#felix seems to have no hard feelings about bruno

[prismaticuniverses]

Ris relationships with all the Madrigals:

Abuela/Alma: Ris somehow is very comforted and very intimidated by her at the same time. she’s the first person that seemed to understand Ris on a deeper level, and they’ll be forever grateful that she allowed them to stay in the enca/nto. But also she passes by and Ris immediately stands up straighter and becomes very respectful, does that make sense agkskg

Julieta: Ris wants her approval sooooo bad, they really admire her and they’d never admit it but she’s like the mom they never had

Agustin: Ris loves this guy, they joke around together a lot and I like to imagine he starts to teach them how to play the piano, also he’s like the dad they never had

Pepa: out of all the parents Ris and Pepa get along the best!! Whenever Pepa is feeling stressed/sad and gets stuck in the rain, Ris likes to sit with her and they just sort of feel sad together, if that makes sense, Ris also goes to Pepa for advice a LOT

Felix: Ris and Felix are the same type of laid back and go with the flow, so they get along great!! they’re also both jokesters and have a talent for bringing out the playfulness in people, I like to think Felix teaches Ris how to dance (they’re awful at it but they’re trying!!)

Bruno: are they best friends? brothers? uncle and niece or father and kid? all and none at the same time!! they’re very much found family but not in any specific way, they just mean a lot to each other and that’s that, Ris and Bruno bond over their OCD tendencies for SURE, and Bruno is the first one to suggest that maybe Ris’ power can bring comfort too

Isabela: gay people! 🎉 but for real they’re both very much creatives and bond over that, they enjoy parallel play with each other a LOT, they just find a lot of comfort and happiness being around each other and like seeing the world through each others eyes!! they’re also both the Last To Know about their feelings for each other, the siblings/cousins make this elaborate scheme to get them to realize they’re in love and it somehow works

Dolores: Ris gets easily embarrassed around her cause they feel like she Knows too much about them, but one time Dolores hears them singing (it’s their secret talent and they don’t like to sing around people) and she asks them about it and they have a heart to heart, after that they both think the other is just a sweetheart

Luisa: Ris relates to Luisa SO HARD, both feeling like they just have to keep a lid on everything and always be the reliable stable one, I think Ris takes on a bit of a big sibling role for her, providing her a space to be angry or sad or tired, I think Luisa looks up to them a lot

Camilo: I think Ris and Camilo love to cause trouble together, I think he sees them as The Cool Older Cousin and they’re one of the few people who can scold him and actually make an impression sgjskg, also he helps his dad teach Ris to dance (they need all the help they can get)

Mirabel: Ris thinks Mirabel’s connection to Casita is sooooo cool, and they’re the first person to suggest that the house chose her as Alma’s successor and the next matriarch, Mirabel thinks Ris is super cool and is one of the main people to help them explore their power more, but she thinks Ris and Isa’s crush on each other is obnoxious sgjskg

Antonio: Ris LOVES kids and gets along with Antonio really well!! they listen to him chatter on about animal facts, and Antonio helps them get comfortable with touch/contact again! Ris is really afraid to hurt him or his animals, but Antonio is a sweet and patient kid, I like to think one of the first times Ris controls their power and doesn’t inflict pain is when Antonio guides them to pet the jaguar

[gamerbearmira]

Housebroken idea what duh⁉️⁉️

Ok????? been thinking about this for hours, based on SA’s most recent Housebroken idea⁉️

Ok so ceremony timeeeee. Was thinking about how it formed. The candle was Pedro’s sacrifice, it was the magic. Hence why Casita and Pedro were essentially connected to the house and sort of each other?? I digress. If Pedro left, he took the magic with him. And it looks like the magic takes on whatever tf Pedro wants it to.

Since Julieta, Pepa and Bruno’s doors kind formed when their new home did, they didn’t go through the ceremony again. Maybe Pedro did it himself? Maybe?? He is the magic, essentially, at least in this AU. He has the ability to give and take away magic it seems. I mean. He moved Casita sentience so there’s that. I imagine when his grandkids (not Alma’s, his) came along, he kind of gave the magic to them directly.

Like. Lemme explain. Or at least try. So, they do have a ‘nursery’ of sorts in this home as well. Didn’t come to be til Julieta found out she was having a baby. After the nursery came to be, that’s just where the kids stay. It’s clear either Pedro or Casita created that room. Now here’s where my idea comes into play 😼😼

Basically, Pedro would hold the child’s hand, and give them the magic directly. Except he doesn’t go in a long winded speech about how he died and the child has to serve the community, obviously. He just gives the child their magic. How does he know which gift to give? He observes them. He doesn’t immediately give them a room because one, they’re too young, and two, he uses the 5 years as a way to observe the children and thus give them a gift they’ll like.

So he hold’s both, or rather all, in the case of Mirabel, child’s hand and gives them magic. Then they have it. But what about the room? Well, Casita just creates one. Carves their name above and creates a blank room. Child touches the wall beside the threshold and boom there’s their room. And no, the children aren’t pressured to immediately move into their room. Usually they stay in the nursery for a bit longer, usually a week or two and ease their way into sleeping there. After all, it is a new place.

Anyway Mirabel’s gift. She basically is the candleholder in this AU; Pedro essentially gives her his ability, and she can actively go around and help her family with their gifts, just by touching them. She also does Antonio’s ceremony too, she’s the one who holds his hands.

TL;DR; Pedro gives gifts directly by holding the child’s hand. Child gets room by touch the threshold and Casita creates it accordingly.

Once again, I am thinking way too hard and putting in way too much effort.

