bureli

[bureli]

"I don't find myself here in the clinic too much; I typically travel around the area for the majority of my job, seeing clients that are much much bigger than Praline. It's fun to get a day with the smaller guys ," Elijah explained, gesturing to the surrounding animals, particularly amused by a dog with crooked eyes and a wonky tooth. Looking back to the little bunny it was clear to see Praline was very well taken care of . "Well, he seems to be aging gracefully— hey, that makes one of us," He joked, rubbing his beard and definitely not thinking about the gray hairs he found this morning. "It's good you're on top of things, we'll make sure he's feeling as good as he's looking; How long have you had him?"

SHE FELT HER SMILE PULL from ear to ear as the little handshake transpired. ❝ probably the snack, ❞ she teased as she rubbed her finger on praline's cheeks. she loved her sweet rabbit, but he could be a huffy-puffy boy. she felt laughter bubble up inside her. she completely understood. ❝ don't worry, i won't tell a soul. if i worked here, i would be saying hi to critters all day! ❞ which was why it was good she dealt with customers at the inn, should could be social and do her job. she sighed. ❝ well, he's not the youngest bun anymore so i like to stay on top of check ups a little more. plus he had a bit too much excitement recently and i want to make sure he's all a-okay. ❞

[bureli]

[bureli]

They trudged through the woods, he carefully picked his way around roots and the odd fallen tree or two; his wolf stirred as they continued their journey, itching to come out and bolt through the landscape. Elijah had no kids of his own, and though he felt protective of his younger brother, he was old enough now that the elder Burgos couldn't necessarily parent him as he once had. Even if he wasn't, Elijah knew it would only anger him if he tried considering how long he'd been in Crestle Cove alone. "I think mistakes are unavoidable, it's an important way of learning— the severity of the consequences can probably be manipulated, but mistakes in general are bound to happen. She's smart enough to stay away from the things that are inherently life threatening, besides most of the teenagers in town are losers, I highly doubt she'll be doing anything stupid in order to impress them," He smirked, remembering how he had also been one of those loser teens at one point.

Chris felt his shoulders relax when his friend agreed. He had always looked up to Elijah and somehow, him agreeing to help made Chris more certain that they were going to find her. "Mmm you know too much about me, you're dangerous."

He half smiled, looking over the cliffs. "The lights? Is that the new slang for it these days?" Chris might be a father, but he wasn't naive. "Oh god... " He took a deep breath. "Honestly... once you're a parent it's like your only fear is your kid making the same mistakes as you did. You know..." He nodded towards his bite. "I don't want her going through that."

[bureli]

His mouth edged up in a sideways smile. "I'm from Crestle, moved away in my mid twenties though to travel the world. Came back..." He waffled his head back and forth as he thought, "Came back about seven years ago. Decided I'd been away from my family too long." Running from his family would have been a more accurate statement. "You talked like you were quite fascinated with Crestle Cove, what's kept you from settling here for longer?" The question might have been a little nosy, but Elijah couldn't help but speculate what the vampire had been up to in all her years of life. "I agree, magic is definitely to blame here, but does it not make you feel uneasy— I mean this magic in particular? I don't get the impression it's as harmless as it may seem."

"Elijah Burgos," she repeated, trying to decide if she had heard the name before. She had not. "Where are you from?" she asked, keeping her same formal tone. Now she knew he was a vampire, she didn't have to pretend to be so human.

"Well, I wouldn't say often. I have returned, yes. On and off. But in five centuries, the percentage of my time here is small," she shrugged. "I was last here five years ago, I have kept up with some of the residents. Thought I would come check things out and find the sky like this." She gave a small laugh. "Magic. That's what I make of it. Whenever something is weird, it's usually the price of magic."

[bureli]

"Not crazy at all," Eli soothed, lowering himself to the cat's level. "Conrad the cat, are you a distinguished gentleman, Conrad?" A jesting smile on his face as he used his thumb to rub between the cat's ears, looking for any obvious signs of health issues. From first glance he couldn't see anything wrong, but it wasn't unusual for pet owners to bring their animals in on a whim and something actually be wrong. They would cover all of Conrad's bases to make sure he was in tiptop shape. "I don't see anything glaringly obvious, but there's no reason why we can't take a closer look; you can go ahead and follow me." With one last gentle pat Elijah stood up, leading the blonde and her cat to an empty exam room.

