#*Avalor under Shuriki*

[lieutenant-amuel]

It feels like people really forget sometimes that Shuriki has been ruling for 41 years, there are two generations that have grown up under her and have no idea what life looked like before she came

[notmoreflippingelves]

I'm just saying that it was real mistake on the Elena of Avalor production team's part to tell the world (i.e. me) that THAT scene in the series finale was explicitly visually and thematically modeled off the end of Beauty and Beast (1991). Because what on earth am I, an English major, to do with that information except want to make an infinite number of Esteban Flores graphics featuring lyrics and lines from various incarnations of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (especially the Broadway show)? And this is a real problem considering that I am very, very not good at Photoshop.

[kaythefloppa]

Ok but we should’ve gotten an Esteban/Victor reunion in the finale… or any interaction.

It was such a huge missed opportunity to not have them face-off and showcase their differing alignments now. Esteban being an enemy of Avalor, and Victor being an ally.

Maybe Esteban realizes that if Victor can earn Elena’s forgiveness, he could to, or inversely, is angered at Victor being considered one of the “good guys” when he also played a hand in Shuriki’s takeover of the kingdom. Maybe Victor’s first option is to talk to Esteban, to make amends for what he did to his family, but Victor’s alignment with Elena, and his yearn for power under Ash’s influence hinders him from this realization.

And maybe at the end, after the Four shades are defeated, Esteban and Victor have a heartfelt reunion, putting the days of Shuriki behind them.

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

Elena of Avalor is a really solid show. There are like, almost no flaws in the narrative that I can find, and the ones I DO find are all minor and don't really effect it in the grand scheme of things, which is really impressive!!! But if I have one major complaint, it's with how the show handles it's magic system.

Not counting any contradictions between EoA and StF, the lore isn't so much inconsistent as it is vague. There's a lot I wish they elaborated on, mostly about Elena's powers, that they just didn't. So here's a bulleted list of all the things I wish got dug into a little deeper :D

The difference between normal wizards and malvagos. All we get on that front is that malvagos use dark magic that wizards are incapable of using? And that you become one by getting a spell cast on you??? And they have animal motifs?????? Like wtf is up with that.

How much magic Elena gained from being in the amulet. She was literally marinating in magical juices for 41 years, which you'd think would have deeper effects then just seeing ghosts and being able to use a cool scepter??? But she doesn't get any powers independent of magical objects until Takaìna, which is kinda weird and leads into my next point...

How the magic Elena gained from the amulet effected the magic she gained from Takaìna!!! Obviously Takaìna is a MUCH more powerful source of magical radiation then the necklace, so falling into that gives you more magic, but did the stuff Elena got from the well just get added on to her amulet magic? Did it enhance the already present magic?

Also, how does Takaìna even work? Is it like radiation but not deadly? Does falling into a well full of crystals hurt? Because I bet that would fuckin hurt. Why does falling into a well of crystals even give you, or the stick you're holding, powers in the first place? Does it actually even GIVE humans inherent powers or does it just give them the ability to use magical items? Is Elena's DRESS the actual source of her mood magic??? I mean we never see her use the mood magic WITHOUT her color changing dress so like-

On an unrelated note, why is Zuzo the only chanul Elena sees consistently? Is it because he's her chanul? Is it because she's just coincidentally never in the same room as anybody else's? Given how chanul's powers work being pretty similar to the way spirits come to the living world on Dia De Los Muertos you'de think she'd be able to see all chanuls all the time. Also cAN ESTEBAN SEE GHOSTS TO???? LITERALLY WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN ANYBODY EXPLORE THAT POSSIBLITY THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE-

How the fuck does the Scepter of Light work? Elena's the only person who can use it at the beginning of the series, and up until the Scepter of Night is introduced I just kind of assume it was because the amulet gave her a Very Special type of magic. But then Shuriki uses the Scepter of Night with no issues whatsoever???? What's her source of inherent magic??????? And then ASH can KIND OF USE THE SCEPTER OF LIGHT????? IS IT BECAUSE MALVAGOS HAVE INHERENT MAGIC IN THERE SOMEWHERE?????? BUT THEN ELENA SAYS IT ONLY RESPONDS TO GOOD MAGIC WHICH IS CONFUSING BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT AT LEAST ELENA'S MAGIC WAS PRETTY NEUTRAL!!! THEN ESTEBAN CAN'T USE IT UNTIL HE SWITCHES SIDES BUT WHY???? WHAT MAKES MAGIC GOOD VS EVIL!?!?!?!?!? WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!?

Okay this one's kind of just a nitpick but there are several spells that just. Do the same thing. Like the turn somebody upside-down spell is just Levaluke with extra steps 💀

Why is Esteban's hair like that after he falls in the well? We know it isn't stuck like that forever because he manages to get it under control during the coronation. Is making the users hair stick up his staff's version of the scepter glowing to signify somebody can use it? If so WE WERE ROBBED OF ELENA'S HAIR STICKING UP LIKE THAT IN THE FINALE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SO FUCKING FUNNY-

Okay those are all the things I can think of right now. Tbh I'm kind of just posting this to open up a discussion? I wanna rally together what little is left of this fandom to try and piece together a coherent magic system!!! It's what this show deserves!!!!!!!!/pos

[glorytoukraine2022]

An under appreciated villain

In the world of Elena of Avalor, we are introduced to many interesting villains throughout the series. Whether they are easily reformable characters who were never evil, just misguided, such as Victor and Carla, or truly cruel and evil people, such as Shuriki and Ash, who you despise as people, yet respect and appreciate them as villains all the same.-

However, there is one EOA villain that I feel does not get enough appreciation: Fiero.

I believe that a big part of the reason for this is because for most of Fiero’s appearances throughout the show, he was subordinate to Shuriki, and was turned back into a statue in “Song of the Sirenas” and never seen again.

