Imma purely be using my take on the characters since now the fandom universe is heading into au territory so in this world Carlos never died because he's never going to be dead in my heart.
So yeah AU time
Carlos was left behind why? Because honestly I like the idea that Ben's choice and people for bringing over to auradon was a strategic one. And it's very much implied that there is surveillance on the Isle and they would have found out that Carlos was able to create a machine that could Pierce holes within the barrier.... They did not want to give him access to advanced technology. Also his mother is mentally unstable and because this is a strategic decision he doesn't want to worry about the optics.
Some people think that this would be out of character for Ben but honestly I feel like they've made Ben's character really dumb at point and I feel like that makes zero sense considering they literally gave him a parent with brains....
So also my take on Ben is going to be a little bit more complex. He genuinely wants to do good but because he comes from a privilege background and because he is actually intelligent and realistic he doesn't want to bring in people who will be too problematic. Because the isle is surveilled he only brings some of the core four.
Evie because even though she has the potential to become a big issue the evil Queen hasn't raised her to be that bad seemingly....
At least she doesn't seem that bad because my version of her I'm actually going to acknowledge the fact that Evie is manipulative and plays with people's feelings and that makes her seem nicer than she actually is.
Because the movies downplay the fact that she literally implied being a heartbreaker and a manipulator and it kind of a infantilized her a little bit and I don't like the fact that the fandom babies her.
I support women's wrongs but only when they are proud of being wrong with their chest. Don't act like a victim when you aren't one 😭.
Mal.... Honestly she doesn't change much from the narrative. Outside of honestly I'd make her more intense and be the kinda girl weak boys fear. But outside of that she seems to be obedient to her mother but ...she really wants to prove herself and Ben could work with that...
Jay basically stays the same outside of not being a himbo I actually found it really annoying that they made the son of Jafar a dumb jock. Because I simply don't believe that Jafar would turn his son into a thoughtless henchman. He would make his son work for him but he would be too prideful to have his only child not have a brain 😭. He would be utterly useless to that man....no Jay is brains and brawn he just lacks common sense because he's just a boy who wants to be a goof
Something Ben can also work with
Carlos....uh that's tough
Because my take on Carlos is a feral child.
Cruella raised him like a freaking dog and not in a good way...the kind you make live outside. At one point she realized he's infact human and could do thing for her? And realized kids also mimic parents and to a degree she liked that. Because mimicry is flattery. So she dressed him up and treated him like a show dog. Wearing the best because she would not have her son looking unfashionable.
He wears a muzzle because during his time where he was basically raising himself he sharpened his teeth and has a habit of biting.
Jay's arms are proof of that.
I honestly would flip the dynamic between him and Jay and have Carlos be the one who's bullying Jay and Jay actually be afraid of the kid who significantly smaller than him 😭 simply because he's genuinely scary.
Carlos is odd to the group and Ben
He doesn't communicate much they think they heard him speak but honestly they don't actually bother holding conversations with him they just bring him along he gets treated more like a tool because he's good at doing things. They are aware he's smart and can get any job done he's kinda just there...
And because he's a lil too odd and seemingly not mentally all right he's too risky to Ben
I would have it that later over the course of the story of the first movie they realize that they genuinely care about Carlos and they see all the resources that auradon has to offer and feel like out of all of them he deserved it the most because they honestly start to realize he would benefit a lot from all of that.
But during the event of the first movie Carlos goes through a transformation being away from his friends because he's alone. And then of course like every other fanfiction he runs into uma's crew. He basically starts lurking along the outskirts of the territory gets brought in to be interrogated. He doesn't even take the threat seriously because he deals with his mom's mental instability so he is not at all afraid of Harry. Has to be restrained by Gil and one thing leads to another and he kind of has to earn his way into being part of the group because otherwise he basically loses everything.
I imagine overtime he ate grows closer to Uma and they become close almost kindred like mostly because both are only children naturally and they both have mothers with anger issues.
And they can both relate to the fact that to a degree because of those circumstances they're emotionally repressed. And both kinda bond through their mutual dislike of Mal.
Also Uma then learns that Carlos is actually a chatterbox it's just that he never actually gets the formerly talk because no one actually engages in a genuine conversation with him.
Harry isn't afraid of him and those two rough House and act like freaking lunatics matching each other's freak harlos??? A bit
Both flirt by barking and growling at each other
A lil Gilos in the mix because Fluff and I imagine Gill is a sweetheart desensitized to violence and mental instability so he's not at all phased by Carlos and doesn't care when he's bitten by him. He knows Carlos only reacts and dose the things he do because he's scared.
Yeah giving Gil layers hella layers he's emotionally intelligent he's just not book smart because logically his dad doesn't care about education. Gill sees all the kids around him and he sees them for what they are scared, angry and hurting. And he just want to be there for his friends. So if it means letting them hurt him so he can make them feel better he will.
Yeah he's kinda self sacrificing .....
With Gill Carlos really lets he walls down and allows himself to actually feel like he is what he is.
Not a prop or a tool
Or some hell spawn or a beast
But a kid. He can be human a vulnerable
Any kind if hates feeling that way because he allows himself to be aware of all these complex feelings that he has within himself. The pain and anger and the rage he doesn't know what to do with. He doesn't want to be around people but he doesn't want to be alone he hates feeling lonely. But he feels like he's too much always at some point he will be left again.
And next time when they come for him to bring him to auradon at request of the new king and his former friends he makes them bring the sea 3 with him . Because Evie Mal and Jay in his eyes aren't his true friends
Because I feel like some people don't fully grasp that within the first movie they only actually truly become friends after going through the character development of the first movie.
If Carlos was left behind he did not go through all that character development with everyone else at most he still would have had a bond with Evie because they became true friends beforehand but he wouldn't have a strong bond with Jay and he definitely wouldn't have one with Mal.
So yeah he 100% and don't see those guys as his friends especially since they left him behind and they basically abandoned the isle 😭
And when they see him he goes through a growth spurt he's eaten better under Uma's care he's taller he actually stands up and doesn't slink around as much...
Instead of his hair being in a agro that blocks your view of his face Uma as it braided ( they bond a lot when she does his hair)
It's therapeutic for her in a way and he gets to Yap to somebody. And honestly it heals something inside him to be cared for in general but it hits different with Uma. Girl makes him feel flustered
Low key might just make the whole crew poly
I feel like Carlos is willing to openly flirt with the guys but Uma makes him nervous because she too much of a baddie
He's weak for a confident woman with blue hair 😭
( my take on Carlos is a literal hell spawn btw) so I also imagine Uma once off the isle helps him get more in tuned with magic to embrace himself but also help him because.
Yeah it we all can agree cruella is mentally Ill let's not ignore the fact Carlos would have issues to because genetics ...
Mental illness isn't evil stigma is
And people who would end the lives of an animal for the sake of fashion
I feel like being a hell spawn is good rep because from personal experience that's what it can feel like being a mentally ill child demonized for existing as you are and people treating you like an inconvenience rather than a person/child who clearly needs help.
Which is something Carlos feels like. An inconvenience wherever he goes. If he acts in a way that is just too much or irritating to the people around him he gets shunned. People only want him around when he's deemed useful. He yearns for a warmth not even a fire can give and he'd throw himself into hell just to feel less cold.
He's full of emotions he doesn't know how to get because he's not used to being allowed to genuinely feel or express himself.
Anyways I started rambling and getting off topic so if anyone's interested in a part two feel free to like and comment
Part of me wants to go into things like
Carlos getting adopted by Anita and Roger?
What could happen when they get to the mainland?
Also more on how he'd physically change send asks and comments on what you wanna see if you wanna hear me yap more at all