Xanthe knew she was being paranoid but she had to check, she couldn't relax until she did. She'd had magical dreams since her teens and since moving to Crestle and gaining more control of her powers, those dreams had only increased. Sometimes a little too real for liking, after a bad dream about her cat being sick, she had to get him looked at.

She looked at the vet and smiled. "I know this sounds crazy, but I am not sure if there is anything wrong. But yes, this is Conrad the cat."

[bureli]

He held the small paw on the tips of his fingers, bobbing it in a mock handshake. "Praline! Hard to decide which is sweeter, the actual snack or this little guy," Eli grinned, eyes crinkling with affection. The clinc had a small handful of bunny patients who would come in, and one person on the outskirts of town who had a handful of the little thumpers , but they still weren't as common to see as cats or dogs. "If anyone important looking asks, I'm in here helping the front desk, but between me and you, I couldn't not say hello to the visitors— mainly the four legged ones," He gave her a conspiratorial wink, glancing towards the reception to make sure they didn't actually need his help. "What's brought you in today?"

DILARA WAS HOLDING HER RABBIT on her lap, with her hands tucked under his arms. he was huffing—and every few minutes thumping his feet—but it was for his own good. he needed a check up. she'd been nervous after a guest's cat had got out and chased him around. her caramel-coloured pal was one of her few ties to crestle cove. she'd adopted him not long after moving here and he was basically the b&b mascot.

as someone approached, dilara lit up. she could talk about her rabbit all day if need be. ❝ of course! ❞ she lifted him upright. ❝ praline, say hello. ❞ she grinned. she wiggled on his paws and he huffed again but didn't put up much of a fuss otherwise. ❝ is he going in or are you just coming to look at all the sweeties out here? ❞

[bureli]

Given his nature, Elijah was hands down a dog person, however, that never deterred his excitement when coming across any kind of furry friend. Especially Sage, who had lived with him for a short time, "What's up, buddy, it's been awhile." He squat down beside Aria, letting the feline sniff and push at his hand. Having two dogs at home was a blast, but it could also be overwhelming; Sage had been less hectic to have around and had a calming effect on him as the cat often minded it's own business, silently offering it's companionship. It was unfortunate that their reunion was due to the cat not feeling well, "What exactly has you in today? Hope it's nothing too serious."

Aria had been scared of dogs since she was a kid. She was more of a cat person. Cats were clever, but her little black cat, sage hadn't been doing so good lately. She'd had sage a few years and she had settled into her home in Crestle Cove wonderfully. It wasn't almost like the cat knew the town better then she did. It amazed her how smart animals were. She looked up smiling at the man as she stood. "Please do... although careful she's not too good with stra-" Her words paused, amazed as the cat rubbed furiously against the stranger's hands.

[bureli]

Elijah quickly reined in his excitement as to not upset the dog, but it still simmered in the apples of his cheeks, as it always did when meeting a new animal. "Hey, that's alright, people aren't always the most exciting to be around-- I'll make sure the front desk sends his treats home with him rather than try to hand feed him." Black fur erupted from the dog like a puff of smoke, Elijah waved his hand to clear away the floating hair, a laugh accompanying the action. "I'm not a veterinarian so I couldn't say for sure, but it could still be separation anxiety; exercise and mental stimulation are good way to get ahead of it. Maybe consider getting some treats with magnesium to lift his mood, pumpkin seeds are rich with it and in my experience most dogs like the taste— I like to snack on 'em too, but that's beside the point."

"Oh, he's not too good with strangers", Thalassa was quick to reply, "I hear it's a breed thing. They're supposed to be family dogs but from what I have gathered that involves disliking whoever is not part of said family." Her tone was a joking one but she could not help but be confused as she saw how relaxed her dog was when the man approached. "But I guess, yeah? He's Benji, and he's apparently made it his job to cause me some trouble this week."