I

I fixed it, no more mean Alma, she’s been replaced by Pedro (and Bruno)

Wondering how Alma feels rn 💀💀 mf is alone in a giant empty non sentient house. Conflict could be she finds it that her daughters’s children have gifts, probably through Felix’s/Agustín’s parents, villagers who trekked far enough to see for themselves. Alma knows she has grandchildren but refuses to interact with anybody from the family, claiming them all to be wild animals. Weirdo. Anyway she. Sees how useful some of the gist are and tries to, quote unquote “take them back.” Talking about how much she missed them and how she didn’t mean what she said and did all those years ago.

Like the desperate freakin loser she is

Anyway how we feeling bout his, do we like or dislike 😩

IM OFF TO BED ITS 2 A.M

More asks, more specifically the art request ones, tomorrow ❤️

[futurstic-divineawakened]

Encanto: A male friend of Mirabel help saves the Miracle 5

* Outside the of Bruno’s room Mirabel and Mateo were discussing how to put the pieces of the Miracle together without the rest of the family knowing

* They brush each other the sand off their clothes

* Mirabel saw Mateo bend down in a corner and pick up a bag

* “What’s that?”

* “Antonio’s present”

* As Mirabel was about to question what happen Abuela came Turing the corner

* “Mirabel” she said sternly and then her eyes widen as she saw she want alone

* “Mateo Lopez I presume”

* “Hola Dona Madrigal” Mateo said looking fluster

* Alma then put in a smile as her eyes look at them both together “What is the pleasure of having you in La Casa Madrigal? Something for Mirabel? The family been wanting to get to know you for a while”

* Mirabel look confused. The family has been questioning her about Mateo for the first time ever and there is no reason too

* Mateo took control of the conversation easily “Well I am about to ask Mirabel her opinion on my gift for Antonio, I know he likes animals and his gift represents that” Mateo was polite in the way he talk

* Not realizing that Alma was going over a certain checklist

* Alma then ask Mirabel if she knew what was happening to Luisa

* Mirabel seemed confuse, If she’s talking about feeling weak about her gift then yes

* But Mirabel would not say anything yet until she get the full story

* Alma then decide to let it go since it seems like Mirabel and Mateo were together the whole time

* Mirabel made sure her bag was secure as she led Mateo away

* As the rest of the family came in and saw on the second floor Alma, Mirabel and Mateo chatting

* They quiet down to hear the conversation happen

* “Abuela, my sewing supplies are in my… the nursery, I’ll be taking Mateo there”

* Alma was not happy with that, she was worry Mateo would do something unwanted to Mirabel “well he is a guest and as a guest he should come downstairs, Mirabel you can take him to the dining table with your supplies”

* “But Abuela that would ruin Antonio’s present, Mateo work so hard to keep it a secret “

* “A present!?” Antonio called out as he ran up the stairs towards the trio at the top

* Mateo look at the famil and wave while making sure to greet the meme ears he knew “Hola Señor Agustin, Señorita Julieta “

* “Hola Mateo” Julieta said as she walk towards the kitchen to prepare for the engagement dinner “I have some food for you if you want “

* While that happen Antonio was questioning Mirabel about his gift

* However Mirabel would not tell him and she turn her focus on Luisa

* She gave Luisa a look to ask if she is ok

* Luisa gave her a thumbs up and made sure she wouldn’t worry

* “Dolores you are ok right, the action probably hurted your ears” Mirabel whisper

* Dolores gave her a look of reassurance

* Mirabel then turn to see Abuela watching Mateo and Antonio

* Antonio was trying to guess his present while Mateo told him nothing that could work

* “Come on Mateo” Mirabel said as she walk to her room grabbing Mateo by the arms

* Mateo follow her giving a wave to the family before Mirabel open the door and close it to the nursery

* Outside the family was gossiping

* Pepa look so excited, she couldn’t help but swoon at how it’s almost like the romantic of books she read to Felix

* Felix told her that the books might not even happen

* Camilo asked Dolores if she heard anything suspicious while those two were together

* Luisa and Isabela were muttering to each other how to approach Mateo and ask him about Mirabel

* It was Abuela who clap her hands gaining the attention of the family to get ready for Mariano and the Guzmans

* She declare she would leave to get them, leaving Casita once again to go back in town

* While that happens Mateo took out Antonio’s present or should I say presents, it was two one a giant color page just full of animals and the other was a stuffy capybara, it was homemade and the uneven stitches were stuck out in some parts

* “That’s perfect Antonio will love it” Mirabel said

* Downstairs Pepa was interrogating Julieta about Mateo

* While the conversation about Antonio happen it shifts to Mirabel making the vision.

* Mirabel mention her Tio Bruno

* Mateo said he doesn’t remember him at all, but he did remember the color green

* Pepa bursts in with a bit of lighting

* Mirabel put her bag over the pieces of the vision while Mateo put his long sleeve shirt next to Mirabel’s bag to cover the glowing pieces

* “You know we shouldn’t talk about Bruno Mirabel” Pepa said

* Pepa then look towards Mateo and comment how he actually remembers Bruno

* “Not much, just fragments” Mateo answer her

* Pepa saw the stuff animal and ask if it was the present for Antonio

* Mateo answer yes, and show her his homemade gift

* Pepa inwardly gush at that, making sure Mateo hit all the check marks needed for him to join the Madrigals

* “You have more memories of him than me Matte” Mirabel comment reminiscing about Bruno

* “Not really” Mateo said before Pepa could speak “all I remember was that his gift was cool and I thought his gift had something to do with lights it was amazing

* Felix’s storm scene happen

* We don’t talk about Bruno no-no-no

* Mirabel was shocked to see it was her staring back

* “Mira look at me” Mateo said looking at how Mirabel’s face change to a form of panic

* “Mira” he took her face and turn her towards him, putting himself in front of the vision blocking the view with his body, his hand cups her checks as he count down with her to breath

* Mirabel slowly relax as her vision went from blurry to clear she focus on Mateo

* “Gracias Matte” She was thankful, she didn’t know how it would have been doing this by herself

* Mirabel was forever grateful to have a friend like him

* Mateo gave her a smile one that reach his eyes as he kept her close to him…

* Agustin burst threw the fire “Miraboo you have your party pants on..”

