elenacastro

[elenacastro]

[elenacastro]

Her nightmares came in a variety of terrors - sometimes her time serving, sometimes of her unit, sometimes of the outbreak but the worst ones were the ones to come. Losing even more people. Losing even more of herself. Losing the few things that kept her going. Jerking up in bed, Elena didn’t waste any time trying to fall back asleep, and within a couple of minutes, she was wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, catching her own breath. Her steps hit the ground harshly, inhaling once, twice, then trying to exhale the visions still burnt into her mind. One peaceful night. That’s all she needed. A night when she felt safe and at peace and could shut off her mind. Apparently, it was too much to ask because her thoughts were still in overdrive. So much so, she didn’t notice the silhouette of another when she approached the training grounds. In fact, she wouldn’t have noticed Ember if the other woman hadn’t jumped.

Stopping in her tracks, her gaze snapped towards her and confusion gave way to empathy when her thoughts caught on. Slowly raising both her hands to the height of her waist, she let them hover in the air ever so slightly, even after Ember apologized and explained her situation. “It’s okay.” Her words were soft and genuine. “Muscle memory, right?” That right there was the reality of things and she didn’t blame the other one bit, they’ve all been a bit broken by the things they’ve been through. It’s hard to lay aside habits that kept you alive this long.

“You shouldn’t expect others around. I mean, some. But everyone usually sticks to their corner.” Her lips quirked into a small smile, slowly dropping both her hands to her sides. “Welcome to Redwood.” She had heard of the newcomer but Elena genuinely wasn’t interested in what others said, she liked to form her own opinions.

Pointing at the knife, she tilted her head toward the training yard. “You want to give it a go? Blow off some steam? Target practise in the dark sure can't go wrong.”

with: @elenacastro where: at night, by the training yard

Ember has only been recently released and she was itching to move. It was kind of funny - she wished nothing more than to be able to settle down and have a place where she could feel safe, and now that she found one, she felt like she needed to get out, even if just to walk around the town a bit in the middle of the night.

That, and she couldn't sleep and staying in one place didn't feel an option. Walking through the town just felt good. And this felt like an acceptable time to explore as any (others would probably disagree, but oh well).

She was getting close to what seemed like a training yard, she realized as Ember got closer to it, when she heard movement to her side and out of instinct she jumped, her hands reaching for her weapon - a knife this time, hidden in her boot for easy access. "Don't come closer, I am armed and--" and finally the reality hit and she eased on her grip and her stance. "Shit, sorry, didn't mean-- I'm new and part of me is still outside, worried I could be jumped any moment. And I wasn't expecting too many people around in the middle of the night."

[elenacastro]

1.07 | Announcement ANDOR (2022)

[elenacastro]

It was Bennie who perked up and alerted Elena of the incoming guest. He was the best security system out there by the solar panel yard, and most nights, even the best company to keep - when he wasn’t busy barking. However, that wasn’t his reaction to their upcoming company. Spinning excitedly in circles, it sent Elena flying to the small window above the kitchen sink, fully expecting to see someone Bennie was fond of. And she wasn’t wrong. Peering outside to see Sol approach, a smile tugged at her lips as she absentmindedly petted her dog’s head. “Look at that, the house owner is here.” It wasn’t necessarily true but with the amount of work and help Sol had offered while fixing the trailer, she was well aware it wouldn’t be in such a good state without him. Neither would she. His kindness wasn’t lost on her, although she wasn’t always good with words or expressing her gratitude. One thing was sure, he really pushed the title of Mr. Fix-it-all to another level.

“Be good, sit.” the thud of paws hitting the flow and the sound of a wagging tail hitting the wall mixed with the knock on the front door. Swinging it open without letting Sol wait a single second, she met him with a smile. “Well hello Mr. Reznik, I’ve been doing fine, how about you?” Her playful tone turned curious when she watched him get to work on the duffle bag almost immediately. “What’s this?” Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she carefully watched him rifle through it before presenting her with some items, coaxing a laugh out of her. “Did I miss something?” It wasn’t every day you get showered with useful gifts but her amusement turned into genuine excitement when Sol took out the screwdriver. Gaping at him, her mouth fell slightly open before laughing. “No. Way.”

Gently and slowly, as if it could disappear at any moment, she reached out and plucked it from his hand, turning it once, twice. “No way!” If she hadn’t been careful, her giggle might as well have turned into a squeal, bouncing on her feet before she composed herself and then grinned, meeting his gaze more firmly. “I mean, no way will I ever stop stealing yours, it’s the best one out there.” Flipping the tool in her hand, her head cocked to the side. “Thank you. This is amazing.” Clearing her throat, she pointed over her shoulder and into the trailer. "Do you want to come in? I can only offer you some water in return."