Yet for the time we did see him, he proved himself to be a powerful Malvago, turning an entire ballroom to stone and has a vast knowledge of dark magic, seeing as he instructed Shuriki in learning how to use the Scepter of Night.

He is also shrewd and cunning. He knows how to maneuver people in the way he wants them to in order to achieve his goals, as shown when he turned everyone at Mateo’s ceremony into stone, knowing that undoing the spell would require finding the Codex Maru. Fiero is a planner. As early as “Rise of the Sorceress”, he takes the information from the codex on the Scepter of Night, knowing that they would needed a weapon of equal strength to Elena and immediately takes charge in planning Team Shuriki’s next steps. In “The Scepter of Night” he immediately comes up with a plan to have Mateo lead him right to it, while everybody else is distracted by Shuriki and the Delgados. The plan probably would have been successful had Victor not gotten in the way at the time.

I can’t help but feel that being a subordinate of Shuriki really limited Fiero’s full potential. He is magically powerful enough to serve as a challenge, while also having a sharp intellect that enables him to plan and outsmart the heroes. If he can be this devious while working under Shuriki, he would be deadly as a main villain.

[lucy-shining-star]

So I recalled one of my elena of avalor dreams few days ago and decided to check it in my document in which I wrote about some dreams. So copying:

'And in my other dream from Elena of Avalor I was watching and Elena,Naomi and Mateo were locked somewhere and girls were looking for a way to get out,but Mateo was like rather rude the whole time and he didn’t do anything to help? Anyway,one of things they needed to do to get out was eating some blue panckakes? Idk. So then they finally got out suddenly Shuriki and Carla came  and either Shuriki said something that indicated that Mateo is on her side now or Mateo did it(i don’t remember that in detail) and Elena,Naomi and Carla were like “What!?” and when Mateo was coming to Shuriki Elena runned next to him,looked at him and said “You must be under some spell?Right?” and after a few seconds she looked even sadder and said “No you are not”. And then my brain decided to show me ending credits.'

[silverloreleysfanfics]

As promised, here’s a sneak peek of the Encanto/Descendants fic that came out this headcanon and this discussion with @dragoneyes618.

Actually, I decided to put two. It’s all still in draft form, mind you, so no polishing nor grammar check or else, and full of holes I have to fill.

First bit is a companion piece of the first part I wrote, same day, Carlos’ fifth birthday, but on the Isle.

The second is a part of the first discussion between Carlos and Bruno. In my fic, Cruella kicked Bruno out when Carlos was small, but Bruno decided to stay in the secret passageways and rooms of the mansion, earning the fame of “the Green Ghost of Hell Hall“. Carlos had no idea until after Ben suggested the VKs to look for relatives who could legally take custody of them in Auradon and Cecil, Cruella’s brother, decided to tell Carlos about Bruno and how to find him. Hence the first proper conversation between father and son. Also, in my ‘verse, Encanto is in Avalor, so the people of Encanto were running from Shuriki’s soldiers when the Miracle happened.

It’s long, so, all under cut:

bit 1

Carlos would turn five the next day.

If they had been at Casita, he'd have his gift ceremony that night. A new outfit sewn for the occasion, music and special food, lights and flowers and then his own room, big and spacious, filled with anything he may need, and a gift, a magic of his own that would make his life brighter.

As things were, Carlos never had a single piece of clothing that had not belonged to someone else or was the result of recyclying, the food he'd eat would be the same as ever, unhealty and moldy and rotten, flowers didn't grow on the Isle and under the Barrier there was no magic, so it was unlikely a gift could show up.

Oh, Bruno was praying for it to come all the same. For anything. A small thing, even one like his, seeing the future could actually be useful on the Isle, he could threathen people with it or skirm out of danger if he knew it in advance. Or one like Pepa's, being able to control even a bit the weather could make him needed and dangerous both, and if he got one like Julieta's even the inedible food would heal him and keep him healthy, the Lord knew the boy needed it. Growing plants like Isabela's could be good for defense and growing food and he was almost sure Luisa's must have had to do with physical strenght, that would be optimal on the Isle, but really, anything would do.

As long as something came.

As long as the Miracle could get there and protect the - currently - youngest Madrigal child a little bit.

As long as gifts weren't restricted to children who lived inside Casita because, sure as hell, Carlos couldn't be farther from Casita and a room of his own and the ceremony he should have.

Because he should have one. He should have a good gift and his own room in a good home and get it all that very night.

But life can be unfair. It surely was to the Isle kids, who more who less.

Instead of having a party, even a meager one as there could be one on the Isle, Carlos would spend the entirety of his fifth birthday alone, dragging around his malnourished body, his mother's screeches would bring tears to his eyes, and he'd end the day lying on the floor of a fur closet riddled with bear traps without even the small comfort of a pillow, like any other day in the little miserable life of an Isle Kid.

Unfair.

But, as it often happened, bad things could get worse.

In fact, Carlos had been a little sluggish for the better part of the day, and it was sheer luck Cruella was having a creative fit aka the only time she left the kid alone and completely forgot the rest of the world. It also meant she didn't bother giving him food, but Carlos was smart enough to get some himself, thanks the Lord.

It was in the late evening, while mending a hole in the old robe he found in the abandoned chest in the attic, he guessed one that used to belong to one of the previous de Vil masters if not to Baron Hellman even, that Bruno was alerted by the rats who jumped up and down to get his attention. It didn't seem it was because one of them had had a skirmish with Beelzebub, Carlos' kitten he received when he attended the Evil Queen's daughter's birthday, but something just as urgent. Something involving Carlos, for sure.

Bruno immediately dropped everything and ran to see what was the matter. The inside of the closet was dark, Carlos must have not dared to turn on the light, but Bruno had no doubt the boy was crying. He had become far too accustomed to the sound of his son's tears for his liking to mistake it.