* He pause, looking at the two kids in the nursery, and then smirk

* “Well excuse me, am I interrupting something?” Agustin ask with a smug grin on his face

* They seperate, with Mirabel moving towards her papa with red checks as Mateo leans more back on the dresser

* “Papa, it’s not like that” Mirabel squeak

* But Agustin heard nothing of it and chuckle as he went back stairs

* “You better be down before the Guzmans arrive and I get you both”

* Agustin left, seeing Mirabel and Mateo together, but not seeing Bruno’s vision

* “Well that went well” Mateo said stretching looking everywhere but at Mirabel

* “Yeah, now mi familia is going to ask so many questions tomorrow”

* Mateo respond to Mirabel’s sarcasm with a joke; “yeah, now they think I purpose to you and we are already having a kid together”

* Mirabel look surprised but she saw that Mateo was joking “yep, I’m a month pregnant now” she said with a giggle

* They both laugh at the ridiculousness and how her family might actually think that.

* The joyful mood set in the room turn somer as she went towards the vision

* Uncover from Mateo’s shirt and Mirabel’s bag

* “Should I tell them?” Mirabel ask, she didn’t think telling them would do anything for her

* Mateo thought the same “No, we can tell them tomorrow, or even the day after”

* “That makes sense, Abuela wants this night to be perfect, and me telling them would just ruin it”

* “Well when you do, I’ll be with you, if you want to keep it a secret until we are farther along then we can do that too”

* “So we agree the plan is to wait and tell them later” she turns to look at him

* “This is your future Mirabel, only you can choose how to get there” he responded

* Both Mirabel and Mateo look at each other, wondering if they should say something

* Mateo then took Mirabel’s bag, and start to pick up the pieces

* “I’ll take this home, along with Antonio’s gift, I can make it better for him tomorrow”

* They heard a squeak, Mirabel look at Mateo and walk towards the door with Casita opening it wide

* Not realizing that their was a crack and Dolores heard everything

* She look at Mirabel as if she was a new person never seen before

* Mirabel was confuse but Dolores just look her up and down and gave her another squeak, quickly walking away

* Mateo came out with Mirabel’s bag, looking at her questionly

* “Time to eat” Abuela said as Mirabel and Mateo went downstairs

* Dolores look at her and mouth the words ‘I know’

* Mirabel froze as Dolores went to take her seat

* Mirabel elbow Mateo slightly and said a code “the bird hears”

* Mateo knew it meant Dolores and panic as they both thought that Dolores was in her room, not listening to them

* Mirabel walk Mateo towards the door, but before they could open it

* Abuela Alma and Señora Guzman came out

* “Mateo please stay “ Alma ask with a smile

* “Señora Guzman agree as she nod “yes Mateo, I have seen you with my Mariano before and I would love if you would stay”

* “But this is about Isabela and Mariano” said Mateo trying to politely decline

* “Yes, but it is late and your parents have already been knew that you would be coming towards Casita, I told them you would stay for dinner” Alma responded

* Mirabel was shock, if even more flabbergasted. Abuela has never done that before

* “Si, Dona Alma I would be honored” Mateo said passing the bag back to Mirabel as the elders led them to the dining room

* “Familia, we welcome Mateo to dinner” said Alma as the family look towards Mirabel and Mateo entering together

* Casita pull up two chairs next to each other with Mirabel sitting next to Isabela and Mateo sitting next to Mirabel

* Only one thing come to mind

* Miercoles…

So the story is a going off canon a bit. Agustin never saw the vision prompting Mirabel to tell him everything.

I forgot that Mirabel’s bag is call a mochila

Dolores always hearing everything, but I think her gift has limits for example, she can’t hear different tones at time and as such can’t hear the sarcastic tones people use or when they are making a joke.

Mirabel has codes for everyone, Antonio doesn’t have one since she has never hid anything from him truly. Thorns is Isabela, leon is Camilo; short of chameleon, icy hot is Pepa,Arepa is Julieta, unicorn is Luisa, etc

[isabelasflowersblog]

So I saw this similar thing in Encanto and Turning Red about Mirabel and Mei's mothers, Julieta and Ming. After watching those movies A HUNDRED TIMES, after looking through fan accounts on Instagram and on tumblr, I found something similar about these two mothers and it is: their mothers did not approve of their relationships with their spouse. But something different about it is that how they convince their mothers to not break them up and let them continue their relationship.

First off, in Turning Red, before Mei's ritual, Jin told her about Ming's panda, because during that time, when Ming had her panda, she was already in a relationship with Jin. He revealed to Mei that her grandmother did not approve of him. He seems to be a dorky, fun guy to begin with. In Encanto, it was not revealed in the movie but it was said on Twitter by the director, Jared Bush. He said that Abuela Alma perfectly accepted Felix to be Pepa's spouse but Agustín was not her first choice for Julieta.

