surface pressure

ya boi been hella busy with stream things and also a new vod droppin with my boi jonny

Luisa. Still learning to grapple with her gift that clearly was coming on leaps and bounds. He proud of her for all she’s done so far and he knows she would have run to make sure Mirabel was okay after her door had disappeared. The look of confusion and fear in Mirabel’s eyes had broken Bruno and he knows he can’t subject her to the same pain he feels whenever he gets that look from someone.

“You didn’t, Mija.” He doesn’t have to bend to get to her level like his other sobrinas y sobrinos but he still softens upon seeing her. “It’s okay. Everything is fine. Your hermana…she just…has a big future ahead of her. And she’ll need you to protect her and love her.” He couldn’t put such pressure of the vision itself on her small shoulders. The vision would remain in his head.

He cups her face gently. Already, his mind is made up. But he won’t reveal his plan to the young sobrina. “Already taking after your Mami, Luisa. Wanting to help the family. Protect your hermana. You’re already doing all you need to do.”

“Protect Mirabel?” She quirked a brow, but nodded. “I can do that! I can protect the whole family-- the whole Encanto!” Luisa puffed her chest out, trying to appear strong and tough. Already members of her family looked to her for her strength. She wasn’t even an adult yet and she bore the responsibilities of one. There was no time for childish whimsy when you could lift a cow like a leaf. “Are you ok, Tio Bruno?” Luisa put a hand gently on one of Bruno’s, nuzzling the palm gently as it cupped her face. She wanted to reassure him, make him happy.

He was so much fun when he was happy. Her funny Tio Bruno-- doing his voices, being an actor. Telling his stories.

She liked the ones about unicorns.

She was also terrible at hiding it.

The magic was gone, and she might have been pushing herself to help rebuild their home a little too much.

Luisa had never been ill a day in her life after receiving her gift. It had made her indestructible-- unstoppable. There was also the benefit of eating her mother’s healing meals every morning. 

The last time she’d fallen ill, she was just a child. Again, her mother’s healing food helped her get through it quickly. So-- now that there was no magic. No invulnerability. No healing food--

Fate had taken its shot.

so about luisa’s gift

luisa’s strength has remained around the same level since getting her gift. which meant she was a five year old capable of lifting ten men with ease. now while she had this superhuman strength, it took time to learn how to control it.

thankfully her mother is a healer cuz-- oof.

the first person she injured accidentally was her father. naturally his bad luck would lead him to being accident prone-- but when he picked up his little girl in delight at hearing about her new gift, she embraced him.

and immediately broke his arm.

thankfully her mother had already made a load of snacks for the party, so her papa wasn’t injured long. but that moment became a source of fear in her. she needed to learn how to control her gift. not only that, she had to learn how to use it to help others.

abuela encouraged her to go out into town the next day and help those who needed it. which ended a bit catastrophically when she nearly knocked down a house. the abode in question would continue to have an unstable foundation for  years to come, occasionally needing to be corrected.

not only did her strength impact her life, but as she got older, she shot up in height. when puberty hit, she gained muscle mass so fast she was outgrowing her clothes by the week.

at age ten she was nearly five and a half feet tall.

by sixteen she towered over her parents.

thankfully her growth has seemed to stop where she is-- and luisa is more aware of her limits and can control her strength immaculately.

The vision solidifies but even as the jade chills his hands he still fears the image imprinted on it. Of Mirabel. The Encanto. It wouldn’t be taken in the right way. It wouldn’t. He…He couldn’t show anyone it. He COULDN’T. He wouldn’t make Mirabel have to live with the burden of that on her shoulders. He drops the vision so it shatters before turning and realising that he WASN’T alone. “OH! Uh, occupied?”

“Tio?” Her voice was soft, curious. Luisa was still very much a child-- despite being able to bench press a bus. She’d been getting used to her strength these past four years, and was excited to see what gift her little sister would get. Only for her door to vanish.