It broke his heart every time and tonight even more so, knowing what a special day the following would be. Perhaps Carlos knew too and that was the reason of his despair.

But no, there was something wrong in his crying. It was hoarse, riddled with small hiccups and moments when it seemed he was out of breath, peppered with tiny coughing fits.

Something was very wrong.

His eyes accustomed to the darkness enough to let him see Carlos' eyes were completely shut so he risked to stick his head a bit out the vent to get a closer look. It didn't take an expert to figure out the boy was both feverish and out of consciousness.

With less hesitations, Bruno climbed down. The fur closet was a bit cramped with all the bear traps riddling the floor and he had to manuever himself quite a bit to go check Carlos' temperature without setting any off.

The boy was sweating and burning, his nose was runny and there were some spots on the side of his head, next to his ears.

"Oh, no" Bruno thought as he crossed his chest thrice "Nonono, this can't be" He had heard of it from Horace and Jasper, who were discussing it a few days before: the Isle was swept by an epidemics that hit mostly children. It was as well as harmless for adults but could be very bad for kids. Jace, Jasper's son, had gotten it and they suspected Harry, Horace's son, did too, so the two brothers had been kicked out the respective homes to get supplies to aid. Of course, the two had ran to Cruella to inform her and ask her help, she had ordered them to keep their "furless mutts" away from Carlos, least he caught that too and couldn't do his chores. So much for motherly concern.

Clearly, it had not been enough. The symptoms, especially the blotched spots near his ears, were unmistakable, Bruno was sure Carlos had contracted it. He didn't know what to do. Julieta had always been the one with the remedy for any ailment, he couldn't remember what did the family do before she got her gift. Bruno tried to reign in his panic. If he panicked, no one would help Carlos, he just knew, at least until Ella came out her creative fit she would not react even to bombs, and there was no way to know when that would happen.

"Focus" he scolded himself.

Carlos was ill, ill people needed care. Doctor, he had to find a doctor. But on the Isle of the Lost, who could be trustworthy? Medicines, then. There was none in Hell Hall, but if the illness was spred to all the Isle, there had to be someone out there who'd have something.

So there Bruno went, setting foot outside the walls of Hell Hall for the first time in two years, with no little amount of knocking on wood and finger-crossing and so forth, hoping and praying he could go back without troubles with the cure for his suffering son. § Dr Facilier wasn't a real doctor, but he was the closest thing the Isle had besides the witches - and Bruno wouldn't go anywhere near the witches - and the only one who required a fair enough price for his expertise.

Not to mention, Faciler was a father, and one of the few ones around there who actually cared for his kids: when the epidemics started, Faciler started to work on a cure, afraid as he was he could lose his daughters to it, and now he had perfected the only effective treatment of the whole Isle of the Lost.

It had been Will Baker to tell Bruno that much, two of his kids had taken it and were now better, both Anthony and Ava had recovered at good pace and even Drusilla, the newborn of Drizella, had been miraculously saved by the concoction the voodoo master sold, after the witches had told them there was nothing to do for a child this small.

[...] "As for the payment..."

Bruno hesitated for about two seconds before pulling out the ring from his pocket. It was a real emerald, as far as he knew, one of the few real jewels left in Hell Hall. He knew it was techically stealing - he begged the Lord for forgiveness and promised he would make penance - but on the other hand, wasn't he using the family fortune for one of its members? Carlos was a de Vil, technically the heir of the family, that was for him. Bruno was only a proxy, and for a good reason.

If Cruella wouldn't move a finger for her son, so lost in her own mind she didn't even realize Carlos was ill, he would.

Facilier's eyes narrowed at the gem, studying it "May I ask where did you get this from, my friend?"

"It's my wife's" not a lie, Bruno was already committing enough sins to add lies to the pile "Is it not enough?" he worried, like an afterthought.

"It's adequate" Faciler replied, holding out his long fingers to get the item. Bruno took it back, clutching it to his chest "The cure first"

The other man rolled his eyes "Of course, I am a gentleman. My deals are always paid for on both sides"

His hand's shadow detached from the wall and brought a little vial of opaque glass in which it could be barely seen the slushing of some dense liquid.

"Two drops thrice a day for a child, five for an adult. Only one if the child is younger than two" the Shadow Man recited, the tone of one who repeated the instructions ad nauseam.

Bruno looked at the vial, offered by the unbodied hand, then took it and gave it the ring in exchange "Thank you"

Facilier laughed, the shadow put the piece of jewelry in his pocket "It's been a while since I heard that last. You must be a slow learner, Mr de Vil"

Bruno jumped in his skin "How...?"

"From a future-teller to another, let me give you some free advice: don't show how meek you are, unless it's to deceive others. Kindness is weakness down here. Now go, your boy's waiting"

[...] Carlos didn't get a gift, not that night nor the next, but Bruno wasn't thinking about that, not while he was far too busy keeping his boy alive.

The illness could have claimed his life. Any illness could. Carlos was underfed, underweight, had too many chores for his age and a mother who didn't know how to be one, nor cared to learn.

And yet Carlos survived not only that night, and the next, and the whole week, but also the following months and years.

Whether it was thanks to Facilier's medicine, to Bruno's secret care, or a combination of both, he recovered in full. And he kept on living.

And he didn't get ill again, never that badly. Not even when another epidemic swept the Isle a few years later, not when seasonal flues came, or a particularly late barge left the islanders with food even more rotten than usual and accidental poisoning was rampant for a few weeks.

Bruno wasn't sure if he had to thank Facilier, or God, or the Miracle that had somehow found its way to Carlos. He was thankful Carlos was on his way to grow into his teen years, as long as health was involved.

He was still growing slowly, thin and a tad on the weak side - which Bruno blamed on genetics and too little food - but he was growing. And that, on the Isle of the Lost, was a bit of a miracle in itself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bit 2

Carlos tried to remember if he ever saw him. His father had to be really good at disappearing, but...

