Hidden And Left To Rot

Hidden and left to rot

"Where are you two going?" Kelley started at her younger family members, that were sneaking into her mom's room Gael looked at her nervously. "I want to fond if there's something wrong. Tía Isabela is expessially upset lately." Kelley starled. "Really? You know what? I'm going to help"

Cracked au

CW: Potentially sensenitive topic

Her hands shook as she kept reading the old diary. She felt like her heart was stabbed with every word. 

Her mom didn't stop loving her dad in the last few years. She never loved him. The only reason behind this marriage was because Bisabuela forced her to. If it weren't for her, Mama and Papa would never marry. Kelley just wouldn't exist. And this realization struck her hard. Her whole life existed only because Isabela was forced to marry a person she never wanted to. Carry a child she never wanted.

She felt her breathing getting heavier as her eyes were reading the neat text again and again. Where mama cried about the upcoming wedding. Not because of happiness, but because she was going to spend her life with Mariano. How she kept insulting a non-existing child that she was carrying under her growing belly. Nineteen-years-old could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Her mom didn't want her. And this realization hurts way too much.

A moment later, this painful sadness started to boil up inside, getting ready to turn into anger. Why didn't mom think about everyone else's feelings? She betrayed Dad, used his love just to make herself a good girl. It wasn't fair for him... For anyone.

Would Isabela force her to marry someone too? Kelley's hand clenched into fists without her wanting to.

"What is wrong?" She gritted her teeth at her cousin's voice. Of course, Gael already sensed her anger... or sadness... or whatever she felt. What did she feel?

"Kelley, what is this?" Leisha asked nervously, not being used to her sister getting so emotional. With a blank face, the eldest passed the diary and looked away, not bothering to see how the teen's face widened in shock. Kelley really didn't want to see her, anyone...

Gael winced in panic as he read the diary as well. He wanted to find something to understand why Tia was unhappy, not to hurt his primo segundo. "Hey, Kelley, it's okay."

"It's fucking not!" She yelled, stomping her foot in rage. Nothing was normal right now. The diary, the truth—Kelly'd rather forget this all. Why couldn't he just shut up and leave those problems be? Apparently, this shit started way before their whole generation was born! Why didn't Gael ignore it like adults always did?

"Listen..." He started trying to help, but Kelley didn't listen to him. She grabbed the diary out of her sister's hands, heading outside.

"Hey!" Leisha let out an indignant yelp that was left unnoticed by Kelley. She had better things to do.

Kelley walked down the stairs, seeing how her mama was fixing the flowers in a vase next to their family photo. "Listen here, mother." She yelled angrily; the word'mother' was bursting with sarcasm. Isabela looked surprised for a moment, but soon her expression got strict.

"What's with your tone?"

"Oh, nothing!" She rolled her eyes, glowing quietly, as she stood right in front of Isabela. "Just this." She threw the diary on a cabinet with a loud slap.

"What is..." Isabela started, but her voice got stuck as realization hit her. She gasped in shock, and her face became fearful. "Lelly..." 

The young woman interrupted her. "Don't you fucking 'Lelly' me!" Her voice turned into screaming. How could she use those stupid nicknames right now? Isabela didn't call her 'Lelly' for years. "You lied to me!" She screamed,  anger was boiling up.

"I didn't lie to anyone!" Isabela yelled, causing her daughter to scoff. "And you had no right to look through my stuff!" She demanded, this time a bit more confidently.

"Well, excuse me!" Young woman threw her hands into the air. She felt like her heart was filled with poison and it kept leaking through her brain, splitting out. "It's just really fun to read how your own mother says that she hates you more than anything!" 

"Do you think I've enjoyed this?! I never wanted kids!" 

"Thank you for finally admitting it!" Kelley scoffed, towering over her mother. "You're manipulative bitch!

Isabela's eyes sparkled in rage that she had buried down for so long. "You have no right to talk with me like this." Right now, she didn't feel like she was in her forties; she felt like an angry teenager, filled with hatred.

Her daughter crossed her arms. "Why should I care?! You said you wished I was never born." She wiped her eyes, feeling the tears on her cheeks.

"It's not like this..."

"THEN WHAT IS IT?" Kelley yelled so loudly that she was sure that everyone in the house would hear it. "You're just was too weak to do what you want!"

"...Hey... Can we... just discuss it?" Both women winced at Gael's unsure demand as he slowly walked down to them. "I can feel you two are upset...".

Isabela's voice dropped, but it was still filled with anger. "I am fine."

"I'm not going to just discuss it!" Kelley breathed out. "This bitch deserves to be shouted at."

"IF YOU CALL ME LIKE THIS ONE MORE TIME..."

