire. Making notes of what Gabriel said, Cameron paused as the man’s voice trailed off and he looked up to see that Gabriel seemed to be struggling with his next words. “He was taunting you about Daniel?” he asked, putting the pieces together knowing it was the only thing that made sense. Gabriel had never mentioned Daniel to him but the name had slipped out before Cameron was able to stop it. “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth between you and me the guy sounds like a real asshole,” he said, looking over at Gabriel once more before realising that his hands were clenched into fists. Without even thinking about it Cameron reached over and squeezed his hand gently. “We’ll get this straightened out, don’t worry. I don’t think your buddy in there is going to want to talk about what happened and I’m waiting for a call from the bar owner to make sure he doesn’t want to press charges. Your breathalyser came back under the limit so you don’t even have to worry about being charged with being drunk and disorderly,” Cameron assured him. Realising that he was still holding Gabriel’s hand, Cameron cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly pulled his hand back. “I’ll get you out of here as quickly as I can but in the meantime is there anyone you want to call?”GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 11, 2024 2:18:56 GMT
Gabriel nodded his head slowly at Cameron because he knew that this won't be his last interaction with someone like that. He was still learning a lot about the human world, but he knew that games were a source of people's anger at times. It was exactly why he was willing to let the matter go, but as he kept going overboard, it became harder and harder for him to let it go. He nodded his head when Cameron mentioned Daniel at first but then he paused when he realized that he can't remember when he had told Cameron about Daniel. He looked up at him with a hint of question in his eyes but then his attention seemed to drift elsewhere.
A file, to be exact. With him sitting this close to the desk, he was able to catch a glimpse of a name on a file. Daniel De La Cruz. He could see the bottom of his flyer poking out from underneath the flyer. It made him realize that Cameron had a file on his kid, probably collecting all the information needed to help look for him. Gabriel only expected Cameron to be interested in getting him to join the pack, but he didn't expect him to care about his life and what was going on in it. He didn't expect him to care about the only thing that Gabriel cared about right now which was finding his kid. Gabriel's eyes soon drifted back to Cameron when he felt his hand cover his own and he couldn't help but agree with everything he'd said about that jerk from the bar.
Cameron's touch felt grounding, like an anchor tied to his feet, keeping him from sinking too far into the ground, or getting lost in his own thoughts and the what ifs. "He said he was probably in a ditch somewhere." Saying it out loud felt... earth-shattering in a way that he couldn't explain. "Worst part is that I've already looked." Gabriel added, his voice quieter now. "Wasn't there, either." It was like Gabriel was searching for a ghost. Someone who never even existed in the first place.
Gabriel was quiet as he listened to Cameron, feeling relieved for the most part but he knew that his night in here was going to be a long one, so he should, at least, brace himself for that. He offered a grateful quick nod of his head. He soon realized that Cameron still had his hand over his own and it seemed like Cameron had realized it at the same time because he was pulling his hand away shortly after. "Okay, thanks, Cameron." Gabriel considered his last question for a moment before nodding his head slowly. "I'll give Ricky a call." Gabriel revealed a moment later. "Hey, what that asshole said about my son stays between us, okay? Ricky might pick where I left off if he heard."
TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 11, 2024 22:11:25 GMT
It was true that Cameron had grown up not really knowing anyone who lived in Forks that well due to how protective his mom was but he had been able to figure out the different kinds of people who lived in the town pretty quickly. There were plenty of people like the one that Gabriel had had a run in with, Cameron just hoped that next time it wouldn't get this far. He had seen a lot during his time as a cop and things like this came up pretty often but he knew that he was going to do his best to look out for Gabriel. The guy didn't strike him as the kind of person who liked to get involved in altercations like this one so he knew that there had to be something that had triggered it and it all became clear when Gabriel said that the guy had mentioned his son. Daniel's name had left Cameron's lips without him even thinking about it and as Gabriel gave him a questioning look, Cameron did his best to meet his gaze levelly. "What?" he asked, hoping that he would be able to pass it off as Gabriel having mentioned Daniel to him before if he had to. He knew that he didn't want Gabriel to find out he was looking into Daniel's whereabouts in case nothing came of it but he was all too aware that he had the file he'd put together on Daniel sitting on his desk right now and as Gabriel looked at something on the desk Cameron couldn't bring himself to follow the man's gaze and eliminate the small lingering hope he had that Gabriel wouldn't see it. He couldn't even stand the thought of losing his daughter the way Gabriel had lost his son so he knew that the man had to be in a lot of pain right now and even though Cameron had only reached out to him to begin with to try and get him to join the pack, now he knew about Daniel he knew that he wanted to do everything he could to put it right and make things better for Gabriel. It was starting to look like Cameron had a habit of speaking and acting without thinking when he was around Gabriel because it wasn't long before he was reaching over to squeeze the man's hand. He had no idea how to really comfort someone but he wanted to make sure that Gabriel knew he wasn't alone and that seemed like the best way. "What?!" he breathed as Gabriel said the guy he'd fought with had said that Daniel was probably in a ditch somewhere. "I can't believe he said that to you, that's messed up," he said, shaking his head at the thought. As Gabriel said the worst part was that he'd already looked, Cameron's expression softened. "I know it might not feel like it right now but he'll turn up, I'm sure of it," Cameron assured him gently. Daniel had to be somewhere, it was just a case of finding him. "Don't lose hope." He knew that Gabriel had probably already experienced disappointment after disappointment during his search for Daniel but the worst thing he could do was give up - they both deserved better than that. Cameron had meant to pull his hand back rather than continue holding Gabriel's hand but he had let himself become distracted and his cheeks flushed red as he finally withdrew his hand. "No problem," Cameron assured him. Nodding as Gabriel said that he would give Ricky a call, Cameron offered him a gentle smile as he asked for what the guy had said about Daniel to stay between them. "He won't hear about it from me, cross my heart," he said, drawing a cross over his heart at the same time to seal it. "I've got to be honest, from what I've heard about your brother he scares me a little. I don't think anyone deserves to get on his bad side," he chuckled before pulling his phone out of his pocket and holding it out to Gabriel. "Here, you can use my phone. I'll give you some privacy, can I get you anything to eat or drink?" he asked, not sure how long Gabriel was going to end up having to wait around for before he could get out of there. GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 11, 2024 23:31:41 GMT
Gabriel shook his head slightly at Cameron's question. He couldn't help but appreciate it, knowing that he had someone else also looking for his son meant a lot to him. "Nothing." Gabriel offered back, knowing that he didn't want to put the other in an awkward position by pointing it out, so he will just have to show him his gratitude some other way without putting him in a tough spot. Gabriel just didn't expect Cameron to care that much. Either he was just real good at his job, or he had a caring heart that most people nowadays lacked.
This time, it was Gabriel who was putting his hand over Cameron's, shaking his head slightly. "It's fine." He assured him in a quiet voice. "I know. That's why his face looks like that." Gabriel was a level-headed guy most of the time, but lately, things have been... intense and this interaction only fueled the flames until the fire grew out of control and he just snapped. He slowly moved his hand from on top of Cameron's, letting Cameron's hand just rest over his own, coaxing it to unclench. "Trust me, hope's the only thing I've got left." He wasn't letting go entirely, but as more and more time passed with no sign of Daniel anywhere, it filled him with dread and a lot of what ifs, but he wasn't letting go of the hope just yet.
Gabriel felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips at Cameron's words before he quirked an eyebrow. "He scares you, but I don't?" Gabriel asked with a hint of teasing in the tone of his voice. "Alright, thanks." He reached for the phone and momentarily thought about what he wanted to eat. "A cup of coffee would be great. Black." Gabriel nodded his head, offering Gabriel a thankful small smile before he looked down at the phone to dial his brother's number, telling him what had happened while assuring him that he was fine. Once the call was done, he waited for Cameron to come back now that he no longer needed the privacy.
TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 12, 2024 0:16:36 GMT
Cameron couldn't help but let out a small breath of relief as Gabriel said that it was nothing. He really had worried that the man had seen Daniel's file and Cameron knew that he didn't want to make things any worse for the man. Gabriel never seemed like he was okay and it had been that way ever since the day that they first met. Cameron hadn't known the reason for it back then but now he did and it definitely made sense. There were some parents out there who just didn't care about their kids, his own mom included in that these days, but it was clear to him that Gabriel wasn't one of those parents. He seemed to really love his son and even though Cameron knew that the longer a child was missing for the worse the odds of finding them looked, he knew that he didn't want Gabriel to give up hope of finding his son because Cameron was pretty sure that was the only thing that would help the man finally find peace. "He's lucky he didn't get a lot worse," Cameron admitted, offering Gabriel a small smile as he covered Cameron's hand with his own. Knowing now what the man had said to Gabriel it honestly looked like Gabriel had managed to restrain himself pretty well and Cameron was proud of him for that. It would have been so easy to lose control completely but the man would be okay in the end and chances were he probably wouldn't even remember what had happened when he woke up in the morning so with any luck there wouldn't be any harm done. "It's not the only thing, you've still got your brothers," he said gently. He wasn't sure how things were between the four of them right now but he really hoped that Gabriel was leaning on them when he needed them. "You've also got me," he added, knowing that he would be another person that Gabriel could lean on if he wanted. Cameron couldn't help but laugh as Gabriel spoke again. "Listen, I know you could be an Alpha if you wanted to be but I heard your brother was raised by hunters, is that right?" he asked, unable to deny that he was curious. "I'm pretty sure he could kick my ass easily if he wanted to so yeah, he scares me," he chuckled. "You, on the other hand, I don't think you would ever intentionally hurt anyone," Cameron added gently. That was just a feeling he had about Gabriel and he knew that he could be wrong but he didn't think that he was. "You're a barista and yet you take your coffee black? That's ironic," he grinned before leaving Gabriel alone to make the phone call, only returning with the coffee when he was done. "Here you go," he said, setting the drink down in front of Gabriel. "How did your brother take it?" he asked, not sure whether he needed to tell anyone to expect Gabriel's brother to show up and refuse to leave until his brother was released. GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 12, 2024 12:04:39 GMT
Gabriel glanced over at the guy who was still babbling and giving the officer interrogating him a hard time. That was Cameron’s partner, wasn’t it? He glanced back at Cameron before he let out a brief scoff. “Yeah, I guess so.” There was something inside him that wanted to pick up where he left off, but he had a feeling that this was just his father talking. He looked at Cameron not long after when he mentioned his brothers. Gabriel has been kind of distant lately, and he does hate himself for doing that.
He also hates his father for not raising him right — for not making it easy for him to express how he truly feels because now he was stuck in a stage where he wanted to get close to his brothers again but he didn’t even know where to start, so he was just stuck with the awkwardness of it all. It doesn’t sit right with him that his first contact with his brother in a few days would be him asking Ricky for a favor. It made him seem like such a goddamn selfish guy, but it also beats the alternative of getting his younger brothers to come and get him out of here.
He didn’t want them to think any less of him. He’s their older brother, he should be acting like one. But here he was. At the police station. ”Except I haven’t talked to them in a while.” He half-expected Cameron to finish the sentence with him mentioning the “pack”, but he didn’t. It was just him. It was an offer to lean on him, too. ”I appreciate it, Cameron.” He did, even though he didn’t believe that he deserved it. ”But you really shouldn’t get involved with me.” Nothing good ever happens whenever someone gets close, anyway. That much he knows for certain.
Gabriel nodded his head a few times at Cameron’s question, the edge of his lips rising in a smile. ”Yeah, he was.” Enrique had lived an intense life and honestly, he understood where that worry was coming from. ”I’m pretty sure I saw your brother at his garage enough times to know that he doesn’t share the same fear as you. He’s a harmless guy, though. As long as you stay on his good side.” Gabriel assured him with a genuine full smile appearing on his lips for the first time in God knows how long. Though it faltered at Cameron’s next words and all he could remember was the scared screams of his pack members.
”You’d be surprised.” Gabriel offered with obvious tightness to his words as his smile evaporated. He, thankfully, snapped out of his own head not long after at Cameron’s teasing comment. ”Hey, what’s wrong with that? It does the job. I just can’t do azucarado drinks.” Gabriel said with a roll of his eyes following but his tone was still light as he spoke. ”Ay, sorry, I meant drinks with a lot of sugar.” Gabriel quickly elaborated.
Once he was done with the call, Cameron was back with the drink. He reached for it with his good hand so he doesn’t draw attention to the fact that his bruised knuckles were all healed now. ”Well, let’s just say that I’m kinda startin’ to understand why he scares you.” Gabriel lifted his drink to his lips to take a small sip before setting it down.
”Alright... I told myself I wasn’t going to ask, but it's going to eat me alive if I don't.” Gabriel let his tongue rush over the surface of his bottom lip as he drew his attention back to Cameron. ”You’re looking for Daniel.” That wasn’t the question. It was simply a leading statement. ”Why?”
TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 12, 2024 23:58:06 GMT
"If he hasn't got someone who can come and collect him then he'll have to spend the night in the cells. He won't like it but it wouldn't be the first time. He's one of our frequent visitors unfortunately," Cameron admitted. There were people who ended up being arrested pretty often and the guy his partner was talking to was definitely one of those. He always seemed to find himself getting into trouble when he'd had too much to drink, it was just unfortunate that he'd chosen Gabriel for his sparring partner that day. Cameron honestly didn't understand how the guy could make such an awful remark about Daniel and he definitely didn't blame Gabriel for losing his temper because Cameron knew that he would have done just the same in that position. It was clear to Cameron that Gabriel was struggling right now, he could only hope that the man was leaning on his brothers for support. Cameron had leaned on Alex so much over the years and the truth was he knew that he wouldn't have managed to get through any of what he had been through without his brother by his side. Alex had kept him sane and Cameron knew that he would have been lost without him. He didn't know Gabriel's brothers but the fact that they had all moved to town together said a lot as far as he was concerned. He got the feeling that they were all each other had just like he, Alex and Lucy were and that was something that definitely shouldn't be taken for granted. "That might be so but if they're anything like my brother it won't matter how long it has been since you last talked to them, they'll just be glad to hear from you," Cameron said gently. It wasn't always easy to reach out though, he knew that, so he knew that he didn't want to try and push Gabriel into doing anything. "I mean it," he assured him as Gabriel said that he appreciated the offer that he could lean on him too. He didn't really know much about Gabriel, his family or what they had been through but that didn't mean that he couldn't still be someone who could listen and try to help. It wasn't always easy to talk to family about certain things so if Gabriel ever wanted someone a bit more removed from his life to confide in then Cameron knew he was happy to be that person. As Gabriel said that he really shouldn't get involved with him, Cameron studied him carefully for a moment. "What makes you say that?" he asked, knowing that it wouldn't make a difference anyway. Reaching out to Gabriel had started as just an invitation for him to join the pack but it was so much more than that now. "That's crazy. I can't imagine what that must have been like," Cameron admitted. Honestly he wasn't really sure he could imagine any upbringing other than the one he had gone through but he knew that it was different for everyone. "I definitely don't want to get on his bad side," he nodded. He couldn't deny that he liked seeing the genuine smile that had appeared on Gabriel's face, he was a good looking guy but he seemed so sad all the time that it was difficult to imagine him any other way sometimes. "Your upbringing was different to his, wasn't it?" Cameron asked, unable to deny that he was curious about what it had been like for Gabriel. He didn't know much other than the fact that Gabriel and Enrique had been raised by different parents and he often found himself wondering about what it had been like for them to find out about each other. Cameron was a little surprised by Gabriel's next words and he found himself studying the man carefully for a moment. "Try me," he said gently. It was clear that Gabriel had some demons that he was dealing with but Cameron really didn't see him as the kind of person who would really want to hurt another person and it would take him a lot to believe otherwise. "That's okay. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just surprising," he chuckled, a smile on his lips as he looked over at Gabriel. Giving Gabriel some privacy while he called his brother, Cameron made sure that the call had ended before he made his way back over to his desk where Gabriel was waiting. "That well, huh?" he asked, knowing that he wasn't really surprised that Enrique hadn't taken it well. "I don't think my partner will be with the other guy too much longer so I'll have a chat with him when he's finished." He really didn't want to make Gabriel have to wait around any longer than he absolutely had to, that was for sure. Cameron found himself looking over at Gabriel as he spoke again. He had a feeling he knew what Gabriel was going to ask and he wasn't so sure that he wanted to answer that question but as Gabriel asked it, Cameron knew that he couldn't lie to him. "A few reasons," he said, choosing his words carefully before speaking. "The first is that he's just a kid and he has been separated from a dad who loves him and I hate that," he said as he reached forward and slid the file with Daniel's name on it towards him. "The second is that I have a daughter and if she was the one missing I would want to know that everyone was doing everything possible to find her," he said, lifting his gaze to meet Gabriel's as he continued. "The third is that I can see you're in a lot of pain over this and I hate to see you hurting."GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 13, 2024 1:19:42 GMT
Gabriel was quiet as he listened to Cameron before slowly nodding his head. He wasn’t at all surprised to hear that the guy was a frequent visitor. With a foul mouth and attitude like his, it would be too farfetched to think that he spends his weekends here. Gabriel thought about it for a moment before his lips parted to let out a small sigh.