There were many times Carlos fell asleep before he could finish the chores Cruella gave him, only to find them done in the morning. Times his mother hid the key of the pantry to deny him food and he found some stashed in his closet-room even if he didn't remember leaving it there. Times he got hurt and wasn't sure his bandagings or self-medications were done right, yet discovering with relief they were more than fine after some sleep.

Long nights being ill and imagining someone gave him water and medicine and sang to him now felt a little less fever dreams and a bit more real instances. Pieces for his tech he needed being in the toolbox when they definitely hadn't been there before.

Little things. Silent, almost invisible signs of something - someone - taking care of him despite everything.

He had tricked himself thinking it had been his mother, doing things for him when he wasn't watching, tough love or something, or maybe pity from Jasper and Horace.

This... made more sense.

"I'm not a good father, I know. I'm not good with kids, or with people for that matter, and I didn't know how to live alone out there, just me and you. I always had mamà and Casita and mi hermanes, your aunts, I wanted to take you away when your mom got worse but I didn't know how we would have survived, just the two of us, without help, assuming she would have let me keep you, so I had to let you stay here and this caused you pain, I know. I'm sorry, Carlos"

"You spent years in the walls of Hell Hall just for my sake?"

"Well, after you started going to school I went out a bit too, while you weren't home, mostly"

[...] "What do you even do in here all the time?"

"Lots of things, actually! I sew, clean, do repairs, and I have free entertainment! I write ratanovelas and plays. I used to say my gift was acting, but I'm good with playwriting, if I can say so..."

"You write what?"

"Ratanovelas. Mr Ratigan jr is my top actor, and I'd have more talents if Beelzebub didn't chase away most of them"

"But animals can't speak under the barrier"

"They're very expressive though"

"You've been alone for too long" Carlos smiled "And yet you're still more sane than mom"

"That's not so hard" Bruno grimaced, then flailed his hands "Nonono, forget I said that, I shouldn't teach you to disrespect your elders, especially your mother" Carlos didn't think that respect for elders should mean to never tell the truth, but it was a thought he held deep down, bottled by years of receiving beatings from older kids and adults for running his mouth too smart.

"I don't understand"

"Uh?"

"I mean, you are so... nice. What did you see in mom?"

"I, uh, was among the last to be brought to the Isle, you see. Mi familia did what they could to keep me there as long as possible, but..." he shrugged "I was in the same boat as your uncle Cecil and he said he was going to not be separated from his family, especially his sister. He was fine with me following him and introduced me to many people once here, and talked so highly about his sister I had no reason to think badly of her. We didn't get many outiside news in Encanto and there were lots of people more or less innocent thrown in the last barges. When I met her she was... less bad than now, you know? in the head" he tapped his temple for emphasis "And they made me think her crimes were, like, illegal business practices, I thought that meant tax evasion or fraud, it wasn't that bad compared to murderers and evil magicians. I saw a large familia like mine and they're nice enough when they try and Ella was, uh, she could be be really charming when she wanted to"

"You still call her Ella, like uncle Cecil does" Carlos noted, not without a bit of surprise.

Bruno smiled a bit and lowered his eyes with a tiny shrug "She was my only one, you know? I never had a relationship before, or after. In a way, she'll always be my one, or the woman she was back then will be. I told you, she was different when I met her, a different woman. I thought she loved me"

"Yeah, me too"

"I wish I could say she loves you in her own weird way, but..."

"I know. It's fine, really. I have known for a while, the most precious thing in her life are her furs, not me"

"If it helps, you are mine"

"Your what?"

"Most precious. Person, not thing. Important. Loved. I'm terrible at this, I know..."

Whatever remained of Carlos' anger flew away at that.

[...] "Okay, hear that, Ben asked us if we had more family in Auradon, to get custody of us VKs so we can stay out there without coming back here for holidays and stuff unless we want to"

"That's good! It will do you well. You're already so much healthier since I last saw you, and Julieta's food will do you plenty good..."

"Yeah, but..."

"Oh, no. No, you don't worry about it. Or me. Mi familia, our familia, they'll greet you with open arms. Julieta, tu tìa, will for sure, you can ask for her. Pepa will need a bit to come around but Felix will..."

"How can you be so sure? They sent you away"

"Err... The fears of the villagers sent me away... well, technically the Security Services did, if we want to be precise. Maybe Pepa was still a little upset for the hurricane during her wedding, but I know how much she thundered when I was taken away. Mi familia wanted me to stay and they'll want you too, I saw it!" "I think I missed something"

"You don't know about Encanto?"

Carlos shook his head "I knew nothing about you at all before today"

"Oh, it's, well, it's all about the Miracle. The Miracle made Encanto what it is, it protected our people when they were running from Shuriki's horsemen, you know, Avalor's usurper, by raising mountains around the valley and giving us a safe place to live, and then it made Casita, our magic home. And the same Miracle that makes Casita special gives a gift and a special room to each Madrigal child for their fifth birthday, so we can help the village more. I got visions of the future, Pepa can control weather, Julieta's food can heal next to anything"

"Whoa"

Bruno nodded "I'm not sure what all your primas' gifts are, I'm sure Isabela had to do with plants because in my visions she was always surrounded by flowers and vines, and Dolores has something like good hearing or mind reading? and I think Luisa has strength? I'm not sure about the rest, the visions about Mirabel were, uh, it doesn't matter. Oh, you could get yours too, once there! Or not, I don't know if it could happen only on your fifth birthday..."

Carlos shook his head "That's a lot to unpack"

"Ah, yes, sorry" he seemed to shrink back, the little enthusiasm elicited by talking about his family dissolved in a hearbeat "Anyway, Casita is a great home to live in, you'll be cared for in there"

"If they'll want me"

"They will. They didn't want me to leave, mamà, your Abuela, wanted to have the family close at all times, having you around will make them happy. And I saw it, I saw you in Casita! It was my first vision since I got here, it happened when the Barrier opened during the coronation. You'll be fine, mijo"

[...] "I don't understand" Carlos took one of the props made for the small rat-scenery and twirled it in his fingers "Why are you even here? What did you do to end up on the Isle?"