The two of them are somewhat, ✨the perfect daughter a mother could wish✨. Ming I guess was a model student, straight A's, teacher's pet, honor student with a mother that has HUGE dreams for her. (You know how Asian parents are) Probably, Jin had a hard time coping with his grades and struggles in some subjects and Ming offered to help and they spend time together learning and studying together whenever they have time that led Jin's grades improving because of her. Julieta, as the oldest of all the triplets, had a gift which was more bearable for Alma to handle as she raised them without a father and a husband by her side. She was the most responsible one out of Pepa and Bruno (from what Jared Bush said) because her two siblings had huge struggles with their gift that made Alma's parenting even more stressful.

These two grandmothers, Abuela Alma and Grandma Wu, wanted their perfect daughters have the perfect husband to have perfect children and even though Jin and Agustín are really nice guys, it did not seem to catch a spark of interest to their partner's mothers. (btw these two dads gives off the same energy and they even wear glasses and their daughters wear glasses too) They are probably/really dorky, fun guys to be with, but their partner's mothers did not approve of their relationship together and these two men and even their partners felt upset about it.

Now, let us proceed how these women convinced their mothers to continue their relationship with them. As I said, Ming already had experienced her panda during the time that she maybe introduced Jin to her mother. Her mother, of course did not approve of it, that led them to a big fight. Since anger is a strong emotion, Ming released her panda and made it huge because of those feelings. The fight also led to destroying half of the temple that they own. Ming also accidentally hurt her own mom because she lost control of her anger that led to their strained relationship. Julieta, is also magical when she introduced Agustín to her mother. When her mother did not approve of it, she probably talked to her why she did not approve of it and Alma probably thought he was just taking advantage of her gift knowing how clumsy and accident-prone he is all the time. Julieta probably told her mother in a calm tone about how much she loves him and he loves her (just like how she reminded her on Antonio's gift ceremony to not be hard on Mirabel) and knowing about that made her just accept their relationship and see how it goes.

I think the only thing that these grandmothers like about their marriage, is their children. Ming and Jin had Mei, who was also a model student, teacher's pet, and honor student. Another perfect daughter that a mother (especially Asian mothers) could wish for. Also, Grandma Wu was so proud. Julieta and Agustín had Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel. Abuela Alma loved Isabela's gift because it was so perfect. The perfect looks, the perfect gift, the perfect person that will bring so much blessings to the family because of her overall perfection. Isabela is also the oldest of all the Madrigal grandchildren. Luisa, has a very useful gift since she is strong and she can lift heavy things.

I guess this is all, it is bad but it is just in my mind right now that I want to write.

[casitafallz-a]

Pariah AU | To Uncover The Truth P1

Abuela stood back at the edge of the kitchen, tucked away to observe with both caution and confusion at the sight that lay on her kitchen.

The strange girl and the…Isabela. The latter was laid out on their dining room table and that was astonishing to see how alike the Isabela was and wasn’t but Abuela new her nieta was fine with the rest of the grandchildren she kept in their rooms; Her Isabela wasn’t the one lying down so she kept her focus to the girl, watching as she seemed to shine a light down the other girl’s through, touching along the bruises around the woman’s neck and checking over with… clear sense of experience of what she was looking for

Felix so far in the last ten minutes had been the one she looked to be most open for aid; Agustín was rejected and Abuela wasn’t sure why but she allowed it but she could feel Agustín shifting beside her as he too observes with a tense expression.

“She looks like her.”

Abuela pursed her lips but didn’t disagree. The girl did look like Julieta; she couldn’t deny that evidence but… from simple observation she looked to have a very hard and rough personality that was Julieta’s opposite; with the fact the girl carried throwing blades, as Luisa had mentioned, and the 7 dead men Abuela had to assume the girls did not live a simple, peaceful life.

No wonder there was distrust so she hoped that Felix would be their lead to…understanding this puzzle.

The girl was a Madrigal; she looked like Julieta and had a gift. Undeniable. Abuela could feel it in her gut.

But she just…didn’t make any sense.

“Did she give a name?”

“First name only, Verana.” Agustín signed, “So far, she’s single minded to care for her…sister. Apparently she’s called Decay.”

“Decay?” Abuela looked to him sharply, “Who calls a baby that?”

“I suspect it’s a nickname that’s… normalised. She mentioned another— I suspect the Mirabel look-alike—she called Wanderer.”

“I see.”

“We’ve got a few people searching the rivers. Bruno’s vision of her falling in was true.”

Abuela nodded. “What has she said?”

“Nothing beyond necessary. She’s not trusting us more than necessary either; probably only enough to care for her sister. She wouldn’t leave until she had stripped the remaining assailants of technology that we’re unfamiliar with and showed a few how to make hand-guns safe and left after that. She won’t let anyone near those bags.” He nodded down, where under the table was a bag that looked to have been taped down from bursting with…stuff.

“I see.”

The girl knew her weapons; she was trained and clearly from a young age. Which made it all the more difficult but Abuela knew she had to be the authority here; this was her home and family she had to protect.

“Her gift, I believe is in her eyes. She won’t take the glasses off.” Agustín added.

Abuela suspected as much. “Let’s not force them off until we know for certain what she can do. Luisa said she…effected a group at once which means she can easily subdue even her and the rest in a heartbeat. I’d rather not test that just yet.” Perhaps the girl’s gift was linked to the girl’s road-life. Easier to escape or defend…or worse attack.

“What do we do now?”

“Keep them in Casita, if we can. I want to know more about her…and her friends.”