He’s been stuck in his own self-loathing for far too long and maybe, just maybe paying them a visit won’t hurt too much. Plus, it might just be the distraction that he needs to pull him out of his head for a while. “I dunno. Maybe.” Gabriel said in a quiet voice, looking down at his hands before he let out a quiet sigh. He’ll have to check when his next days off were to drop by and see his siblings, even if it was just to check on them and make sure they were doing okay. ”Because nothing good comes from it.” Gabriel replied with certainty as if he had experience on the matter and knew exactly what he was talking about and that was definitely not far from the truth.
”Yeah.” Gabriel agreed with Cameron when he said that he can’t imagine what that must have been like for Enrique. When the conversation turned on him though, he looked over at Cameron before nodding his head a few times. ”It was. My younger brothers and I were raised in the woods. Away from...” He made a gesture to everything around them. ”All of this. Our father was...” Gabriel trailed off, gnawing on his inner cheek for a moment. “Very adamant about staying away from people like them.’ Humans, he meant. But he stayed vague just in case anyone was listening.
“Let’s just say that a lot of people got hurt because of me.” Gabriel offered back. It wasn’t an easy thing to talk about, but he figured that was enough to paint a picture of what he wanted to say. But thankfully, the topic moved along to something a lot lighter and it seemed to help him relax a bit. But then, it was time for him to call his brother and once he was done, he felt like shit for ghosting Enrique for a while only to call him to ask for a favor but, it felt good to hear his brother’s voice again.
”Mhm.” He nodded his head before he looked at Cameron again. ”Okay.” Gabriel added shortly after. He couldn’t wait to get out of here, but, this conversation with Cameron was a pleasant distraction, at least.
Gabriel was quiet as he listened to Cameron, his eyes fixed solely on the other, waiting to pick up on some sort of concealed truth, of something that would make him distrust Cameron but all he could see was the truth. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the offered file. He looked up for a moment, surprised to hear that Cameron had a daughter. He let his thumb trace over his son’s name, his heart clenching as he looked down at the file. He flipped through the pages, checking to see what Cameron had already. ”Not for the pack?” He asked, noticing how none of his reasons had anything to do with joining the pack. Cameron’s reasons were all for the sake of Daniel and him. Not for anyone else. Not to coax him into joining. Gabriel looked down at the file again as some sort of excuse to hide his pain before he let out a long exhale.
“Knowing that he’s out there somewhere and not being able to bring him home, it’s...” Gabriel trailed off as he kept his gaze fixed on the file. “It’s eating me alive. He must be so scared. They say that the statistics of finding him alive after so much time has passed decreases each time a new day passes. Some people want me to move on, saying it’s hopeless. But he’s my kid, Cameron. He’s supposed to be my responsibility for fuck’s sake but I lost him.” Gabriel let the file drop on the table before he ran his hand down his face before bringing his hand to the back of his neck. His leg bounced slightly before he sighed and looked away from the file at last and let his eyes rest on Cameron. “I didn’t know you had a daughter. What’s her name?” Gabriel asked with a hint of curiosity in the tone of his voice. TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 13, 2024 23:18:42 GMT
Forks had grown in size over the last few years after the Reservation was taken over and the people living there were forced out of their homes but Cameron had still managed to get to know a lot of the trouble makers around the town and he knew that it was the same for his colleagues. There were quite a few people they saw regularly and it was normally pretty easy to predict what they had managed to get themselves into each time. The guy that Gabriel had fought with seemed to like picking fights with people or annoying them so much that they ended up kicking his ass on a regular basis so Cameron really hadn't been surprised to find that he was involved, he was just sorry that Gabriel was the latest person to be dragged into his mess. "Give them a chance, they might surprise you," Cameron said gently. He knew that it was easy to isolate yourself when something bad happened and he would be the first to admit that he had done so himself in the past as well but Gabriel was probably in a world of pain already right now and he definitely didn't deserve to have to go through that alone. As Gabriel said he shouldn't be around him because nothing good comes from it, Cameron shook his head. "I'm sorry but I don't buy that, you're not going to get rid of me that easily." Cameron had his own demons to deal with and he knew that he could probably say the same thing to Gabriel that being around him wasn't a good idea but Cameron also knew that shutting everyone out wasn't a good idea so he was going to try not to push him away. Cameron's life when he was younger really wasn't great but he had at least always had Alex by his side through it all. They had leaned on each other so much during that time and even now they were just as close. He might not know much about what life had been like for Enrique and Gabriel while they were growing up but he knew that they had grown up apart and that couldn't have been easy. He hadn't expected Gabriel to say that his father had made Gabriel and his brothers stay away from people. It was clear that Gabriel meant humans but Cameron was starting to think