"It's a bit, uh, complicated. It wasn't things I did on purpose, but people thought I did. Could. It's complicated"

Carlos listened him explain the gift and its working and why the Safety Services decided his place was on the Isle. Too dangerous to be left free.

"But if you can't control the visions it means you're just a spectator, not a wrongdoer"

"That's what I tried to explain! But they didn't listen, they had already drawn conclusions and got King Beast to sign my sentence papers. They also said Pepa's gift was dangerous too, but if I left and the others kept her in check they'll let her off the hook since she could control herself and I couldn't"

"They threathened you?"

He shrugged "It was either just me willingly, or both of us by force, and Dolores was just born and then there would have been no Camilo and Antonio, Julieta and mamà would have been devastated, I couldn't destroy the family by being selfish. I, uh, I love my family"

"You sacrificed for them?"

Bruno shrugged again "I'm just me. The brujo, the black sheep, the useless one. I could foresee things but not how to prevent them, I brought nothing to Encanto. I tried to make myself useful but at the end I gave them only grief. I'm sure they're better off without me"

[...] "No one thought anyone would ever get out the Isle a year ago, and now there are VKs roaming around in Auradon. Have some faith"

"I don't think I would have survived here without faith. I'll hold on, don't worry for me" Bruno shrugged and put something in his hand.

Carlos looked at it and frowned.

"It's salt. You throw it behind you, to ward off bad luck" Bruno explained and proceeded to demonstrate it with a pinch of his own.

"Oh" Carlos scrunched his nose but replicated the gesture.

"Some sugar too would be good, but that's hard to find here, you'll have to make do with salt. I'll keep my fingers crossed"

Okay, maybe he had overestimated how sane his father was.

§§§

[tale-of-two-queens]

Must be tough

First and foremost, this is not a ship. I don't ship them and I doubt that I ever will, these are just the adults having a normal conversations like any person would do.

As for context, I don't want to spoil too much about the events being worked into progress, but they are in the Northern Islands in a sorta house imprisonment but not an actual arrest. There is a brief moment where Fiero almost get his tamborita confiscated by the Caspian (Who is a political figure in the Northern Islands) but was given it back when Caspian realized that he was a wizard and his Avalorian magic counter reacted with the Northern Island magic when Fiero was given a wand instead (as Caspian intended to examine the tamborita, since he studies magic) The tamborita is returned but they are under a spell that prevents them to leave more than 10 feet from the palace(and Sokushi explicitly denied Shuriki the use of a wand)

Also, they have more casual clothing because....because I just wanted them to expand their wardrobe. I tried my best to put them in something that still stays true to their character in some way.

So, the two eventually find a spot while they planned their escape, before the conversation turns about magic usage (Right after Fiero hit Shuriki's ego hard enough o get her to stop her self-indulging shenanigans) so Fiero does explain a bit about how his inheritant Avalorian magic reacts differently to the Northern Island magic, due to being part of different branches of magic. This also gets into a softer side of Shuriki (not redeeming her, but rather showing she's a human) as she expresses a bit of a similar experience saying that her magic never fully bonded due to not being a form Avalor, before diving into her frustrations with magic in general as she had so much pressure to reach the same level as her siblings (who had a pretty good balanced dominion over Northern Island and Satu magic), so that added into self-esteem issues and self-worth + she was one of the rare cases of a sorceress who was rejected by familiars or never got one (She actually inherited this from her mother) So, in a small moment of ""bonding"" (as the two will have a platonic relationship that is close to friends but they aren't) they got into a small descent moment together

colored Sketch without the effect

Note that I don't intend to redeem any of them, but I do believe they are capable of forming healthy relationships without betrayal. They still want to get revenge and do evil deeds, but after all as evil as they are still human with emotions (+ I will make clear that Shuriki's evil because of her actions and NOT because she has NPD. NPD has a lot of negative stereotypes and I very much intend to step away from them)

I might draw them together studying magic or talking about Crystal magic (as Shuriki does seem to know a bit about it, so I headcannon that growing up it was always something that interested her). You know, the usual let this two be...well a Wizard and a Sorceress for once XD

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Something angsty I still sometimes think about with how Shuriki kept Avalor under her thumb for 41 years. I imagine Shuriki quelled the rebellion primarily by sending all magical users out. But any rebels who tried to plot against even without magical backup, she’d bribe turncoats to reveal plans. Or just hire out mercenaries.

The sad thing is that sometimes Esteban tried to stop it. At least discreetly bribe the mercenaries himself to only threaten, not to kill. Or pay them to lie to Shuriki, collect the paycheck and leave.Alas he could not do it every time. Not without her suspecting.

So some nights when he heard the tortured groans of dissidents in the dungeon…. he could only stare at the ceiling and wait for the eventual silence.

Also I feel like this sums up Esteban trying to explain living under Shuriki at least at his most depressed and cynical.

“I’ve lived through the Shuriki era. I know better. If there’s anything I’ve learned from it, is that life is not fair. Life does not always reward the good people and punish the bad. Sometimes it’s quite the opposite. So if you think that we should just relax and all this will fix up naturally because life is kind, ha. You better get some alcohol because you’re only preparing yourself for disappointment.”

[scottpetersen]

Esteban Flores As A Host For Parallax

Ok. Here I’ll be going over why I think Esteban Flores would make a suitable host for Parallax, the embodiment of fear and what might happen if Parallax were to choose Esteban to be their host. And I think that it should be noted that, for this post, I’ll be going over Esteban as he appears before he got redeemed in ‘Coronation Day’ since I think that was when Esteban finally overcame his fear. Also, Spoiler Alert for the Elena Of Avalor TV series and the Green Lantern comics.

