PSL Musebox - OTA (wip)

[sandinmyhair]

A place where I dump all my off-game RP ideas! Warnings for... well, just about everything.


ENCANTO-BASED
A Place To Write Stuff In The Canon Setting
Got an Encanto character? Got someone else you can AU into the setting? Try some:

A1. Fluff!
Bruno's back and it's everyone's chance to love on him, now! He needs fed and washed and all manner of happy things, after all. Just be warned, he will wibble and tear up. A lot. He has a lot of catching up to do and a lot of hugging to do....

A2. Angst!
Bruno's back and he's not re-integrating very well. Ten years in the walls has not been kind to him, after all. Maybe he has it out with the others, or he tries to hide again, or starts some unhealthy coping or other. Maybe his Gift finally destroyed his health.

A3. H/C!
Bruno's back and other people are not happy about this fact. There may be, for example, an increasing belief that he's demonic and clearly in need of an exorcism.

MULTIVERSAL MISCELLANY
A Place To Write Stuff In Any Other Kind Of Place, Including Settings Of Current Games

B1. Gives New Meaning To 'Lab Rat'
Someone somewhere decided a person who could do what he does is very much worth studying. Maybe they wanted him to only see the future for them. Maybe they saw him as a way to manipulate time or travel through it or simply tap the immense energy that courses through him.

B2. Wibbly Wobbly.
Maybe the Time Lords sent you to investigate. Maybe you discovered it on your own. Whatever the reason, here you are in 1950s Colombia. Something has been poking at time. And there may or may not be an unregistered TARDIS in the area....

NSFW
Because I Can't Not Have The Occasional Smut Thread

C1. Buried Desire
Somehow you can tell that an incredibly powerful sex drive lurks under that shy, awkward exterior that's just begging to be seduced out. Granted, it won't take much to do this.

C2. Married Bliss
Welcome to the Family Madrigal! Somehow Doña Alma managed to finally marry off her son. But it's not her you have to worry about, it's his sisters and his brothers-in-law and all their wink-wink-nudge-nudge.

Comments

A3

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel's in town, and she's noticed... something going on with the townspeople. Specifically their attitude towards Bruno - that at least some of them are a little hostile, and seem to be getting more hostile the more he goes into town. Mirabel wasn't that clear on Bruno's history, other than people didn't always like his visions, but surely they wouldn't like... do anything to him, right?

She's a little worried, so when he goes into town, she follows to see if he's going to be okay. Probably nothing to worry about...

... Right?]

Re: A3

[sandinmyhair]

[It was probably too much to hope the goodwill present during the rebuilding of Casita would last. Old resentments started to bubble to the surface again, even after a decade. There were mutterings about not only people losing hair or gaining weight or their pet goldfish dying, but darker things. Infidelity, stillbirths, family members dying of sudden illness or injury.

After a while, Mirabel will notice she isn't the only one following Bruno.

Any sort of interaction he might have is a little brusque, a little strained, and he's smart enough to twig to that. He never stays long, never seems to ask for any kind of favours, and concludes his business quietly and deferentially. Despite that, however, at one point a few men peel off from the town square crowd--the Fernandez brothers, Manuelo and Juan, who always seemed a bit humourless, and their friend Roberto Cruz. They tail Bruno out of the busier part of town and the moment they're out of most people's sight they surround him.

"Been waiting to say 'welcome back,' properly," Manuelo says. Before Bruno can speak or even dodge past him, Juan effortlessly kicks Bruno's feet from under him. He and Roberto grab hold of Bruno.

Strangely, Bruno doesn't fight back or even try to escape.

And before Mirabel can do anything, a pair of arms grab her, one hand over her mouth, and drag her a short distance into an alley. They turn out to belong to Roberto's wife, Alejandra.]

We don't wanna hurt you, Mirabel, [she says, the expression on her face unreadable.] Please. Stay out of it.

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel only manages to catch sight of Bruno being knocked to the ground before she’s pulled away.

She knows these people - she thought they were friendly to her, but what are they doing…?! She shakes the hand off over her mouth.]

What are you talking about?! What are you going to do to him?!

[She struggles to break her grip - to go to him, because she’s terrified.]

[sandinmyhair]

[Alejandra shifts her grip, keeping hold of Mirabel. There's the sound of a fight going on around the corner.]

Look, this isn't any of your concern. Their father died and they've been letting resentment poison them for years. If we stop them now it's only gonna get worse and it'll end up being more than just roughing him up.

[nonmagical]

[She hears the sounds of fighting and her heart sinks… both with panic and anger.]

“Doesn’t concern me”?! He’s my family! Let me go to him!

[And she’s gonna fight harder now, struggling, stomping her feet. Whatever she can do to break her grip.]

[sandinmyhair]

[The fight continues around the corner until there's a nasty crack and a sharp cry, though it's difficult to tell whose voice it was.]