"Please!" Gael begged, as the true son of his mother, he preferred to keep things calm, but both Isabela and Kel ignored him.

"What about papa?!" Kelley was indignant, clenching her shaking fists. "What would he feel if he knew that you never loved him?" 

It just wasn't fair. Not to her, not to anyone. 

"Do you think it's fun being married to a person you never loved?" Isabela gasped in annoyance. "I wished to be free for years! But sometimes you can't be selfish! Sometimes you have to do things for the family's sake! Even if you hate it!"

Gael stood between them, spreading his arms to create distance between mother and daughter. "Let's all take a deep breath and talk it through." He begged, trying to calm down both women. 

"You know what? I don't care!" Kelley muttered through her teeth. "I'm going into my room. Not like you would care anyway."  

Isabela and Gael stared at how she rushed upstairs. A few seconds later, both of them heard a loud sound of the slamming door.

So, a bit of cracked next gen. Three oldest of them if speak honestly. Because I've got some basic info for them only

Kelley: Like mother like daughter. The eldest out of generation, the daughter of Isabela Madrigal. Even tho she looks a lot like her papa, you'd really call her Isabela's copy. She's graceful, polite, athletic, perfect in any way. But she's also very cold and sarcastic. The golden child of the family in almost literal sense as her gift makes her able to create gold and generally manipulate metal

Gael: Dolores' son (who ended up in an arranged marriage as well) He's very kind and gentle. Pretty much emotional. As he got his gift that made him able to feel everyone's emotions he started to realize that there was something wrong in the family. As he kept growing, this realisation was getting stronger and stronger. In one day, he just knew that he can't ignore it anymore.

Leisha: Again, Isabela's child. She isn't viemed very highly. Isabela almost died in labour, surviving only because of Julieta's food. But she's smart enough and knows when it was better to hide into the shadow to avoid troubles and when she can get something. Her gift of controlling the light helps her a lot with this. Still, she's pretty much jealous of her big sister and wants to be loved like she is. Their relationships somehow resemble Isabela and Mirabel's in their teens/early adulthood tho it's better since they both have gifts and usually don't go into direct conflicts. Don't tell to anyone but Isabela's secretly grateful that she can't get pregnant anymore

Hair and brain

Coily hair took a lot of effort to bruch And siblings are siblings notherless

Cracked au

"Oh, mama! Did you know that Tío Abuelo once burned down the kitchen to make Tía a wedding cake?" Beatriz babled happily, dangling her legs as Dolores kept combing her dark coily hair.

She had to admit that her youngest was always pretty fond of history. Either from listening to her older siblings or cousins of varying degrees of kinship doing their homework or just asking for some stories from her mother's past, Time traveling was probably a pretty fit gift for her. At least now, Beatriz won't ask for twenty stories per day. 

Braiding curly hair is such a terrible thing to do. Dolores can only hope that both of her daughters will soon be old enough to do it themselves. Dolores had enough troubles with doing her pineapple already. Well, at least Gael was old enough not to need any assistance in this matter.

"He set his own sleeve on fire!" The young girl announced it with all her excitement, and Dolore winced from screaming. "Sorry, mami," Beatriz mumbled quickly, realizing that she said it too loudly.

The woman sighed, patting her daughter's head. "Don't worry, mija, it's okay." She whispered, separating Beatriz's thick hair into wisps. Well, Dolores couldn't say she didn't expect this from her Tío Agústin. It would actually be way more surprising if he didn't end up hurting himself that day. Or any other. 

Beatriz continued to tell what was going on. "I tried to call Bisabuela, but because they couldn't see me, it turned into a blaze." The woman had to admit that it was great information. Everyone knew that her mama caused a hurricane on her wedding day. It's good to know that Tía also had something messy that many years ago. "And Abuelo... —Ouch!" The girl let out a short cry as the comb clambed up onto the knot in her hair.

"Lo siento, are you okay?" Dolores muttered worriedly, throwing a quick look at the clock on the wall. Oh, well, it's usually the time when Gabriela wakes up...

She closed her eyes, focusing on footsteps that were getting closer at a trotting pace.. Well... Three... two... one...

"Mama, it's my turn!" Her middle child demanded, breaking through the door, making Casita click it dalles resentfully.

Beatriz almost jumped off the chair. "No, mama is combing my hair now!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms confidently as her hermana ran down the stairs to get closer to them.

Gabriela threw her hair into the air. "No, you've promised to start doing my hair firstly today!"

Dolores sighed. "Gabi, you have to wake up earlier for that," Beatriz giggled, showing her tongue. "Bea, no," Dolores demanded, making both of her daughters go quiet. Gabi was a big sleeper, barely managing to wake up by school time most of the days. Not like Dolores could actually blame her, being an early bird was inherited from Tía Julieta's side of the family, not theirs.