“We have the nursery being sorted out; two beds in there for now. Mirabel said she was open for her duplicate to bunk in hers. She can fish for information as well.” Agustín carried on. “If you’ll let her.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Go and talk to the men, Mariano is still sorting out their…camp. He might be able to find useful bits and pieces there. We’ll try and curry some favour here.”

Agustín paused but after a moment he nodded. “Okay.”

Abuela watched him leave before he took a steady breath and with her head held high swept fully into the kitchen. Felix looked up but sunk more to the background as she approached.

“Welcome to my home. I am Alma Madrigal, this family’s matriarch.” She introduced.

The girl’s head rose her to look at her but her expression didn’t change before she nodded softly, the girl’s sunglasses made it hard to see what sort of emotion the girl had though Abuela felt the… hard stare through the tinted glass and her lip pursing a fraction.  

“I’m Verana. I apologise for this unusual night for you. Once I have her on the mend, I will gladly leave.”

“Nonsense.” Abuela shook her head, noting how the girl didn’t present a last name to her either. “She’s hardly in a state to go back to the woods. I will not allow that when there is plenty of space in my home. It would be careless of me to let you go.”

Verana looked…displeased but didn’t argue on her with that.

“How old are you?”

Verana again looked displeased but Abuela fixed her with a stern look.

Verana’s cheeks flushed a little though seemed to cave. “Just turned 15.”

“You’re left to go camping at…15 in the middle of the woods of nowhere?”

“I didn’t have a choice. I had to go.” Verana frowned at her oddly. “This is my punishment. I don’t want to be here.”

“You...mother left you here?” Did…Julieta abandon this girl here? Abuela was not for that idea but… nothing here made sense; maybe Julieta didn’t get to raise the baby at all but they clearly knew where the girl was from…if she was a ture Madrigal.

“No.” her expression turned soft, though seemed to focus more to the metal limbs with a fonder edge, “No.” With a few flicks, the girl seemed to detach the damaged stump from Decay’s frame, turning to place it on the counter side and wrap it up in a cloth.

Felix spoke next, softly with “Is…your mother alive? Is there a way to contact her to bring you home?”

Verana said nothing, tying up the broken limb intently.

Felix spared a look to her before Abuela shook her head to stop probing. Too close, it seemed and she didn’t think Verana here would cooperate much more. As much as she itched to know more. They had to treat carefully.

Abuela turned her focus to the Isabela—Decay—properly for the first time since standing here. There was no mistake; this girl looked almost like Isabela but… the differences were horrifyingly chilling.

Most prominently was the…metallic arms, or lack thereof; real arms. One looked to have been cut off; the metallic stump was… spuriously sharp in such damage; she could only imagine what had cut through metal. Verana had taken off the outer layer of the odd, leather and cotton jackets to expose the shoulders that… looked to be graphed onto metal. Like it was a part of her. There was some scarring around.

The woman’s face, her left side looked to have scars from the corner of her left eye that trailed up to her hairline but also down her cheek and towards her shoulder in a fashion similar to Lichtenberg scars but…deeper set.

But the scar across her throat, Abuela realised in horror that the girl here had had her throat slit in the past. Clearly there was more to the girl with the…tiny metal panels along her bruised skin but the idea that the girl had survived such horrors spoke a lot. Amputee. Scarred face, throat slit.

What sort of life did these two live?

“What happened to her?” Abuela asked faintly but the answer she got was far worse with how causal the teenager spoke.

“She didn’t fight well enough.” Verana shrugged, getting back to business, peering down the girl’s throat again “I’m making sure her vocal implants aren’t damaged; if they are, I can’t feed her and will have to remove the implants. She’ll lose the ability to speak until a proper replacement or until I can repair them myself.”

“Vocal implants?” Abuela echoed, the term sounded….technical. Unusual but it…seemed somewhat logical to what she assumed was important to the girl’s injury.

“Yes. Much like…these fake arms, she has a fake voice box to allow her to speak.”

Abuela swallowed uneasily, glacing to Felix who looked just as uncomfortable as she did. “May I ask how…she came to need such a replacement?”

Verana paused for a moment to consider. “Got stabbed in the neck.” She sighed out with a shake of her head. “Very messy. I would not recommend.” She snorted softly though looked a little content with her examination before she closed Decay’s mouth shut. “I can’t see she’s in any immediate danger of follow-ups from this sort of injury so it’ll be best for her to wake before she eats.” Verana twirled for the medical pack and opened it up before pulling out a…Arepa and quite promptly tucked it into the girl’s shirt.

Abuela’s breath caught.

Julieta’s food.

“We can take her to the nursery. It still has a bed in there you can use” Felix suggested, “It’s….getting late. I’m sure you need to rest.”

Verana paused, her head tiling towards the doors. “I suppose…”

“We’ll bring your friend here as soon as she’s found.”

“Dead or alive.” Verana added intently

“Sure.” Felix, on his part very well composed before Verana casually took off the other woman’s metal arm and wrapped that as well before a soft knock echoed.

Behind her, Abuela turned to see Luisa poking her head in a little awkwardly but clearly here by Dolores’s suggestion.

“Take these two to the nursery please and get your Tia and Tio from her room.”

Verana picked up all the bags though followed Luisa, calling back once before she was gone with a “have fun talking about us. Buenos noches.”

Felix was the only one to snort at that.

 -

Rana knew she was being rude, or at least not as polite as she should but she was grateful for Decay as Luisa put her down before thankfully disappearing off to get Tio Bruno and Tia Pepa. Dios, Tia Pepa. How odd it was to think that. Rana only really knew Hallow Pepa… Her tia by technicality but not. But this Pepa… this Pepa was her true Tia.

It made her nose wrinkle.

