Iron & Wine;

Gabriel Castillo. Thirty-four. Firefighter.

[gabrielcastillo]

✦ MICHAEL TREVINO, CIS MALE, HE/HIM ✦ GABRIEL CASTILLO the THIRTY-FOUR year old has been in Hidehill for TWENTY-ONE YEARS (ON AND OFF) and was a COWORKER to Carter Thompson, one of the shadows. Whispers on the streets are that the FIREFIGHTER who lives in HOVE LAKE are said to be COURAGEOUS and HOT-TEMPERED but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves. 

Full Name: Gabriel Luis Castillo

Age: 34

Date Of Birth: October 29 1988

Zodiac: Scorpio

Parents: Luis & Amalia Castillo

Siblings: One younger sister (WC)

Orientation: Heterosexual

Occupation: Firefighter

Languages: English & some Spanish

Positive: Courageous, determined, honest, loyal, adventurous

Negative: Headstrong, stubborn, hot-tempered, resentful, distant

CONNECTIONS | PINTEREST

HISTORY

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Gabriel Castillo was supposed to be the solution to his parents' troubles; a partnership that had bred more from convenience and familial pressure than actual love. To no real shock, he was not the magic marital fix they had been looking for, but they had another child just to be sure.

Bound by some kind of unspoken duty to the family they had created, Luis and Amalia Castillo held it together as well as they could for the sake of the children. Amalia, a primary school teacher was the heart of the family while Luis, a labourer was the enforcer.

Early life for Gabriel wasn't a dream but it wasn't altogether terrible until the company his father worked for went under and he was made redundant. Work at the time was hard to come by and the dynamic shift of being the man of the house to relying on his wife to support them was difficult for Luis, and he found himself out more often at night, stumbling home late from bars, reeking of alcohol and cigarettes. Amalia remained stoic, putting up with more than any person should, turning a blind eye to his antics until one night she'd had enough and confronted him about his behaviour. In a drunken stupor, Luis struck her across the cheek in front of Gabriel. That was enough for her to pack her and the children up, leaving for anywhere that was far from him.

They came to settle in Hidehill; Amalia drawn to its small-town charm and sense of community. She got a part-time position as a substitute teacher at the primary school and Gabe was enrolled as a freshman at Hide High. Knowing that a single part-time wage wouldn't be enough to sustain them, he got an after school job as well as working at Ormond's on the weekends. He took it upon himself to assume the role of man of the house, and did his best to help provide for his Mom and sister.

Shortly after Gabriel turned 18, his father tried to reconnect with him for the first time to tell him he'd gotten sober, found work again and wanted to repair their relationship. Still holding onto to a lifetime's worth of boyhood resentment and chip still firmly placed on his shoulder, Gabe ignored him. Luis tried more times to make contact for a few years, but it wasn't until he informed his son that he had terminal cancer did Gabe take notice. Gabe was in the middle of a six-month intensive firefighting training course at the time, and his father passed away before he had a chance to schedule a time to (reluctantly) go and see him. He was notified a short time later that Luis had elected him to divide up the estate as next-of-kin. He was freshly 21 with the world at his fingertips, instead he used the money to buy his mother a house in Hove Lake; where she'd often expressed she'd love to retire to one day.

Shortly after he became a fully qualified firefighter, Gabriel was asked to transfer to a branch in Minnesota. At the insistence of his Mom he agreed to go, and spent six years there; returning every Christmas and birthday without fail. When Amalia became sick, he requested a transfer back to Hidehill and moved into the Hove Lake house to take care of her until she died three years ago.

HEADCANONS

Gabriel has always been naturally physically fit and was a gifted athlete in high school. In his senior year he was offered a sporting scholarship to go to a college out of state but he turned it down to stay with his family. Plus, he had no desire to go to college and study.

Gabriel is a vehement family man and has always wanted a family of his own, but it has just never worked out for him.

While he tries to stay measured as much as possible, Gabe has a very short fuse and has been known to engage in a fist fight or two.