A moment later, Gabriela stared at her mother, green eyes sparkling with pleading. "Mami, please!" A moment later, she added. "I'm the best student in my class!" Honestly, she was probably the best in the whole school.

Beatriz scoffed. "You're just good at remembering." Dolores couldn't say it wasn't true; Gabri's gift has definitely helped her in educational order. But that's just how their lives were. No one could blame Gabriela for her ability to memorize everything she once heard.

Dolores sighed and stared at both of them strictly. "Girls, if you won't close your mouths, I won't bable either of you. You'd just have to stay disheveled." This threat was enough for them both to stop, now turning their attention to her.

Gabriela crossed her arms, looking like she was a teacher getting ready to scold her student. "No, mama, how many times did you say that if I don't do this, then my hair will have a lot of knots?" She looked down, counting on her fingers. "More than forty-nine in the last two months!"

Oh, yes, having a child who can remember every word you'd ever said to the smallest detail feels so bizarre. Especially when this child had such a fair conceit of herself even before getting her gift. Dolores chuckled, patting Gabriela's shoulder. "Ah, sí. You're such a clever little girl."

Gabi nodded confidently. "Of course I am!" Her face brightened with a huge smile.

"But I'm still smarter!" Beatriz interrupted her, displeased with losing her fair share of attention. 

"You're not!"

The younger girl scoffed, shrugging a little. "You can remember only what you've heard! I can know anything that ever happened!" Dolores tried to pit her palm forward, hoping that this would stop both girls, but they ignored her, keeping up with their usual argument.

Gabriela rolled her eyes, chuckling a little. "But it takes too much time." Their mom couldn't help but think about the times when she and Camilo argued about which gift would make it easier to cheat on exams. Okay... arguing about who's actually smarter was probably way better than bragging that you could break the rules. Oh, what a good time it was, back when things were so easy.

Dolores sighed, shaking her head with a slight snigger. Yes, those two are definitely siblings.

Dolores: Oh, we're like a big happy family! And I'm the dad! And Mariano gets the mom!

Mariano: Why am I the mom? What gender roles are we pushing here?

Luisa: They probably thinking I'm like the son, but I'm not!

Luisa: I'll be the gay emo cousin!

Mirabel: I will be the son! The hot shot!

Mirabel: Who's only dream is to be a star...

Camilo: I feel like I'm gonna be a fresh out of jail Tío

Isabela: And I'm a sassy Tía

Isabela:... who talks shit about everyone

Warning: Vent, swearing

Fuck Russia. Fuck it for how it forced me to be in this situation, strapping me out of my Ukrainian identify when I was so young. Fuck my parents for actually supporting this shit. Fuck me for being too young, too naive to understand what was going on and why it was wrong back in 2014. Fuck this goddamn world that just ignored what happened, pretending that it was normal, until there's began a whole war.

I feel like I'm having a whole freaking identity crisis because of it. Am I aggressor? Am I victim? I was born in Ukraine, and then forced into 'Russia' with annexing. I've spend half of my life under occupation. It probably means that I'm victim, but for the fucking sake... I grew under this illegal government, my parents pay taxes that support invasion in the other parts of Ukraine. I was raised in 'Russia' for the half of my life, even if it was illegally. As much as I'll say that Crimea is Ukraine, grow under annexation still affected me in many ways. I just don't fucking know who I am. I guess that why Russia made it's influence so strong, to make me, make us believe that we were never Ukrainian. And I hate it.

While I'm still bursting with motivation, cracked cold sisters.

Isabela: As everyone expected, she became the matriarch once Abuela passed away. As years passed, she became calmer. She doesn't particulary enjoy to do this, but after years she's getting used to it, burying her feelings even more than before. Even if her marriage is cracking at the seams, she won't say that there anything wrong in the family. She just keeps smiling and keeping everyone in place, pretty much following her Abuela's way of solving the problems by closing her eyes on them

Luisa: Without Mirabel's help, she kept getting crushed by everyone's expectations. And it was getting worse, as Luisa just physically couldn't do it anymore. Her productivity lowered severely, which caused her to work even more to make up for this. As you can guess, her burnout only get worse because of it. Also, have you hear that severe burnout can cause alcoholism?

Mirabel: She stepped aside as she was told to. As her own generation started to have kids she couldn't stay in the nursery, so she moved out when she was twenty. At first she kept close contact with her family, trying to visit almost every day. But as the years passed it turned to occasional short visits, then she started to appear only on celebrations. Then she stopped visit at all. By the point of au's plot (22 years after Antonio's ceremony) she's barely contact with her family, even if she misses them so much.