As if on command the black dog shook himself, fur flying in all directions. Thalassa was normally not one to easily worry when it came to the antics of her uncle's dog but given that Noah was on vacation this was just wonderful timing on Benji's side. "He's my uncle's and since said uncle is currently on vacation I thought Benji was just being a bit sad. But he hasn't eaten in two days and he's all... I don't know, weird."

[bureli]

"Elijah Burgos." He nodded to her, head dipping a little lower in respect, her polite way of speaking hadn't gone unnoticed; even if she hadn't been someone of great status, wasn't it only right to have some sort of admiration for her? Disregard whether she could be called a good or bad person, either way she had managed to survive for, arguably, six lifetimes. That was pretty impressive in his book. "Do you find yourself back here often? Out of all the places on earth I can think of a few I'd rather spend eternity at," He responded thoughtfully; his brother's face appeared in his head, a stab of guilt shortly after. Eli would go where ever his family went. Recentering his head on the conversation, he sat himself down on the nearby stairs, "What do you make of these lights— kind of weird, yeah?"

The vampire gave a smile at his expression, he seemed to understand just how old she was. She had come across a lot of vampires in her life and she was always more cautious of her own species than anyone else. She knew from experience, herself included, that vampires often had their own agenda.

She nodded. "Hmm, yes. The 16th century was very different, America was not the place we know now." She traced her fingers over a ring on her finger. "Sometimes, things that far back seem like some dream." She gave a small laugh. "Ah, yes, voting, equal pay, wearing trousers. I am definitely a fan of the freedom. Though I have had my ways of getting what I want," she said, though she managed to keep her tone light despite the meaning behind her words. "Well in a few centuries, you see a lot of things, yes. And this seems less natural than the aurora borealis. Miss Claudia Bryant. And you are?"

[bureli]

Location: Crestle Pets and Rescue

Status: Closed

Most days Elijah rarely found himself at the actual clinic, majority of his work was done through house calls, and that's how he liked it. Not only did this make him able to converse with more of the Crestle Cove residents, but it was always better socializing with the animals in their own environment. Due to homebase, as Eli lovingly called it, being short staffed, he found himself in the shoes of a veterinary assistant for the day.

He pushed through the swinging door into the waiting room, taking in the various patients with their furry(and some not so furry) friends. One in particular caught his attention, unable to resist he approached with a giddy smile. "Alright, who is this absolute rockstar— is it alright if I pet?"

@crestlestart

[bureli]

Both eyebrows rose, this time he didn't bother to hide his surprised look. A vampire, an old vampire. It was strange looking at her youthful face now knowing that her life experience greatly overshadowed his own, it was like seeing a cat bark. How much had she seen and learned in that long a lifespan? What all had she done in it?

"Then you must have seen Crestle Cove in many stages," Elijah passively surveyed their surroundings. "I'd like to think it's current one is better than the previous — and I hope you're enjoying the freedom being able to wear pants," He directed a gentle smile at her, voice light with amusement. "You've never seen anything like this in your travels? I think we can both agree this isn't the aurora borealis, Ms..." His voice trailed off, hoping she would fill in the blank for him.

Claudia had spent a long time people watching, studying behaviour, learning to read people. Her eyes glanced over at him. She'd made use of her youthful appearance over the years, she knew it could be deceiving but she was a 500 year old woman. She was far from naive.

"Hmm," she mused, running her fingertips across the railing she was leaning on. Though there were two of them standing there, it was oddly silent and she had a feeling he sensed it too. "Well, to give myself away, the first time I came here I was not allowed to wear trousers and many settlers were very new here."

[bureli]

He could smell the sour scent of worry wafting from the other man; knowing that the source of his distress was Chris' missing offspring made Elijah's wolf shift to attention. The beast rustling in his subconscious ready to help another of it's kind. Aditi might not have been a werewolf, and though Chris hadn't been born as one, he was now. Elijah would have helped him regardless of his status, but having that connection made him, and his furry alter ego, all the more ready to help Chris and his daughter. "I have longer than that, friend, let's go." With one look back at the stargazers, Elijah moved in the direction of the ridge. "Aditi has a good head on her shoulders, not sure I can say them same for her father, " Elijah shot him a playful wink, hoping the jest would relax Chris a little. "I'm sure she wouldn't get into anything she couldn't handle, or extremely dangerous. I'm sure the Ridge has a good view of the lights and that's what's drawn them."