that they might have more in common than he'd realised. "That must have been hard, especially when you decided to move here," he offered. He wasn't sure how long Gabriel had been living among humans for before that but if it hadn't been long then Forks had to be a bit of a shock to the system. "How are you finding it?" It had taken Cameron a while to figure out how to integrate himself into society and get used to living a normal life after the sheltered one he had lived for so long and he hoped that it would be easier for Gabriel. "If you ever need any help, let me know," he offered, not sure whether they had all been through something similar or whether any of them had been able to live a normal life. As Gabriel said that a lot of people got hurt because of him, Cameron's expression softened. "Whatever happened, I'm sure it wasn't your fault," he said gently. There was so much about Gabriel that Cameron didn't know but he really hoped that in time he'd get the chance to learn it all. He didn't have many friends around town but he liked being around Gabriel and he hoped that it was something that would be able to continue. One thing Cameron had really wanted to avoid was Gabriel learning that he was looking for Daniel. It had been easy to piece together the connection between the two of them from the flyers and the moment he had realised he had known that he'd had to start looking into it. Technically it wasn't his job as it was a missing person's case but he had insisted in looking over everything himself. Most of it was done on his own time since he had other work to do as well but he had taken to spending every moment he could spare to trying to find Daniel and he knew that he wasn't going to stop looking for him. He had been missing for a long time and that didn't bode well as far as the statistics went but if the boy was anything like Gabriel then Cameron was certain that he was still out there somewhere and he was probably fighting as hard as he could to get back to his dad. The reasons Cameron had given Gabriel for his looking into Daniel's case were genuine and not one of them involved the pack and it seemed that Gabriel had picked up on that too. "Screw the pack, it has nothing to do with them," Cameron assured him. "Listen, whether you choose to join or not is up to you. My brother and I only joined because there's safety in numbers, it was just the two of us which made us vulnerable and I wanted my daughter to have people around her who could help if anything happens to the two of us. You have your brothers so your position is different. Daniel has nothing to do with the pack and neither does my wanting to spend time with you," he shrugged, hoping that Gabriel would see that it was the truth. As Gabriel spoke again, Cameron's expression softened. "I know it is, I can see the pain written all over your face every time I see you," he said gently. "It's true, the odds of finding someone who has been missing for a long time aren't always great but if Daniel is anything like you then he's a strong kid. I really believe he's out there somewhere," he assured him. That was why he hadn't stopped looking, he was going to turn over every stone he could until he found something that would give him a lead as to Daniel's whereabouts. "I get it, trust me. I wouldn't be able to move on either." It was all that people could do sometimes, they had to accept that the person they loved was gone and wasn't coming back, but it couldn't be like that for Gabriel, Cameron just couldn't see a future in which the man wasn't reunited with his son. Meeting Gabriel's gaze, Cameron felt a smile touch his lips as Gabriel said that he didn't know he had a daughter before asking what her name was. "Her name is Lucy and she's six," he said, pulling up a photo of her on his phone before holding it out to Gabriel. The girl had inherited her hair and eye colour from him. "I'm not ashamed but I don't tend to broadcast it. Her mom isn't in the picture so when people find out I'm a single dad under thirty I tend to get anything from looks of pity to them thinking I'm crazy for doing it on my own but she's my world," he explained. It hadn't been easy, that was for sure, but that was one of the reasons why he had wanted to find a pack. When Cameron had first shifted he had been on his own because his dad had died years before and he didn't want Lucy going through that if something happened to him and Alex. GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 14, 2024 0:03:20 GMT
Gabriel was quiet as he listened to Cameron before slowly nodding his head. Gabriel considered it for a moment before he slowly nodded his head, knowing it might be better than ghosting them completely. He didn’t want to abandon them, especially in a foreign city like Forks because even though he didn’t want to act like their Alpha, he was still their older brother. Gabriel looked at Cameron with a surprised look on his face when he made it clear that he wasn’t going to leave him despite Gabriel’s warning. ”You’re stubborn, y’know that?” Gabriel shook his head with a soft sigh falling from his lips. ”Ay dios mío, it was hard.” Oh my god. ”I had to learn everything from scratch. I still am learning, but it’s a little easier now. Dealing with customers, hearing them talk, watching their mannerisms. It helps.” It was one of the many reasons that he applied to become a barista. ”Thanks, Cameron. I might take you up on that because I still do not know why some teenagers talk like... that.” Gabriel trailed off with a shake of his head. They sure love their slangs, that’s what he learned the hard way. Their abbreviations for beverages had him standing on the other side not sure what they even needed until the girl broke it down to him all while laughing at his haunted expression.