Not that she was disgusted at the notion but… she knew Hallow. She loved Hallow. How could she be expected to love this version of her? This version of the family that had been the reason her mother had left.

Rana set the bags down onto the floor with a heavy sigh before she worked to make Decay more comfortable; taking off her shoes and socks, replatting her hair and tucked the Arepa for her on the side; hopefully in mouth-reach when she woke up.

The fact that the family was having a meeting about them… Rana didn’t care. Not really. They were probably planning to find ways to keep an eye on them; to try and find information on them as well…

She was going to have to leave a lot of skulls and hazard signs on her belongings if they wanted to avoid getting hurt with snooping. Unless snooping should have some punishment, then she’d leave the less lethal with nothing.

At least… well things were certainly awkward. She was sure she had some impression on the family and she knew for a doubt Decay brought up questions but… this was would be fully breaching contamination protocols if she blurted things out; even if Watcher Abuela knew and planned for that. How could she explain the concept of the Muli-verse well? She sure as well didn’t have the patience but...maybe Decay and Wanderer would. They were evidence to that point but… well they might be able to understand the multiverse better than the observe passages of time between Here and the watcher AU.

It could…answer why she was 15, not one and a half…why her mother was still alive but.. to them, they wouldn’t see that. They’d see Mami being gone for 15 years without looking back on them like she didn’t care! They’d hate her mother even more so how could she be the one to show them that? They didn’t understand so… how could she even start?

Rana pulled her glasses off, setting them onto the side though ignore the shifting of the floorboards as Casita made herself known; probably curious about her given it could probably feel her magic. This wasn’t her casita.

This Casita was a peanut. Not so grand or majestic like the Watcher Casita; that Casita was a castle of beauty and power under the light of the realms….

This place was pathetic and… she hoped to the architects that someone would come for Decay soon; she could see how her mother was; after all no doubts weeks has past by now and… maybe she could see how long she had to stay in this dementedly sad world.

so Verana’s got a warped perception but tbh, you can’t blame her; she doesn’t know her family or how they’ve been since they’ve been gone. ALl she knows is from her mother’s stories. She’s not for trusting but also...kinda needs the family help with Decay...and finding Wanderer

What do you think?

[achitka]

Doors (Chapter 28) Camilo's Ride

Chapter 27: on AO3

Summary: Adventure time! and I managed to make it through another day. go me

Camilo's Ride

Pepa watched as Camilo rode off on Parce into the hallway. She was feeling a mixture of angst and pride for her boy. When she heard her own thunder she forced herself to adjust her thinking. No, Camilo wasn’t a boy anymore. Félix had said as much when telling her about what he’d done, without hesitation, to help the children trapped in that house. Such a fine young man. Another one of her kiddos was all but grown, Pepa sighed, that was gonna take some getting used to. Félix came up next to her just as her gentle rain started to fall, opening an umbrella.

It was probably a good thing that Camilo felt comfortable enough to do as he did. Mamá had asked them all to not interfere when she turned to meeting over to Mirabel. It wasn’t that she didn’t want their opinions, she did, but she also wanted to see how Mira would handle things between herself and the younger generation. Bruno agreed, saying she’d been so long on the outer edge of the family that now that she was at the center of it, he was just as concerned it could be a problem. So, when Camilo spoke up for his little brother, it was hard to just watch and wait. But Camilo, thankfully was past his ‘jerk’ phase. That had ended when Casita fell, and he lost his Gift. A lot of his who he thought he was, was wrapped up in that. He was still hyper energetic but now he was setting goals and priorities for his future beyond irritating his family.

Still, he had always been an extraordinary big brother. He’d do whatever it took to protect Antonio, even if that perceived threat was his favorite prima and honorary hermanita. The cousins were as close as siblings, being born so close together, they’d spent the first four years of their lives with each other every day and neither ever held back once a disagreement started, their fights were almost legendary. It was when they worked together that things would get weird, poor Isabela being their favorite target.

Though Casita had never directly interfered on Mira’s behalf before, Mirabel seemed just as surprised as Camilo that it had happened at all. She’d have to ask Juli what Casita said when Mira asked the house to stop. That eye roll wasn’t for nothing. Pepa was actually surprised that Mirabel did, it was something that would have never happened under her Abuela’s watch. Casita had always been an extension of their mother’s authority over the family. Second only to that candle.

It seemed like yesterday Camilo was five-year-old, excited, and happy to get his Gift. Since he had just entered a growth spurt, it took a little time afterward to figure out why he was eating so much more than the average little kid. You would have thought there was a hole in his foot but rearranging his body used up a lot of his energy very quickly, so the more shifting he did, the more he would need to eat. In the beginning, not knowing why he was eating so much she’d tried to restrict it. That is until the day he shifted his little self until he literally passed out. Just a regular day, he was playing in the nursery with his prima when Mirabel screamed for her and Pepa had never moved so quickly. She flew up the stairs to find him passed out on the floor half stuck in the shape of the last person he copied. Mirabel said she’d tried to get him to stop and go eat but he just wouldn’t listen to her.

Still her misshapen son, lying on the floor terrified her enough that she scolded Mirabel. Insisting that him eating would not have solved this problem. The child had done nothing but seeing her sobrina shrink back from her as she now did with her Abuela made Pepa quickly apologize. She instantly knew that should have never come out of her mouth. She found out later from Felix that her sobrina had crawled under her bed, refusing to come out, for food or anything. Even her sisters couldn’t convince her that primo was fine and that her Tía wasn’t mad at her. Camilo must have overheard because he snuck out of his room after everyone was asleep and went into the nursery. And that’s where she found them both the next morning. Asleep under Mira’s bed.