Part of Chris was glad he'd run into Elijah, he had always looked up to him. He felt like in times of panic, when he wasn't thinking straight his fellow werewolf could be trusted to think for him. Even with their differences in packs. Chris wasn't raised in the werewolf world, the hierarchy of packs meant little to him. A werewolf was a werewolf and he didn't see the need to be political with it. When he saw Elijah, he just saw a friend. Having been bitten in his twenties, he naturally was panicking about his daughter not being around.

"Yeah Adi..." He breathed in a panic, looking around. A hand on his shoulder seemed to relieve some of Chris' tension. "Shadow ridge?" He muttered under his breath. He was young once. But the world seemed more dangerous then when he was young. Or perhaps he was just getting old. "No... no. Okay i'll head up to the ridge." He gestured his head that way. "Do you have twenty minutes? I could do with the back up... god, i remember being up there as a kid. It could get messy."

[bureli]

"Very," He mumbled, more to himself than her. Since she was a young girl, Elijah subtly glanced down at her; she still looked like a young girl, looked being the key word, he learned early on that appearances could be very deceiving in Crestle. The stillness that seemed to surround her reinforced that thought, he summed it up to her lacking a heart beat. A soft smile curved his lips, it was nice to hear her talk about his hometown with intrigue, more often than not the strange happenings here just made him tense. "You've been here some time than? I suppose you can never stay bored for long here."

Claudia smiled briefly for a moment, she'd been interested in travel and history since she'd been a young girl. It was nice to hear he knew such things too. "Yes, Iceland is beautiful. But this is an odd place to find it, right?" She sat on a wall, glancing up. "I have travelled since I was a young girl, seen some amazing things but this town is a mystery. It always continues to be," she nodded.

[bureli]

The awe of the strange sky lights had somewhat worn off for Elijah, now instead of wonderment he mostly felt anxiety. He couldn't help but feel like the lights were bait for some kind of trap, drawing people out and lowering their guards with what appeared to be a harmless natural occurrence. Elijah didn't trust it. He would prefer to be home with his nose in a car engine or working on some other project, but his nerves had him coming out to supervise witness the strange event and people, after all his brother was among the watchers.

While meandering around town Elijah now found himself by the cliffs, there was an exceptional view of the lights here and judging by the gathering crowd, other people had come to the same conclusion. A familiar voice drew his attention, recognizing the healthy beard of Chris Mahendra he made his way over. "Hey man, you're looking for Aditi?" Elijah put a hand on his shoulder in greeting. "I haven't seen anyone her age around here. I think I saw a group heading up to shadow ridge though." A good place to see the open sky, and somewhere he had gone to smoke weed in his own youth, but he wouldn't mention that to the father. "Have you tried there?"

open: to all!

where: the hack shorelines

You'd think that growing up in a peaceful town like Crestle Cove, there'd be nothing to worry about. But Chris knew that wasn't true. It was in this very town his life had changed forever. He still did his best to live his normal life between his transformations, but sometimes that was difficult. Particularly when he had to be so secretive with his ex and his daughter as to why he was so protective.

His daughter, Aditi hadn't been home this evening and as it grew closer to midnight he only become more and more worried. He'd heard that the lights around town had become quite the event for the teenagers. Still, he didn't want her running around town at night. Not when he knew what else could be lurking around town. He'd already checked the hollow and the falls, walking along the cliffs with a flashlight in his hands. He stopped, finding a group of people stopping to take pictures of the sky. He flicked his eyes upwards and he saw them. Swirls of blue and green, splashes of red, curving through the clouds. Covering stars like waves covered the sand. "Hey." He moved gently into the crowd. "Have any of you seen a group of teens? They look... exactly like every cliche you've ever seen in a teen movie."