First off, I’m gonna go over why Esteban would make a suitable host for Parallax. Parallax chooses their host based on how fearful said host is. I believe that Esteban has experienced a lot of anxiety over the course of his life. After all, he’s been through quite a few traumatizing and stressful events. As revealed in the episode ‘Snow Place Like Home’, his parents died when he was just a kid as a result of not listening to his pleas to not go out to sea. As stated in the episode ‘The Magic Within’, he felt ignored by his family from his childhood to his teenage years. As revealed in ‘Coronation Day’, his uncle Raul not listening to his warning about Shuriki. As shown in ‘Secret Of Avalor’, he, for 41 years, lived with the guilt and anxiety of being responsible for the murder of his aunt Lucia and his uncle Raul and the supposed murder of his cousin Elena, his home kingdom of Avalor being conquered by Shuriki while having to help run it under her rule, and being responsible for his cousin Isabel, his grandfather Francisco and his grandmother being trapped in magical stasis. And as shown in the episode ‘The Magic Within’, he was cast out of his family and started living on the run. All of those events most likely resulted in an insane amount of fear festering inside Esteban. Also, Esteban has been shown to be pretty fearful as shown in the episode ‘Secret Of Avalor’ where he was, at first, too afraid of Shuriki to directly rebel against her.

Next, I’m gonna go over how Esteban and Parallax would interact with each other. Parallax tends to control their host’s body as stated and shown in the Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special. Furthermore, while their body is being controlled by Parallax, the host is trapped in their own mindscape as shown in Tales Of The Sinestro Corps: Parallax #1 where Kyle Rayner was trapped in his own mindscape while his body was being controlled by Parallax. So, I think that Parallax will take over Esteban’s body and get him trapped in his mindscape. And since a mindscape is basically a person’s dream world, I think Esteban’s mindscape will look like the Avalor Palace since Esteban has been pretty fixated on having more power as stated in the song ‘Never Too Late’. Also, while Esteban would be completely overwhelmed by Parallax’s control at first, Esteban might eventually be able to briefly regain control over his body through sheer force of will. After all, as shown in the episode ‘King Of The Carnaval’, Esteban was able to briefly overcome his fear of his secret deal with Shuriki becoming known to his family when he stood up to Victor despite his blackmail.

Now, I’m gonna go over the power that Parallax could gain by possessing Esteban. As I’ve explained in one of my previous points, Esteban has an insane amount of fear. And since Parallax feeds off of fear, that will give Parallax an insane amount of power. Also, as shown in the episode ‘Captain Mateo’, Esteban gained magical power that allows him to teleport himself or anyone around him after he fell into the Crystal Well Of Takaina, the place where every magical Maruvian artifact was forged. So, Parallax will gain that power too since Parallax was able to gain access to The Flash’s super speed by taking control of his body as shown in Green Lantern Vol 4 #60. Also, Parallax might be able to gain access to the sheer power of Takaina itself through Esteban’s magic since Takaina is where Esteban’s magic came from in the first place.

Finally, I’m gonna go over what Parallax might do after taking over Esteban’s body. As shown in Green Lantern Vol 4 #60, Parallax does tend to try to manipulate their opponent through psychological warfare. And considering the fact that, as revealed in the episode ��Dreamcatcher’, Elena felt an immense amount of pain after finding out about Esteban’s deal with Shuriki, Parallax might use that to manipulate Elena and feed off her fear. And Parallax might also try to do the same thing to Isabel and the rest of Esteban’s family as well. However, as I’ve explained in one of my previous points, Esteban may be able to resist Parallax and briefly regain control through sheer force of will. But I think Esteban will put up more resistance once he sees Parallax trying to hurt his family. After all, as shown in the episode ‘Spirit Of A Wizard’, Esteban tried to defend Elena from Ash Delgado during a battle despite the fact that Elena disowned him and tried to sentence him to spend the rest of his days in isolation on Soledad Island. So, that might give Elena a fighting chance against Parallax.

Well, that’s all for this post.

See you all next time.

[raptorladylover6969]

some songs in my EOA Coded Songs playlist that might not make any damn sense but do make sense if you rlly rlly rlly REAAAAAALLY think hard:

-Useless Sacrifice by Death Decline: Istg listening to that song at first had me like “damn I DO NOT understand a word they’re saying under all of that screamo.” Then when I looked up the lyrics, which was the same time I just so happened to finish watching EOA, “why the hell does fit Elena”

-Cobra (specifically the Rock Remix) By Megan Thee Stallion: Bro any emo song fits Elena. I dont gotta say NUTHIN

-Nymphology by Melanie Martinez: Amulet Interlude. Thats all I’m gonna say.

Start a Riot from the Spiderman Into The Spiderverse soundtrack: Secret of Avalor and when the whole kingdom rioted against Shuriki was so JSJJSISKSJWK

Death by Melanie Martinez: I dont gotta say anything. Majority of Melanie’s music is very much Elena coded.

Almost every single Fnaf song: Girl dies, and her soul possesses an amulet, and now she haunts that very amulet. Sound like a certain game⁉️⁉️ Why the hell WOUDNT fnaf songs fit????

[lieutenant-amuel]

Hey. Did you know that some people had wished an Elena of Avalor episode that is like an Avatar: The Last Airbender episode The Tales of Ba Sing Se? It would have been great that the EoA had an episode like that (divided into chapters focusing on one or two main characters). I'm not asking you to make a fic based on what I said, but imagine something like this. There can be Elena, Isabel, Esteban, Naomi, Mateo and... GABE. Think about this, okay? Take care.

Yep, it sounds like a cool idea! It never crossed my mind in the context of the EoA, though, but I think I can save it for later.