Once Pepa had scooped Camilo up, she carried him to Julieta in town. Her ever-calm sister told her he was definitely dehydrated. She had cups with special lids for smaller kids and was able to get at least a small amount of juice in his mouth. He woke suddenly reverting back to himself and just cried saying he was so hungry. Pepa’s heart was breaking as she sat on a stool. Mirabel had been right, she seemed to understand before any of the adults that he needed more food since getting his Gift and would often sneak snacks to him before and after dinner, oftentimes saving him seconds. She always seemed to know when he was truly hungry and not just vying for additional treats.

Now Pepa was forcing herself to breathe through her nose and think happy thoughts so she would not rain on her baby. Julieta offered him several buñuelos, which he ate, and he finally stopped crying. Julieta noticed him looking longingly at the arepas on her table and smiled as she told him he could have more but made him drink a full cup of water before she picked up that basket and gave it to Pepa. “Take him home, keep him out of the sun and let him eat his fill, but make sure he drinks a lot more water. We’ll need to watch him since it looks like he may have overused his Gift.”

Word always traveled too quickly in the tiny town and before long her mother appeared with Isabela in tow as Julieta was telling her what she should do. Pepa held Camilo just a little closer, afraid of what her mother would say. There were times she thought her mother would try to take Camilo away from her. That she couldn’t handle her own children. When their mother found out it was Mirabel he was with, she took it as an opportunity to insinuate that Mirabel had done something to make it happen. It was ridiculous, but lately her mother had begun blaming Mirabel for any misfortune that came along. This included the disappearance of their brother six months prior.

Julieta, already tired from a full day of ‘helping’ the community, asked their mother quite pointedly if she was actually blaming her nieta. Julieta did not mince words with their mother. She was always respectful but since Mirabel didn’t get a Gift she’d become hyper aware of their mother’s bias against Mirabel. Their mother, never one to back down, tried to revise what she said by adding that perhaps they were spending too much time together and Camilo wanting to cheer up his prima was overdoing it to an extreme after doing ‘chores’ in the village. The expression on Julieta’s face said it all. It was clear their mother was trying to find a way to make this Mirabel’s fault.

Later that evening Dolores came to her, she looked nervous as she told her about the gossip in town, how they were saying that Mirabel was the one that caused Camilo to pass out. Something she did to him. Pepa realized later what she did not then. She’d unconsciously taken what her mother said to heart and began limiting their playtime in a way she’d not done previously. When Julieta noticed and asked her why, she did not have a good answer, but she also did not stop doing it. With Bruno gone, there was no one to mediate her and Julieta’s nonsensical arguments. He would have told her to stop being so dramatic, Camilo was fine, no one was dead. He always ended with no one was dead. So, the sisters had to work it out on their own. Meaning they did nothing. Just went on about their days pretending everything was fine as the gap slowly widened between their families.

It was times like these that she missed Bruno the most and Pepa grew angry every time someone even mentioned his name. Their mother had just stopped talking about him all together. No one in town wanted to be nailed to a wall with her glare. So, he became a ghost, a painful memory that she did not want to revisit so she did not. Julieta, however, refused to pretend that Bruno did not exist and would talk about Bruno, regardless of the glares and looks given by herself and Mamá but only if the children asked.

In the end Pepa discovered her machinations were for nothing because Camilo already had ideas on how that should be handled. He was much like his father in that regard, and she learned later the two were in cahoots. Felix was genuinely fond of Bruno and did not agree with her that they should pretend he didn’t exist. It was just wrong. When Camilo figured out that she was keeping his prima away from him, he changed tactics asking his father’s advice. His father told him, “You’re both the same age. You go to school together, spend the day in class together, come home together…Whose to know?” Once home though they would be divided when their Abuela decided Camilo needed to do ‘chores’. She never failed to separate the pair whenever she saw them together and Camilo began finding even more ways to make himself scarce.

Now their mother was sitting at the table with concern clearly written on her face. She was watching Bruno but not with impatience as she would have in the past, but with compassion. The use of these ‘Gifts’ they’d been given had always come at a cost. Since the magic returned, it was obvious that the guilt she’d bottled up since the breaking was starting to bubble up. Pepa understood that feeling, her own children’s Gifts had always seemed more of a burden than an actual blessing. Watching them struggle with them and not being strong enough to do more than encourage them to accept their fate as she had.

She looked back over at her brother, he was sitting with his hood up, hands on the table in front of him, tapping his fingers raw. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he was tired or enduring another vision. There had been too many and most of Bruno’s nervous tics were becoming more and more evident. Bruno even suffered a sponty just prior to everyone coming up here. He said it told him that they would need some food, but not why. Pepa knew better than to ask too many questions. She didn’t push since it was clear that Bruno expected her to do something about it and if she did nothing, she would end up doing something about it anyway so went to the kitchen and got the basket of sweet buns. Julieta realized he was out of drafts and went to get the fresh ones she’d set aside for their brother.

When Camilo began rapidly shifting, and she realized he was trying to make fur, the reason for the food was confirmed. Since the magic returned, and with no expectation to use it in the Encanto, he was himself more often than not. Without proper care he’d overdo it for sure. Still, what he’d achieved tonight was quite remarkable. Of course, now he was likely to start trying to imitate other types of animals. Copying people had become somewhat boring for him. He could do it with barely any information, sometimes just a glance was all it took.