You're too young to understa--[Alejandra breaks off with a gasp as Mirabel's foot comes down in her toes, her grip jarred loose. She makes another grab for the girl, but stops as the three men go running in the other direction with shouts of 'let's get outta here!' She looks back at Mirabel one last time with an almost apologetic glance before joining them.]

[Around the corner Bruno kneels on the ground, panting harshly, his hands over his face, blood running down his arms.]

[nonmagical]

[She's finally loose, and she gives a glare as the group goes running off. She turns around the corner, and her heart nearly stops at what she sees.]

Dios mío...!

[She's frozen for a moment in her tracks, but shakes it off and drops down beside Bruno. She reaches out her hands, but she's afraid to touch him - not because of the blood, but what if she hurts him further? She doesn't know where all he's hurt.]

What... what did they do to you?

[sandinmyhair]

[He mumbles something in a stringy wheeze, not moving his hands from his face, and coughs. More blood runs down his arms. But after a beat or so he lowers his hands.

They'd really done a number on him, one eye swollen shut and already growing lurid bruises, skin split on his cheekbone, his nose actually bent at an angle, clearly broken. Blood runs down the lower half of his face from it, and more runs from a point somewhere in his hair. He wearily spits a gobbet of blood onto the cobblestones and looks at her with his good eye, possibly sadder than she's ever seen him.]

'J'you follow me? [he asks faintly.]

[nonmagical]

[After some consideration, she carefully tries to put her arms around him. She just hopes that alone doesn’t hurt him.]

I was worried… people seemed like they were going to hurt you.

[And unfortunately, she was right.]

[sandinmyhair]

[He leans against her, anyway, ignoring the resultant pain in his shoulder. It's in moments like these that it really comes into focus how small and almost frail he is.]

Sorry, kid... happ'n'z'a'lot.... Wishyou... din'aveto... see this....

[Even with the pain of his injuries, he wants nothing more than to lie down and sleep. He's... so very tired.

Can't do that, though.]

Helmmee up... godda gohome....

[nonmagical]

It happens a lot?!

[She’s horrified- angry and scared on his behalf. What if they did something worse to him than this next time?

What if he didn’t come home next time? The thought makes her heart ache. They gotta do better at protecting him.]

I’m sorry… I didn’t realize… no one should be hurting you. At all.

[She wraps her arms around him as gently as possible, and tries to help him back up to his feet.]

A2

[neverbreaks]

[ Having Tío Bruno back was certainly an adjustment, but it was one that the family is more than happy to make. After the past decade of secrets and quiet splintering, of a lingering emptiness that couldn't be acknowledged or talked about, it was nice having the family whole again.

But that isn't to say that it was easy. Sometimes it felt like they had to be very careful around Bruno, who tended to retreat and shy away more often than not. His years in the walls had affected him in ways that they were still trying to understand, to draw him more into the family without scaring him away.

And Luisa wanted to know more about her uncle as well, but she isn't entirely sure where to start. She cared about him of course, as she did for the rest of her family, and she did have a few pleasant memories of him as a child, but that had felt so long ago. Things had changed, they both had changed, and she isn't sure how to bridge that gap...if it was possible at all.

Even moments like now, when her mother had asked Luisa to call Bruno down to dinner, it was difficult not to think about. There were some days when Bruno was more comfortable joining everyone for mealtimes than others, so Julieta had said not to force it if this was one of those bad days. But Luisa still had to find him first in order to ask about dinner, for he wasn't in his room either.

At least Mirabel had given her an idea of where else he might be. Luisa can only hope that he was there. ]

[sandinmyhair]

[What really kills him is he wants to join them more often than he does, but sometimes he's just exhausted and has to find a quiet place so he can rest.

When Casita was rebuilt his room was on the same floor as the others' again, and had become the kind of inviting that it had been years and years ago. There were times, though, when he couldn't spend too long in it, too many conflicting thoughts swirling in his head. In fact, the only way he can really rest, sometimes, is to hide in a completely new hole in the wall.

Yes, a new hole. He'd begged and cajoled Casita into helping him create a new one, but the sapient house had a few tricks up its wainscoting, making it much easier for others to find it, this time. So when Luisa doesn't find him in his room a painting rattles against the wall and then swings open, revealing not so much a hole as a neat opening, planks laid down to make a sturdy walkway. It's a short distance to a space with a tapestry over it this time, soft dim light glowing behind it.

Behind the tapestry, instead of the tragic packrat space crammed full of desperate memories like what Mirabel had described, is a cozy little room with a dim lamp, a lot of books, a group of sleek little rats quietly doing... rat things, and a hammock with the object of her search nested in blankets and pillows and blinking sleepily at her.]

Hm? Luisa? Wh's going on?

[sandinmyhair]

People... hate wha'they... donunnerstan....

[Between the two of them they get Bruno back on his feet and moving in the direction of home. He stumbles frequently, seeming to lose track of where he's even going. As they pass through the busier parts of the village a few people watch sadly or sympathetically, but no-one appears inclined to do anything.