[notmoreflippingelves]

It suddenly occurs to me that although "Island of Youth" seems at first a relatively innocuous fun little adventure on the surface, it's actually one of the more quietly devastating Elena of Avalor episodes when you consider it in the context of Esteban's backstory and stop to think about its wider implications. I'm going to put the rest below the cut as it got VERY long and because I do briefly touch on some character headcanons that may be triggering for some people. (warning for some discussion of abusive power dynamics especially as they relate to sexual harassment/coercion).

The episode is set on Esteban's birthday but even though the show does not explicitly remind us of this, this isn't just any old birthday for Esteban. This is specifically during the first birthday that he's had since the liberation of Avalor. It's set during the first birthday in forty-one years (!) that Esteban will be able to celebrate with his family again.

And while Esteban himself is acutely aware of its special significance, the rest of his family is probably not. Because from their perspective, they celebrated Esteban's birthday with him only last year--even if they did so with an Esteban who looks and acts distinctly different from this one. (Elena is the only probable exception as she was the only one besides Esteban to really feel the passage of those long years, even as they did not physically age her as they did him. It's probably why she organizes the surprise party in the first place and charges herself to keep Esteban company while"distracting" him from the surprise).

And though it's only just-barely alluded to in the show itself, this is also the first birthday Esteban's had since he was a teenager--the first birthday in over four decades--where he wasn't eking out a miserable existence trapped under Shuriki's thumb.

His decision to look for the fountain of youth is not the rather pathetic wish of a vain, bitter older man wants to relive some of the glory days of his youth. It's the very understandable wish of a tired, jaded (if also admittedly vain) older man who who never got have a proper youth in the first place--let alone any glory days to cling to.

He did not have the opportunity to squander his own youth, because that youth was taken from him by Shuriki--just as she took Esteban's family, country, and innocence away from him. (And yeah, I know he is partially to blame for his own bad situation, but in Esteban's defense, he was an insecure, frightened and stupid teenager at the time and as a result made the same sort of bad decisions that insecure, frightened, stupid teenagers are wont to make.)

In order to survive--not thrive, merely to survive--under Shuriki's thumb, Esteban was forced to grow up and grow up fast. And grow up in ways that no one should ever have to.

This is true in general but especially true if one tends toward the interpretation that Shuriki may have abused her power over Esteban to take advantage of him in other ways (i.e. sexually) .

In which case, his vanity throughout the show might also have this underlying Freudian excuse undertone to it that Esteban himself may not be consciously aware of. Over the years of Shuriki's reign, Esteban learned to view his looks as perhaps the only thing keeping him alive. So he learned to meticulously maintain his appearance, because as long as he remained handsome, virile and charming, Shuriki would be less likely to have him executed.

And I highly doubt that Esteban would be able to break out of this conditioning--that losing his looks might mean losing his life-- even after Shuriki's defeat. In Esteban's paranoid mind, finding the Fountain of Youth is just another way of protecting himself in the event that Shuriki should return (because there's no way he's not going to be looking over his shoulder for her the rest of his life).

All of which frames his ultimate decision--his choosing to save Elena rather than the canteen of youth-restoring water in a much more complex and noble light.

He's not giving up on a second chance on a youth that he'd voluntarily squandered; he's sacrificing his last opportunity at a real "first chance" of youth on his own terms. Because he recognizes that Elena's life is worth more than the life Esteban never got to have.

He's not reluctantly conceding that his cousin's life is worth more than Esteban's own vanity. He's conceding that his cousin's life is worth more than his own means of survival. In a small, understated way, he's making the choice that he should've made decades earlier: putting his family's safety before his own.

Although the show really doesn't dwell too much on the meaning of this (unsurprisingly), this episode provides a really interesting parallel with the finale. We see early signs that when it really comes down to it, Esteban can be much braver and much more selfless than even he realizes.

[swiftcry]

A few years too late, and you may not even remember, but I want to say it: You were right. The Elena of Avalor fanbase DID have issues it refused to acknowledge. They instead swept them under the rug under the guise of being "drama free." The main ones being (for me) poor fandom dynamics where only a handful of creators ever got proper feedback (and when anyone brought this up they were seen as "attention seeking"), and an intense pressure to fit in based on those popular people's opinions. Maybe no one was outright mean or hateful, but the vibe of "well that's YOUR opinion" just was not it. Because it was done in such a dismissive way where those on the "outside" (rarepair shippers, new writers, people with different headcanons than the popular, etc.) felt ignored and their content unwanted. Also, the canon "all-but-confirmed" confirmation of Gabe and Naomi as a thing just RUINED the fandom. Change my mind.

(For the record, I will not mention and do not want to speak about certain other aspects of shipping due to my personal stance that disagrees with yours. I'd rather let that lie.).

That's it. That is all I wanted to say. You were right and many of us needed a few years removed from it to see it.

Thank you so much for this message! It means a lot. I do remember it well. And probably will for a long time.

I’ve always been a fan of more obscure things, and so as a result,  I’ve always been a member of smaller fandoms. The atmosphere in Elena’s fandom was so contrary to every other similar sized fandom I had ever been in. And it was sad.

In other places, due to just how few of us there were, basically anything and everything was appreciated. Even the weird stuff. Because dang it, it was content. There were multiple interpretations of the lore. Multiple ships. And while there were ‘leaders’, they weren’t decidedly totalitarian in their treatment of others. The best leaders were the ones who encouraged new ideas, stopped misinformation and generally just were cool people. 

I of course came to the Elena fandom a little late but in part for research, in part morbid curiosity I read a lot of old posts throughout the fandoms lifespan. I saw a lot of concerning things. I saw how anyone who criticized Elena as a character in any way got shut out. You could literally see fandom drop-off points where something big would happen in the show, and people who didn’t like whatever it was (re: Dreamcatcher) would try to talk about it before being shut down, especially for defending Esteban. The Dreamcatcher lockdown I’m pretty sure shrank the fandom in half. 