”Doubt my pack members would agree.” And the hardest part was that they weren’t even alive to agree or disagree. Gabriel was quiet as he Cameron explained that him looking for Daniel had nothing to do with the pack. He watched him without saying anything at first because he was still a bit surprised to hear Cameron’s side of the story and his motivation behind looking for Daniel. He slowly nodded his head, showcasing that he understood him. ”Okay.” He believed him, that was for certain.
”I hope so. I’m not a religious man, not by a long stretch. But every night, I just pray. I pray to whoever’s listening to keep him safe just until I find him because I know praying for him to come to me is a lot. I just want to have him in my arms again.” Gabriel said, lifting his hand to play with the pendant of the necklace around his neck. The necklace that his father gave to him before his passing. ”I do, too. I can feel him. I just don’t know where to even start looking.” Gabriel admitted, but he will look. He’ll look until the end of time — until he’s home again.
”Ay dios mío, she’s adorable.” Gabriel commented as he reached for the offered phone, taking a look at the picture of the young girl on Cameron’s phone. ”She’s got your eyes and hair.” Gabriel lifted his eyes from the phone to look at Cameron as he explained what it was like for him. ”Single dad, huh? That must’ve been hard.” Gabriel held the phone back to him. ”Raising any kid is hard, but doing it alone is a whole feat.” Gabriel nodded his head slowly, offering him a small smile. ”But judging from how happy she looks in this picture, I’d say you’re doing a great job so far. Don’t worry about what others say. If there’s one thing about people, it’s that they love to yap. Just do right by her, that’s all that matters.” TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
Child of the Moon
Posts: 12
Age:
29
Birthday:
27 October
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 22:39:07 GMT
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Post by CAMERON LEE MASTRANO on Apr 14, 2024 0:47:12 GMT
It had been so strange when Alex moved in with Jean, Cameron had been able to see changes in his brother and he'd tried to get him to open up but Alex had been determined to keep it to himself. Cameron knew that he was guilty of distancing himself from Alex at times as well, when he was younger he had let his guilt about what was going on with their mom get to him but other than that the two of them had always been close. He got the impression that Gabriel and his brothers were close so chances were they didn't like him pulling away from them. It was understandable that he would do so given what was going on with Daniel but when tragedy struck it was easier to get through it together as opposed to apart and he hoped that Gabriel would see that sooner or later. As Gabriel said he was stubborn, Cameron couldn't help but laugh. "I might have heard that once or twice," he chuckled. Truth was that Alex had definitely mentioned it a few times and so had his partner so it really wasn't anything new to him. "It isn't easy having to do that but you seem to be doing really well so far," he nodded. It had been that way for him when he'd finally had the chance to start interacting with people but he had managed it and he knew that Gabriel would too. As he said that he still didn't understand teenagers, though, Cameron couldn't help but laugh. "Honestly I wouldn't worry about it, I don't understand teenagers either so you're not alone," he chuckled. "I swear they have a language that's all their own." They certainly acted like it a lot of the time, that was for sure. As Gabriel said he doubted his pack members would agree, Cameron studied him carefully for a moment. "You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to but if you ever want to talk, I'm here," he offered. Something told him there was a lot more to the story than he knew but Cameron was certain that it wouldn't feel right hearing it from anyone other than Gabriel. It was clear that he was carrying a lot of guilt around with him and Cameron wanted to try and help ease that if he could. He wasn't sure whether he would ever get that chance but he had at least been able to let Gabriel know why he was searching for Daniel and it looked like Gabriel believed him so Cameron really was glad about that. "I'm not religious either but I'll do the same. You never know, it might help," Cameron shrugged. Honestly there wasn't anything that he wouldn't try to reunite Gabriel with his son at this point so he knew that it was the least he could do. "You'll get him back, I know you will," Cameron said, offering Gabriel a small smile as he spoke. "Is there any more information you can give me? What makes you think he's in town?" he asked, knowing that any information Gabriel could give him might give him something to go on. Cameron knew that Gabriel had probably already told others at the station everything he knew but Cameron knew all too well that even the smallest