Luisa had attempted to comfort Mirabel-- but she still didn’t fully comprehend her own strength, and ended up bruising her sister with a concerned hug. Thankfully their mother stepped in with some food to fix things but-- that left Luisa feeling as if she couldn’t help. She was powerless. Whenever she tried to imagine how Mirabel felt, her stomach turned in knots.

So she’d gone off to find her Tio, Bruno. Maybe he knew what to do.

She kicked sheepishly at the sands on the floor, biting her lip.

when luisa has a crush she becomes an absolute clumsy mess around the person she likes. she’s a tough nut to crack and doesn’t fall easily. so when she finally does get butterflies-- chaos ensues.

she’s also blissfully oblivious-- so unless someone tells her directly that they find her attractive and wish to court her, she will remain blissfully unaware of any affections for her person. luisa’s self confidence is also another issue. she knows her elder sister is gorgeous. all the women in her family [save her] are beautiful. but luisa?

luisa doesn’t see herself as beautiful.

luisa meeting hercules.

bout to yeet to bed but HIT THE THING for a short starter.

Aeleus nods, and as Luisa runs he keeps pace with her, clearly intent on not being left behind. Despite the unfamiliar terrain, the darkness, and the uneven ground he doesn’t make a single misstep or even stumble on the road to the casita; his don’t rattle the ground, however. They only thud softly, the sound of heavy boots on stone, just as they should.

At least for now.

The boma around the building is certainly impressive, and clearly alive though it could not have been planted recently to be this lush and dense; the thorns on it are nearly as long as his thumb in some places, bright red like warnings and he doubts the blossoms that pepper it are entirely natural. Either the incursion has been going on for far longer than projected, or there’s another powerful, magical gift in this place. As the opening forms and then closes behind the pair, he’s suddenly more inclined to believe the latter.

He jogs to a halt in front of the door, hardly out of breath, and checks over his shoulder to make sure the fence is secure again. He’ll have a better opportunity to check the construction once daylight comes, but for now he’s reasonably sure the only thing that will get over this is a Wyvern or another flyer, and he’s seen no sign of anything that advanced yet.

He hopes that one of the Keyblades will be able to arrive before that happens. He’s not sure how they’d be able to hold out for once it reaches that stage.

A concern for later, he tells himself. Much later, and hopefully never.

“This is where we shall meet with sai-Casita?” He asks, looking at the house with it’s unfamiliar but beautiful architecture, the plants flourishing along its walls despite the hardship around it. A wonderful home. Anyone who lives in it must be blessed. “I can wait outside, if they do not wish me to enter before you explain the situation. It will be no hardship.”

Luisa paused at the door, quirking a brow. He really wasn’t from around here. It was rare to meet an outsider-- someone who knew nothing of the Madrigal family. It was also oddly refreshing. Everyone in town had expectations for her. She was their guardian-- their protector.

But this stranger, who could fight his own battles-- he wasn’t privy to such bias. At least, not yet.

“You don’t have to wait outside-- Casita is right here.” Luisa tapped on the wood of the door frame, as the door itself opened, the stonework overhead playing a melodic sound as it waved at the newcomer.

Casita wasn’t one to be fooled. It could tell what was good and what was bad. Those with cruel intentions weren’t permitted inside. And the light of the building itself kept the dark creatures away. Casita was going to protect its family, no matter what.

Luisa looked from the door to Aeleus.

“Ah-- don’t freak out. Casita is-- our home. Years ago our Abuela ran away from some bad people. She lost her husband, but in that loss the magic of the candle was born. It made our home, this valley-- it protected our family.” Luisa sheepishly glanced away. “My sister Mirabel tells the story better than I do.”

Walking through the door, she was welcomed by both her family and the villagers bold enough to be out in the courtyard at this hour. Luisa was almost immediately doted on by a woman with dark hair touched with flecks of grey. The way she fretted, it was clear this was her mother.