They must have done, though, because before the two even reach the town square Julieta meets them, a basket hanging from one arm. Unfortunately, at that moment Bruno sags against Mirabel, nearly dropping to the ground. When Julieta spots them she gasps, darting forward.]

¡Ay, Dios mio! Mira... Mira, what happened to him?

[neverbreaks]

[ While she'd had some idea of the space Bruno had lived in within the walls of Casita thanks to Mirabel, Luisa still thanks the house when it reveals the opening behind the painting, allowing her to step inside and look for her uncle.

And the room she comes across is quite different from the one Mirabel had described in the old Casita. It has a warmer feeling to it, even compared to his new room, so she can understand why he would prefer to spend time in here.

When she spots him she offers a small smile. ]

Hey, Tío Bruno. I just wanted to let you know it was time for dinner.

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel struggles a bit, but keeps him upright. She looks at her mom with a panicked expression.]

He was attacked... the Fernandez brothers - they hurt him really bad! Lo siento mamá... I couldn't stop them...!

[sandinmyhair]

[He smiles softly, a bit amused.] I guess I can come out. Let everyone know I haven't packed up my rats and moved to Bermuda.

[The most random things fall out of this man's face, sometimes.]

[First he yawns and stretches and scratches his scalp, which leaves his hair even fluffier.] How'd you find me?

[sandinmyhair]

[Bruno's eyes fall shut and he goes limp. Julieta slips an arm under him, indicating that they should lower him onto the ground. When they do, she kneels next to him, frowning as he coughs wetly. She mutters a few words about those Fernandez brothers that Mirabel probably shouldn't have heard, too distracted by her brother's plight to really police her own language that much.]

Mira, hold his feet up... like that, [she says, gesturing that she should hold them up higher than the rest of him. Then she sighs, shaking her head, reaching into her pocket for a bottle.] You did the best thing you could do. Those two are best left to your Tía Pepa--they've clearly forgotten what it's like to get some lightning in their feet!

[Unstoppering the bottle reveals a pungent odour, which she places by his nose.] Bruno... hermanito.... Come on, wake up.... [He gives a few more wet coughs and she rubs his chest.] Bruno.... [His eyes flutter open.] Take a bite. [She slips a small round buñuelo into his mouth and watches keenly as he slowly chews it.]

I'm so sorry you had to see this, Mira, [Julieta murmurs, stroking a few locks of Bruno's hair.] A lot of people weren't good to him before he went into hiding, and... I guess it was too much to expect any of them to change.

[neverbreaks]

[ Her expression turns a bit more puzzled, though the smile still remains on her face. She can't entirely remember if he's always been strange or if it was something that happened in the walls.

It wasn't really a bad thing, though. Just a little strange and funny. ]

Mirabel had mentioned that you had a place in the walls, and when I couldn't find you in your room, Casita showed me the opening behind the painting.

[sandinmyhair]

[Oh, he's odder now. He always has been, but now so much moreso.]

Betrayed by my own home, [he murmurs, fondly patting a wall.]

[He pulls the blankets off of himself and leaves the hammock, though this already leaves him a little breathless. Keenly aware of this, he gives a sheepish smile as he pushes his bare feet into his sandals.]

Sorry, this is taking a miscarriage in six days... [He stumbles and nearly falls, eyes glowing.]

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa gasps and rushes forward, reaching out to help keep him steady. ]

Tío Bruno? Are you okay?

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel props his feet up, but mostly she lets her mom do her work. If anyone can help her uncle, it’s Julieta.]

I didn’t know… people could be that cruel. It’s not like he can control the future, he just sees it! So why are they taking out their anger on him?! It’s not fair!

[She let’s put an angry breath, trying to focus on Bruno’s health rather than her own feelings.]

What if next time they do something much worse to him…?

[sandinmyhair]

[For a moment she doesn't answer, one hand still rubbing Bruno's chest. Remedies always take longer with him, as though his body can't quite keep up. Only when the wounds fade does she look over at Mirabel.]

Sometimes when someone is hurting, they lash out at whatever is closest to the cause of that hurt. That doesn't make it right, though.

[After another moment Bruno stirs, opening his eyes and looking dully up at them.]

Get your tío home, and make sure he lies down for a while, [Julieta stands and fixes him with a stern gaze, and Bruno at least has the good grace to attempt a sheepish grin.] I'm going to go have a talk with Mamá about this.

[sandinmyhair]

[It's quite the stumble, and when she catches him it becomes all too obvious just how small and frail he is. It's like holding a baby bird, a fragile little thing, so warm as to feel almost fevered.

He looks up after a moment, eyes back to normal and a sheepish look on his face.]

Sorry. Visions. They... sometimes hit me out of the blue....

[nonmagical]

All right I will, mamá...

[She watches Julieta leave, hoping that maybe Abuela will be able to do something about this. She wraps her arms around Bruno, trying to slowly help him back onto his feet.]

How are you feeling...?