Starter for @elenacastro Location: Elena's trailer

There was something about people who weren't afraid to work with their hands that immediately put Sol at ease. Shared experiences or a mutual mentality maybe? The relaxed certainty that they wouldn't judge him for being a little rough around the edges.

Redwood seemed to attract that type, and he was happy for it. What little its population lacked in concrete skill, it made up for in enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Maybe the end of the world did that to you.

But Elena had plenty of skill. He knew from friends who'd served that if someone could work on equipment in the military with the shit resources they allotted those folks, then that person was a bonafide "something out of nothing" kind of clever.

Of course he liked to think he could finagle a fix for just about anything, but he was man enough to admit that him and wiring did not see eye-to-eye. He didn't mind deferring to Elena in that department one bit.

He tapped his knuckles on her front door and it opened right away.

"Hey Miss Lena, how ya been?"

He slipped his duffle bag off his shoulder, unzipped it, and started rifling through. Felt a little bit like Santa. A really raggedy-ass Santa.

"Found some treasure for you on my travels. Fish tape, a pair of pliers that aren't falling apart, and an insulated screwdriver--" he held up the last item with a grin on his face, "--so you can stop stealing mine."

[elenacastro]

𝙱𝙸𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝚈 ─── 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃 ─── 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃

Full name: Elena Paloma Castro

Nicknames: Lena, Ellie

Age: 31

Nationality: Dual (Puerto Rican, American)

Gender: Cis Woman

Pronouns: she/her

Orientation: Bisexual

Current Occupation: Electrician

Former Occupation: US Marine Corps Pilot

Residency: Old mobile home near the Solar Panel Yard

Lenght of Residency: 2 years

Summary

Born in Arizona, her parents were two immigrants who saw a bright future for their two daughters. While Monica, her older sister, saw a clear path for herself, Elena struggled a bit longer to figure out what she wanted. Eventually, she joined the Marines instead of going to college and that's where she's been. Her sister moved to Redwood since it was her fiance's hometown, it's where they got married and had their daughter. Elena visited for the wedding once, stayed for a while, and then returned to work but shortly after, the goddamn apocalypse happened. Elena was amongst the ones who tried to save as many people as possible but when her entire unit fell, she headed for Redwood to meet her sister. However, when she reached town, she discovered her sister didn't make it during the attack. Elena decided to stay and be with her niece and her sister's husband, the only family she had left. Her time in the Marines made her valuable, although she prefers quickly tinkering with electronics.

Wanted Plots

(This might turn into a WC on main) Her sister's husband. They rely on each other to take care of Elena's niece, although they've never gotten close. They barely know anything meaningful about one another but at the same time, they'd kill for each other. Just a distant yet close relationship between two people still grieving the loss of a loved one.

Returning friend: They met during Elena's sister's wedding preparations and they instantly clicked. They spent a significant amount of time together when Elena was in town before the outbreak and when the world started burning and she came back, their friendship solidified and they grew to become extremely close.

Old hookup: It was just one shared night after the wedding festivities and they never planned to do it again, see each other again or live together during a damn zombie apocalypse. Although it's been a long time since then, Elena seems to avoid them a bit too much to have forgotten about it.

Her sister's friends: People who were close to Monica and who still miss her. Finding comfort in each other is sometimes easy, but sometimes the similarities between the sisters show too much. Especially when Elena is around her niece. It could be bitter-sweet. Or simple resentment.

Late-night buddies. Just two people who absolutely cannot sleep so they sit together at night, giving each other shit about how they are both so damn messed up, they can't even relax in their dreams. Always dancing on the line of having meaningful conversations.

Renovation friend: Someone who helped her fix the trailer home she now lives in. Elena is pretty handy but some things just work better with two pairs of hands. They were kind enough to help her when they barely knew her and Elena has never forgotten it, often inviting them to visit the project they finished together.

Bennie's refuge: Elena has a dog named Bennie and while they are an unbreakable pair, the pup always seems to run off to visit them. Countless times they brought Bennie back or Elena showed up at their place to pick up her dog. It's a running joke at this point.

I had more ideas last night when I applied but that's all I can remember for now.

[elenacastro]

Name: Elena Castro Age: 31 Town Occupation: Electrician Previous Occupation: Marine Redwood Resident Length: 2 years Faceclaim: Adria Arjona

Bullet Points:

Lives in an old mobile home near the Solar Panel Yard.