[gabrielcastillo]

Tatum 📲 Gabriel

Tatum: If the shadow takes me out make sure my parents don't get the trailer Tatum: They will sell it for cash and they don't deserve my shit Tatum: Burn it to the ground instead Gabriel: You know my whole job is to not do that, right Gabriel: And it doesn't matter because nothing's gonna happen to you

[briellepercz]

A fact that Brielle was consistently being reminded of. No part of their issues were his - everything he'd promised, he'd always given. Something that she'd had a lot more difficulty living up to. "To be fair, you're the one that mentioned pizza," she mused absentmindedly as she offered him something of a coy smirk, "luckily, there's not a lack of pizza around here and we can just go get some, plus it'll be fresh and absolutely lacking sand as an added topping." Undoubtedly, she knew they had a lot to talk about - she had a lot to explain, but she didn't want things to be weird between them and some part of opening up to Gabe left her vulnerable to the kind of judgement she wasn't exactly prepared for. It left her with a lump in her throat and the same innability to look directly at him that she'd been swallowed up by the night of the wedding. And then, without prompting, he pushed conversation to the thick of it - shining a bright spotlight on the elephant sitting somewhere on her rib cage

Her lips rolled together as she inhaled deeply, because there was no more time for her to go over whatever speech she might have prepared in her mind. He was here, and she couldn't run from it anymore. "You scared the shit out of me," an admission that already felt like it would never be enough. "We scared the shit out of me and I just... - You know, you were leaving and I wanted you to. I wanted you to go and chase everything you wanted in your life." She'd been nothing but encouraging, truly, the fear that engulfed her didn't come until after he was already gone. "I think I just convinced myself that once you got there," she turned to glance at him, trying to offer something of a smile, "I wouldn't be something you wanted anymore."

[gabrielcastillo]

"Wait, was I?" Gabe questioned, halting in his tracks as he tried to cast his mind back to the text conversation from earlier. Maybe it had been him who had suggested it, but he wasn't in any rush to admit that. Time and a slowly maturing wisdom had soothed his anger issues somewhat, but not his stubbornness. That was an edge that could never be buffed. His mother had joked that it was the one quality he'd inherited from his father. Gabe had always hated the comparison, but he loved Amalia too much to ever bring it up and chose instead to just silently curse his father for existing. Nothing new there. "What, you don't like the extra crunch of sand on your pizza?" He chuckled as he sat down next to the brunette. "You obviously need to expand your horizons."

Gabe almost felt bad for just blurting out the question that had played through his mind more often than he cared to admit, but it was high time they laid everything out once and for all. Maybe then, there might have been some kind of chance at moving forward, whatever that looked like. He looked over at Brielle as she swallowed hard and started to speak and for a moment he took himself back to before he'd left; an image of the pair of them sitting in what he could have sworn was this exact spot, tresses of Brielle's hair picked up by the wind obscuring her laughing face. When he knew it, but didn't have the guts to say it. Brielle, I love you. Words that would have been spoken too soon; words he always figured he'd have all the time in the world to say. But hindsight was a son of a bitch. "You could have come with me you know," he murmured quietly, dropping his gaze to the sand that camouflaged his feet before looking over at the brunette again. "Why didn't you come with me?"

[xthenataliamarseillex]

@gabrielcastillo

"Gabe." Natalia took a sharp and overly dramatic (as per usual) breath in as she shook her head. "This town is already in a period of mourning after the horror show of last night and now you're walking around just rubbing salt in the wound, you're so sick," she tutted as she walked over to him. "It's like 95 degrees out, why are you wearing a shirt right now? This truly is a sad, sad day."

[gabrielcastillo]

A look of pure, utter confusion spread across Gabe's features as Natalia chastised him. He tried to cast his mind back to the night before, retracing his movements throughout the night to pinpoint something he'd done to warrant the scolding. It was difficult to remember anything that preceded the sheer chaos that had unfolded after discovering yet another horrific scene. Not one, but three more lives lost. This town was hell.

"You had me going for a second there," Gabe sighed, rolling his eyes when Nat revealed why she was angry with him. "I personally think it would only make people feel worse if they had to be subjected to that sight when they're trying to have their morning coffee in peace. How're you doin' anyway? Last night was... fucked up."

[sulkingtemptation]

closed: @gabrielcastillo location: masquerade ball

"Just the man I was looking for, sorry I'm late." Juliana said with a smile as she swung around the corner of the doorframe and greeted the man with a hug. She was still unsure of how long she’d want to be at this party, especially with the father of her children missing, but having Gabe as a distraction was a good way to keep her mind busy. “I know it’s an open bar, but please tell me you didn’t start drinking without me.”

[gabrielcastillo]

"Now why would I start drinking my own liquor when the Conrads are providing enough booze for us to get drunk one hundred times over?" Gabe asked matter-of-factly as he greeted Juliana with a kiss on the cheek. "You look gorgeous as always." Walking the brunette down to the car waiting at the end of her driveway, Gabe stopped just before opening the door for her. "It's not too late to back out if you don't feel up to going. It doesn't bother me in the slightest whether I show up to this thing or not."