Dude the all but confirmed ships thing fills me with a rage too!

I hatttteeeeee Mateo x Carla so much it's literally my main notp from the show and the finale did it to them too.

Granted, Eleteo was so popular with the big wigs that obviously that one got the slide.

But any other options for Gabe and Naomi were out.

Estenaomi? Elenaomi? Gabeisa? Gabela? Any other combos I’m not thinking of?

Nope! 

(Totally ok! I have a guess as to which it is and while I don’t ship it, it’s chill!)

I personally was a quiet shipper of Marzel and Elena; he struck me as the in-between of Mateo and Gabe that gave her the best of both worlds. 

I have ranted a lot about the toxicity of the fandom to close friends. What got me the most was the gaslighting of people and the regular blatant lying or dismissive behavior. 

There was one gif that was made that was meant to show that ‘blaze isn’t a kill spell’ in a ‘so random coincidence not related to me’. It was from when Shurikki got her wand back and what happened in the show was that blaze hit her wand not Shurikki. 

But the gif was misleading. It took out a frame from the show in order to make it look like blaze hit Shuriki instead of her wand. It made me so fucking angry. 

But I refused to call them on it. Because I even doubted it myself. Because that’s what kind of control these so called ‘leaders’ had on the Elena narrative and discourse.

So instead I just put the actual clip in my second video. 

My favorite thing was how they never directly spoke to me but instead tried to pretend I didn’t exist while ‘so randomly’ addressing the stuff I bring up in either of my videos. 

It was sad.

They were a lot of sad sad women who were definitely lonely.

I lost all sympathy though when they started bullying the younger generation of fans who started appearing and had different takes on the show.

Like the laughability of it all, these millennial women getting angry at the actual intended audience for having a different opinion then them. 

I could keep going, but basically,

Hang in there cowboy. There’s always more fandoms and now you know the warning signs.

Thanks for the message!

[queenofglassbeliever]

The Four Amigos in Once Upon A Time

Adria Arjona as Elena Castillo Flores. Age range (16-28). Crown princess and later queen of Avalor, Elena was trapped in a magical amulet for 41 years before she was freed by her distant relative, Ella. With Ella's help, along with help from Ella's friends Henry and Regina, Elena took her kingdom back from the evil sorceress Shuriki.

Rafael Silva as Gabriel Núñez. Age range (18-30) General Gabe Núñez, formerly captain of the guard, is one of Elena's best friends. Brave and loyal, he would lay down his life to protect those he loves and Avalor.

Chloë Grace Moretz as Naomi Turner. Age range (15-27). The Royal Chancellor of Avalor, Naomi was formerly a member of the Grand Council. She was born in the Magical Forest, but was raised in Avalor since she was two. Having grown up in Avalor Harbor, she was chosen by Elena to serve on the council because of her pragmatism and perseverance.

Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Mateo de Alva. Age range (16-28). Mateo is the Royal Wizard of Avalor. The grandson of the former Royal Wizard, Alacazar, Mateo was born with magic. However, he was forced to hide it because of Queen Shuriki's ban on magic. But that didn't stop him from practicing in secret.

Elena's family/The Royal Family

Lillianna Valenzuela and Rachel Zegler as Isabel Castillo Flores. Age range (10-22). Valenzuela as Isabel ages 10-14. Zegler as Isabel ages 15-22. Princess Isabel is Elena's little sister. With a mind for science and engineering, she becomes Avalor's Royal Inventor. She, along with her maternal grandparents, was imprisoned in an enchanted painting where none of them aged for 41 years.

Tony Plana as Francisco Flores and Alma Martinez as Luisa Flores. Age range (old enough). Francisco and Luisa are the maternal grandparents of Elena. Francisco is a member of a very old noble Avaloran family. He had a sister, Josefina Flores (oc) who married a baron from the Magical Forest. Their great granddaughter is Ella. Luisa is from another Avaloran noble family, but the family fell on hard times. Luisa's grandparents opened up a chocolate shop, La Vida Dulce, which was closed down during Shuriki's rule. At some point Luisa reopens the shop. Francisco and Luisa were both members of the Grand Council.

David DeSantos as Esteban Flores. Age range (50s-60s, but appears 30s-40s because he exfoliates). Esteban is the maternal first cousin of Elena and Isabel. His mother, Margarita, was the sister of their mother, Lucia. When Esteban was little, his parents died in a blizzard at sea. He was raised by his grandparents. As a teenager, he felt unseen and desired power. He agreed to help Shuriki invade Avalor in exchange for political power under her reign. He made Shuriki promise that his family would be unharmed. Shuriki had no intention of keeping the promise and assassinated his aunt and uncle, Queen Lucia and King Raul. Esteban was the only member to age during Shuriki's 41 years of rule. Around 3 years after Shuriki's defeat, Esteban's involvement in her take over was revealed and he was banished from Avalor. His family did eventually forgive him and he was welcomed back home.

[procrastinateland]

elena of avalor encanto inspired au

in a world much like ours, elena is the princess of avalor and on her birthday, is given an amulet

one day, when elena is 16, soldiers appear in avalor under the leadership of shuriki, and the kingdom enters into a long battle in order to save it

elena unfortunately loses her parents and is almost about to lose her kingdom

so, she wishes for a miracle and through the amulet, she’s granted one

elena is granted the power of light and uses it to defeat shuriki and ends the battle

the amulet also enchants the palace and grants isabel a power as well

esteban is found out to have betrayed the family and brought shuriki into avalor (whether that be soon after or years later, i’m not sure lol) and elena banishes him, and esteban “leaves” (they don’t talk about him

basically, this au is set in the 20th century and doesn’t include the magic that’s in show, and elena doesn’t have to spend forty years in the amulet, she lives in the kingdom of avalor with her family and friends until there’s a threat and a miracle helps save her and the kingdom