Elena has an all-black German Shepard named Bennie. He once belonged to one of the soldiers from her unit and is named after the Elton John song. 

Before she made it to Redwood, she was on the road for a while and she collected lots of paper clippings that reported on the virus spreading. Her trailer has a whole that’s covered in them.

During her time serving, she sustained an eye injury. While it healed, it sometimes still gives her trouble and since she doesn’t have access to her medicine, she sometimes suffers from severe headaches because of it.

She is an absolute hustler when it comes to card games and sometimes she'll do it just for fun. She's also capable of many card tricks.

Given her time in the military and the things she experienced after, she suffers from insomnia as well as PTSD and survivor's guilt. However, she does her best to keep it hidden as she doesn't want to seem like a burden on the community and she's sure she isn't the only one, everyone lost someone and something. Her grief isn't special.

Biography:

The Castro house still smelled of fresh paint, the hallway adorned with moving boxes when Elena was born. The family moved to Arizona from San Juan when the family father, Diego, began working on a project to get a Puerto Rican Embassady into the States. Julianna, an emergency surgeon, already had one daughter, Monica, when her second child was born. With four years separating the two girls, they grew up being close but became even closer when their mother started working again. They relied on each other, being two kids who experienced love but still had to become independent too quickly. But they were a happy family with the goal to always give back to the community they were a part of. So it wasn’t surprising when Monica announced she would follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a surgeon. Leaving for college, Elena stayed behind in an empty home, just 14 years old and with her best friend gone. And while it lay heavy on her, it was also her time to explore who she was. Adventurous, scared of nothing, and a bit too daring for a girl her age, Elena became the local troublemaker with a heart of gold. She never caused damage or serious problems but sometimes you’d find a head of dark, messy curls lounging by the neighbour's pool in the middle of the night. No roots seemed to hold her town, her head high up in the clouds - and that’s where she’d find herself after tragedy struck. Diego passed away just a few days after Elena turned 17. It was sudden and even though they all had busy lives, the Castros loved each other. And suddenly there was too much love to give and too few family members. 

Her application to the Marines blindsided both her mother and sister but Elena made her choice. She needed an out. Enlisting always felt too easy and after picking her program, she was on her way to becoming a pilot. The years serving weren’t easy, being deployed and returning home set an imbalance, almost as if she lived two lives. It didn’t help when she lost her mother too. In 2036 Elena found herself on longer leave to help her sister with her wedding in Redwood. That’s where she moved with her fiance when she discovered she was pregnant, his hometown. It was the most mundane experience she got to have in a long time. The wedding bells rang, Elena played with her baby niece, enjoyed walking by the farmlands - and then it was back to the jets.

When the world went to shit in 2037, Elena had orders. And she followed them. But when orders failed, her unit became simple civilians with the means to help others. Air traffic failed and her comrades were one of the few volunteers who assisted from the air. And when everything was too far gone, they simply tried to spark hope in any way they could. That is until her unit got bitten - one by one - by people who asked for their help but failed to mention they were invected. Being one of the last few remaining from her unit, there was no more sense of duty when no one waited at the other end of the line. Taking whatever might prove to be useful, Elena eventually returned to Redwood in the hopes to find her sister and her family after spending a few months as a nomad. The things she saw weren’t pretty, the people she met were even uglier. It became a ruthless world that sent her on her way with an even bigger collection of scars. But when all seemed lost, she found herself standing by the walls of Redwood. However, upon entry, she quickly found herself standing by her sister’s grave. The soil still fresh. Savages, who came to claim the land of the city and failed - but who took lives in the process. Losing Monica was the final blow Elena couldn’t handle. Filled with survivor’s guilt, grief, and anger - so much anger - she was ready to give up. If it weren’t for her niece. With her sister’s husband and their little girl still in town, Elena decided to become a part of the community.

With her experience with the Marines, she was a survivalist. Her time as a pilot granted her skills to help with machines and electricity, remaining with a cool head no matter the situation. But her guard was up. The wild, curious girl became a hardened woman who still had so much love to give, but so few people who would take it. Restoring an old mobile home, she made sure to be a useful, kind member of the Redwood community but she rarely butted in. Some say her skills and experience are lost on her, some say she is simply lost. The girl with dark eyes, messy hair, and more scars on her body than anyone could count returned from war and found war - and somewhere on the line the girl who once danced at her sister’s wedding a few years prior got lost.