[tatumxkeller]

Tate looked over in the direction in which Gabe gestured towards, her eyes landing on Monty which caused a small smile to appear on her lips before she attempted to hide it with the glass she started drinking from. "Uh, I didn't get the the guts to tell him exactly" She laughed thinking back to the night of the 4th July party when she turned up at his door. "I uh... I went over to his house after everything that happened on the 4th July and I guess it went from there."

[gabrielcastillo]

"Ah so that's why you weren't replying to me until the next day. It all makes sense now." the July 4th party already felt like a lifetime ago now that he thought about it. He still felt annoyed at himself that he didn't notice his old firefighting colleague turned prison break felon running around La Vela that night. Maybe if he had, Harrison would have still been alive. Although, if the rumours were to be believed, he would have just been saving the life of another murderer. This town really was something else. "So what's the deal then? Are you trying to get him to remember everything before or are you starting over?'

[laurelleejones]

@gabrielcastillo

LOCATION: conrad masquerade ball

𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐋 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 be anywhere other than here, it didn't mean that she had any other intention than to be dressed to the nines. the blonde is a vision in purple, having spent more time checking for imperfections in the mirror than she cared to admit. legs are crossed as she takes advantage of an armchair that likely costs more than her hove lake home, eyes scanning the crowd. everyone seemed happy, an emotion that laurel had long since forgotten how to feel. like a language, a specific book passage, memories from childhood. the latter, unfortunately, is ringing in the blonde's mind. they have been all night.

the facade that she has been wearing all night soon regenerates as she catches gaze with gabe. the two are familiar, wether he likes it or not -- having been neighbors as long as laurel has owned her property. it was once a part-time residence, when she could afford the luxury to travel between hidehill and paris. however, she has admired gabriel more than she should. while she is rather stoic in demeanor, she certainly isn't blind. and the sight of him in a suit is certainly one she's not complaining about.

❝ howdy neighbor. ❞ she chides, raising the glass dangling between her fingers. her next quip can be taken a wide variety of ways, considering she is several drinks in, but as morose as they come. ❝ you look like you're having just as much fun as i am. ❞

[gabrielcastillo]

It's taken Gabe all of thirty minutes to remember why he generally hates going to events like these; his suit itches, his tie feels too tight, the fake smiles and schmoozes offered to the town's more elite residents making his eyes want to roll far enough back into his head that he doesn't have to witness it anymore. The subject of the town's newest murder spree is casually swept under the rug as people drink and dance under the facade of remembrance. He wishes going home was a viable option, but the honorable voice in his brain tells him he can't leave Juliana alone, plus he's been to enough of these things to know that something is always bound to go down. He needs to be ready for anything. So instead he stands in some inoffensive corner of the room sipping silently at his whiskey, watching everyone else party their cares away when a distantly familiar face catches his attention. At the same time it seems he's caught hers, as he watches her glide gracefully over to him. "Now I thought I caught a glimpse of you in your yard the other day but I thought I must have been dreaming," He greets with a smile and a kiss on her cheek. "When did you get back?" It's a surprise to see Laurel back in town, but a pleasant one nonetheless. He'd had worse neighbours in his life. "Yeah well, you know I think this whole thing is bullshit but... here I am I guess." Gabe lets a beat pass, his face falling slightly solemn for a moment. "I'm really sorry about your brother, Laurel."

[gabrielcastillo]

closed: @tatumxkeller

event: Conrad Memorial Ball

"Well, it looks like we have some catching up to do," Gabriel announced as he walked up to the frame of his long-time friend, nodding in the direction of Monty nearby when Tatum turned to acknowledge him. A momentary feeling of sheepish guilt swept through him; he really should have been checking in with her frequently, but he didn't want to feel like some kind of overbearing parent. Tatum wasn't a kid anymore, and he knew she could hold her own when she needed to. "Don't tell me you finally got the guts to tell Monty how you feel?'

[gabrielcastillo]

JULES 📲 GABE

Juliana: yeah that doesn't sound like a bad idea Juliana: i feel like this entire event is just asking for trouble Juliana: i'm not sure, but how else can I distract myself? Gabriel: on one hand I agree, on the other at least it's safety in numbers. Gabriel: Just stay close to me, I'll look out for you x

[gabrielcastillo]

JULES 📲 GABE

Juliana: is the vibe getting drunk or staying sober? Juliana: maybe just a shot to get over the initial craziness? Gabriel: My plan was to drink just enough to get through it but not so much that I lose my wits Gabriel: You know these events are like a breeding ground of chaos for these psychos Gabriel: Are you sure you want to go, with Remy being missing and all?