[bureli]

He had in fact seen something similar, just not here. "Uh... Yeah, yeah, I have. I was in Iceland though so it's a little odd to see it now." More than odd, Elijah could only assume this was some sort of omen for things to come. There was no denying it was a beautiful sight, and perhaps he was being a little paranoid, but looking around at all the people who had stopped to look he couldn't help but think of their safety. Hopefully this would just chalk itself up to a pretty light show. "It looks like the aurora borealis, but usually it's not seen here." Not to mention these lights were more... active than the ones he had seen in his travels.

Where: Town Square Open to all @crestlestart

In her long life, Claudia had become rather good at acting like a mortal. Her young appearance meant she could pull of the innocent doe eyed girl very easily. She pushed through the crowds of people, her eyes looking up at the sky. There was something off about it... something magical. She could sense it. She'd seen something so similar on her first visit to the town centuries ago. Something was happening again in Crestle. What was it with this tiny weird little town?

"What is that?" she asked, keeping her tone soft. "Have you seen the sky like this before?"

[bureli]

josh segarra + scrunch

[bureli]

Elijah Burgos Werewolf

Age: 39

Occupation: Crestle's Pet and Rescue, Animal Nutritionist 

Gender: Cismale 

Pronouns: He/Him 

Pack/Coven: Silverbrook Pack 

Face Claim: Josh Segarra

Bio

Elijah is a Crestle Cove native, but he hasn’t always lived in the seaside town. Elijah grew up with a younger brother and his granny, his mother coming and going from town as she pleased, until one day she just didn’t return.

He loved his brother and grandmother, but living in Crestle Cove had begun to feel suffocating; his shoulders weighed heavy with the expectation to be a good brother and grandson, gradually he grew to resent his circumstances. 

When he was twenty five Elijah took off to explore the world, his deciding to leave drove a wedge between him and his brother. He felt guilty for the animosity that was beginning to sprout, but he thirsted for knowledge and distance from the dreary town.

He went from one side of the earth to the other, his trips keeping him away from Crestle Cove for seven years; in this time he got a degree in nutrition and animal science as well as learned to hone and control his wolf instincts. Things were great, but they would have been better had his brother not abruptly cut off contact. Elijah couldn’t blame him for being bitter.

The older Burgos returned to his hometown when his grandmother’s health took a drastic turn, things weren’t looking good and it seemed it was only a matter of time before her passing. Upon returning, Elijah could feel a heavy tension in the town’s air. Things were happening, things that would surely displace Crestle Cove’s peace. He was suddenly not only increasingly worried for the health of his grandmother, but also his younger brother’s; what situation had Elijah left him alone in?

Using his acquired education Elijah got himself established at the local vet, and though he had enjoyed his time on his own, he integrated himself into the Silverbrook pack. He appreciated their calm demeanors and the value they placed on the environment, he felt sure he could serve the community the way he wished with their help.

Wanted Connections

Ex’s - I’d like two ex’s for Elijah, the first ex from before he moved away(he was twenty five when he moved). This person will probably also be a local that he either knew growing up or they got to know each other while he was in his early twenties. This probably ended because they were still young, and just exploring love and relationships, I don’t imagine Elijah thinking this relationship would go far. The second ex would be after he returned from traveling(he was thirty two when he returned), so this person could be a local or someone who moved to the town later. I haven’t settled on a reason why this coupling didn’t last so we can brainstorm this, but I vaguely imagine he just had too much on his plate after returning that he couldn’t commit himself to this relationship and felt the two were eventually just going through the motions.

Fellow Local Friends - Elijah is a sweet guy, so I don’t imagine many people dislike him(though i’m open for this kind of connection). They’ll probably be people he was close to before he left and is eager to get reacquainted with now that he’s been back. We can put more detail in their individual friendships(drinking buddies, childhood friends, work friends, etc.)

Healer - As mentioned above Elijah came back because his grandmother was very sick, she had managed to hold on despite the odds. Seven years later granny Burgos is still in Crestle Cove, but this was only made possible by the help of a witch who was able to help her where doctors couldn't. Elijah and his family have gotten close to this person because of all they help they have provided them, Elijah sees this person as someone he can greatly trust.

@crestlecovehq