#intro: zel cruz-dutton

[cyberneticatoms]

no way is that ZEL CRUZ-DUTTON..they’re a 28 year-old SYNTH notoriously known for being UNLUCKY & OBSESSIVELY-COMPULSIVE but there are some people who have seen them being GENTLE & HONEST. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of overthinking every little thing that can go wrong, the sound of quacking ducks, and gold lines on repaired pottery, but that could just be because they’re considered the BAD LUCK CHARM around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

↳ 𝚀𝚄𝙸𝙲𝙺 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂

NAME: Donzel Jensen Cruz-Dutton NICKNAMES: Zel DATE OF BIRTH: November 16th (38) HEIGHT: 6'0 AFFILIATION: Neutral OCCUPATION: Pianist at The Obelisk FACECLAIM: Brandon Larracuente

TW: child abuse, car crash, attempted child murder, suicide

↳ 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙶𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳

❖ Zel is the oldest of the Dutton triplets, though technically he's not actually a triplet with them. He is the only one who took the Cruz name when DJ and Dahlia married. His dad had always wanted children and his mom had agreed though they opted for a synth child. His dad had been on the drive home with a baby Zel in the back seat. A faulty automatic car slammed into them, during the crash his dad had moved to cover him, passing away during the accident. ❖ While outwardly she would say the opposite, they always felt like their mom resented them for this. She wouldn't look at them and constantly dropped them off at their grandmother's house. This was fine overall, they had their older cousin DJ to watch over them and got to hang out with their twin cousins Ian and Ike, which is when they earned the triplet moniker. ❖ He was home when his mom became hysterical one night, still barely a child and unable to understand why she was so upset towards them. All they really remember from that night was feeling sick over their dinner, their mom not moving and calling DJ. ❖ He was barely around 5 and hadn't seen DJ that angry before, his friend Dahlia being the one to stay with him at the hospital while everything got sorted. In the end he was living permanently with his grandmother and his mom had joined his dad. ❖ Maybe it was the food or maybe it was ways something about them, but they started to feel like they genuinely cursed. It didn't help that 5 years later DJ joined the Coast Guard without telling anyone. While Zel was crushed, he shoved it down assuming DJ just wanted to get away from him to avoid disappearing like his parents had. ❖ Dahlia was their lifeline, when Ian and Ike also moved in, she was the one that kept tabs on all three to help them reconnect with DJ. She was also the one who picked up on Zel's new habits, with them eventually being diagnosed with psychosis and OCD. ❖ Much like with Ian and Ike, their grandmother didn't believe in just trying to reprogram them. Afraid it would do more harm than good, though giving them the option to pursue it if they wanted to. ❖ Zel opted for therapy and medication with Dahlia and eventually DJ's support. Of the three he fully does see them as his parents, especially Dahlia, being closer to her than he is to DJ. ❖ When they moved to the Metroplex he always planned to join them, finishing his time in the Coast Guard and moving in with them. They were the least surprised when Val joined the family, it wasn't like DJ never brought in more kids.

↳ 𝙼𝙸𝚂𝙲

• Works as a pianist in the lounge section of the Obelisk as well as plays keyboard in a band with his family, called Three by Five. • Has been dating Julie Dantes for 2 years now, a relationship he still struggles with believing he deserves though the two have managed to work through their respective issues together. • Has an emotional support duck named Circe, as well as a duck with a prosthetic foot named Telemachus, or Tele for short.