[giovannixdeluca]

"Mamma Mia is literally a classic, I'm sorry that your movie taste is so poor that you can't accept that." Crue glanced up from where they were sat on the couch, pushing the couch cushion down so that she could see her friend better. There was an eyeroll that went along with her sentence, knowing that he'd probably complain no matter what movie she picked. "I was going to pick something else though. But, since you brought snacks, I'll let you pick the movie." She picked her head up, pushing herself back into a standing position so she could point to the coffee table in front of the couch she was just on before heading around it to get to the kitchen. "You can just throw it all on the coffee table. I'm going to get drinks, you want anything?" Things had been rough for them lately, feeling like alcohol was the easiest way to cope with the pain ripping its way through the town. "I plan on making them strong if you pick alcohol too."

[gabrielcastillo]

"Poor? You think my movie taste is poor because I don't like when people randomly break out into song and dance? Next you'll tell me I'm wrong for hating flash mobs too," Gabriel chuckled with a roll of his eyes. "You know for all of Hidehill's faults, at least no one is organising goddamn flash mobs in the main street. Maybe that's what keeps me sticking around." He probably should have left a long time ago, after his Mom passed there was nothing really tying him to the town that had become his home when he was a kid. But it was too late to think about things like that now; he couldn't leave so long as the shadow kept its chokehold over them all. "It's fine, you pick the movie," Gabe conceded. "I'll take an extra strong whiskey if you're offering. And hey, if you make them strong enough I won't care about Mamma Mia anymore. Maybe I'll like it better drunk."

[briellepercz]

@gabrielcastillo location: the lake with the beach

For once, Brielle was early. Outrageously so. Whether that was because she needed to get out of the enclosed spaces of her home and the studio or because she actually wanted to see Gabriel, she wasn't quite sure yet. Either option didn't feel completely out of the realms of possibility. After everything had come to a head with Charlie, she felt a little more sure about how things went down with Gabe before he left town. Certain insecurities made more sense, even if the origin story of them was now an absolute falsity in and of itself. She'd already kicked off her boots in search of the sand beneath her feet when the shadow from behind stole away the sun. Looking back over her shoulder, she squinted against the brightness that whittled away at the figure before he came into focus. "I actually didn't think you'd show." Which, felt ironic, considering she was the one with the history of ghosting.

[gabrielcastillo]

"Well I'm a man of my word, remember?" Gabriel quipped as he approached Brielle, bending down to remove his own sneakers before he stepped onto the cool sand. "Plus, you did promise pizza. Although --" He trailed off, casting a quick glance at her empty hands, "-- I think I was lied to. Not cool, Brielle, not cool at all. I guess I should be used to that by now from you though." A comment he paired with a sarcastic smile to let her know he was kidding. Mostly. He just didn't have it in him to resist a petty prod when the situation arose. It felt like lately every time the two of them had attempted to have their long overdue conversation, something had always gotten in the way, delaying the inevitable. But now his schedule was cleared, phone was on silent, and he was peering across at Brielle, waiting for her to say something to cut the uncomfortable silence that had fallen after his comment. "Okay screw it," Gabe said finally, impatience getting the better of him. "I guess I'll just come out and ask. What the hell happened with us, Bri?"

[gabrielcastillo]

JULIANA📲 GABE

Jules: ben & jerry’s? Jules: it might have to be half baked Jules: anything in the cookie variety also works Gabriel: you read my mind there, the only acceptable ben & jerrys flavor Gabriel: I'll grab some regular cookies as well just to be safe Gabriel: see you soon

[gabrielcastillo]

JULIANA📲 GABE

Jules: 😍 Jules: you read my mind Gabriel: Finally Gabriel: Quick pick a flavor

[gabrielcastillo]

JULIANA📲 GABE

Jules: I have a sense for this kind of thing Jules: I made chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for the kids Jules: steak to go with the pasta for me Jules: there'll be extra of everything Jules: but you're in charge of dessert Gabriel: dessert, got it. Gabriel: ice cream?

[gabrielcastillo]

closed: @cruebishop

"So I think the only way we can make this fair is if we draw straws to see who picks the movie tonight, because otherwise I know you're gonna pick something like Mamma Mia to torture me and I can't go through that again," Gabe announced as he walked down through the foyer of Crue's house. He knew how close the blonde had been to Sasha and was attempting to distract his long-time friend, albeit probably poorly. "Where do you want these?" He motioned to the bags of snacks in his arms. "I grabbed just about every candy I could think of. The cashier at Ormonds threw me some line about Halloween not being for another two months."

[gabrielcastillo]

JULIANA📲 GABE

Jules: yeah everything’s good Jules: do you want to come by? Jules: I made dinner Gabriel: Now how did you know I was starving and thinking about what to have for dinner? Gabriel: What are we having?