detail could help, no matter how insignificant it might seem. As Gabriel said that Lucy was adorable, Cameron couldn't help but laugh. "She is and she knows it too," he chuckled. "She has me wrapped around her little finger." It had been that way since she was born so it really wasn't anything new. "She does. She has her mom's temper at times though," he grinned. He had a feeling that he would start seeing more of Lucy's mom in her as she got older but for now he mostly saw himself and the truth was that it was more than a little scary. As Gabriel said that it must have been hard, Cameron nodded. "It was. I didn't even know her mom was pregnant, she went away and had Lucy and I only found out when my ex showed up on my doorstep with her after she was discharged from hospital. She didn't want to be a mom so she gave me the option of raising her myself or putting her up for adoption but the moment I looked at that little girl I knew I would do anything for her," he explained, lost in his memories of that day for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't know why I told you that. Only my brother knows that part of the story," he admitted. Maybe it was the fact that Gabriel had trusted him with certain information that had made Cameron open up, he wasn't sure, but for some reason it was easy to talk to Gabriel. There was more to the story but he knew that he shouldn't share that yet, after all he had already said too much. "Oh, I don't care what other people think I just got tired of dealing with their judgement," Cameron shrugged. "All I care about is Lucy and making sure she's happy."GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ
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Post by GABRIEL ARSENIO DE LA CRUZ on Apr 14, 2024 18:26:57 GMT
Gabriel rolled his eyes but there was still some fondness to the motion itself. "I'd hope so. I've been working my ass off to get to this point." Countless and endless shifts so he'd have more and more on hand experiences and slowly, his drinks just sucked less and less, so that helped, too. "You'd made a bad teacher for me, then, if you don't understand them, no?" Gabriel teased with a quirked brow, his eyes still on Cameron before nodding his head in agreement because phew, they were definitely a lot.
Gabriel's expression softened at Cameron's offer, but even if the younger had told him enough times that he didn't believe Gabriel was capable of doing something so horrible, he still didn't want Cameron's view of him to change after learning the truth. Plus, it'd suck if the younger stopped coming around after learning the truth. His presence was enough to make him forget about a lot of things. "It's my burden to carry, Cameron. I don't want to just dump it on you like that." Gabriel placed the pack of ice down on the table before he reached for his drink, taking yet another sip.
But somehow, talking about Daniel left a more bitter taste on his tongue. "There's this man, his name is Pedro. He was close to my padre -- father -- he moved away to live a quiet life with his wife and son. He lives here. He said that he saw a boy who resembled Daniel. He looked rough, but unharmed. But, it had looked like he was running from something -- or someone. He went into an alleyway and Pedro chased him, he didn't find anyone.
But, he keeps telling me that he heard a car speeding off." Gabriel explained, recounting everything that he can remember about his interaction with Pedro. He went to see him as soon as he came to Forks and he explained everything once again and even showed him where he'd seen Daniel. Gabriel spent the entire night looking for him, calling out for Daniel, but there was no sight of him anywhere. "No one had any CCTV when I asked around. But, I know I looked..." Hysterical, and not to mention angry... "Rough that day, so it's possible they lied to me. I don't know."
However, the talk about Lucy was enough to steer Gabriel's attention elsewhere before he could snap and unravel. "They just gotta take something from their moms." Gabriel released a soft hum, still looking down at the picture with a fond smile on his lips. He looked over at Cameron as he explained how Lucy came into his life. "Oh." He whispered and when Cameron apologized, he quickly shook his head. "It's okay. She's real lucky to have you, Cameron." Gabriel assured him with a nod of his head following.
"Good, that's all that should matter." Gabriel agreed with a small smile tugging on his lips. "She's at an age where it's gonna feel like she's growing up too fast, so cherish every moment because then you'll blink and find her already hitting ten and it's gonna feel like a whole whirlwind of emotions, trust me. Felt the same way with Danny. One day he was my little boy, then the second he was reaching here." He made a gesture of Daniel's estimated height with a fond smile on his lips. "By the way, you sure I'm not keeping you from you anything?"
TAG: CAMERON LEE MASTRANO
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