Pepa was pleased she was able to come up with a way to help him with what he was struggling with. The fact that he didn’t push her away when she attempted to help, as he had often done in the past, showed her that the breaking had brought them closer. Bruno showed them that Parce was going to find the people they were looking for. He just didn’t know how that would come about. They knew it was Parce and not a wild jaguar because there was someone on his back that was difficult to see. Knowing now that it was Camilo in jaguar clothes and not Antonio made her feel somewhat better about it, but that was still one of her babies. Félix gave her a squeeze and pulled her closer when it rained a little harder and said, “He can do this, mi vida. He looked very determined.”

Pepa nodded. Both Dolores and Camilo appeared to be adjusting to the return and change to the magic, primarily because Mirabel was very supportive of them and believed that they were capable of altering how they used their Gifts. Also, she realized all of her children had never worked as a team before. She included Antonio in this because without him, they’d still be sitting around trying to figure out how to approach this problem. Before the break Pepa herself believed they’d learned all they could about using them. Even she found she could be more deliberate in the weather she manifested simply because she was the one who decided it should be so. That Mirabel prioritized that they should have lives that did not revolve around the use of them made her very happy indeed.

Pepa watched Julieta and Gus go by with Bruno, walking with him back to his room she supposed. They were walking on either side ready to support his slightly wobbly self as he carried the tablet and sketches. They’d all noticed he was moving in that very deliberate fashion since leaving his room earlier. Dragging himself about. Now that things were in motion she hoped he could go deal with the vision that was probably giving him a raging headache. All the signs were there, and she was impressed with how long Bruno managed to hold himself together. While in the past Bruno had been able to push them down for far longer, he’d been having almost non-stop spontys given the number of sketches he’d made. That also made her wonder what sort of vision he’d had in the city.

Mirabel was looking out the window in the direction Camilo would have taken, she was clearly on edge because she started when Abuela got up and asked if they were coming to Mirabel’s room to see how Camilo was doing. This broke the tension and Pepa’s realization that she could in fact check up on his progress caused her cloud to instantly vanish. As they were passing Bruno’s door Mirabel stopped for a moment and looked at it. There was confusion there, but she continued toward her room when Abuela touched her arm pulling her out of her thoughts. Julieta and Gus came out of their room, and they came over and joined them.

“Is Tío Bruno alright?” Mirabel asked her mother.

Julieta looked back at Bruno’s door and said, “As well as he can be, I think.”

Mirabel nodded and they continued toward her room. Once inside Abuela went into her room but left the door open. Everyone else joined Dolores, Isabela, and Luisa. They had spread some blankets and pillows on the floor, quietly chatting, while watching a cluster of lights that had two tiny heads floating amongst them. Dolores was so much more animated, though she was back to speaking in quieter tones. Luisa nudged Isabela and Isa looked over at Abuela’s door and shook Isa head. Luisa sighed as the pair returned their attention to the floor. Isa pointed at something in the picture of Casita and Luisa leaned in to get a better look.

Dolores held up her hand and Isa and Luisa fell silent as she touched the tiny jaguar head and said, “No you are headed in the right direction, but they are more to the northwest – I’d say more north than west.” Dolores paused as she listened to his response and then said “Hmmm, okay try this. Go forward a few meters…ah, okay, keep going straight for a few more minutes I’ll signal you when you should head to your right. If you veer off I’ll let you know.” The little jaguar then continued on in the direction she indicated. Mirabel went over and knelt down to watch with her sisters, complimenting Casita on the adorableness of the floating head. She looked over to the door then as it opened to show Antonio.

He had a rat on one shoulder and a small bat hanging from the other. He moved over to where his sister was. She saw the animals but gave her brother a hug anyway. Antonio pointed at the little jaguar face that Casita had made for Camilo and said, “Is that Parce?”

“It’s Milo, disguised as a jaguar,” Isabela said in dramatic fashion.

“But they are together,” Dolores added.

Antonio nodded. He got down on his hands and knees, face close to the floor watching the little head move.

Isabela then asked, “Why do you have a bat?”

Antonio sat back and the animals rearranged themselves so they wouldn’t fall off and said, “Tina sent her to tell me she found the camp.”

“The owl sent a bat?” Isabela asked.

“Yeah, she promised not to eat them if they helped.”

“Oh,” Isabela said and chuckled, “Well that sounds perfectly logical to me, primo. Good job.”

Antonio smiled and pointed to the bat, “This is Juana,” he said as the tiny bat climbed from his shoulder to his hand and squeaked inquiringly. “No, I don’t think Tina would do that.” Another squeak and Antonio got up.

Mirabel got up as well and said to the bat, “Thank you for your help today, Juana.”

The bat squeaked a reply and tugged on Antonio’s cuff.

“She needs to get back home.” Antonio said. He went to the window then as Casita opened the shutters and the bat leapt from his hand and flew out into the night. Antonio waved before turning back and said to Mirabel, “Tina said she’s going to stay until morning and watch them. She can’t count but said there were a bunch of people there, mostly big ones.”

“Mostly? Are there children, mi vida?” Pepa asked.

“She called them chicks so maybe,” Antonio said with a shrug.

He said this so matter of factly that Pepa smiled. Félix picked him up and was not put off by the rat still with him as he said, “That is good information, Toni, but it is getting pretty late.”

“I know, I’m just a little worried about Camilo, he’s never ridden a jaguar before.”

“True,” Félix said.

“Please Pá, is it okay if I stay up. Just for a little bit?” Antonio asked this, eyes wide and full of hope.

Félix looked at their youngest and then to her. Pepa sighed, she could tell Antonio was tired, but she knew he’d keep popping up without Parce there. She came over and put a hand on her husband’s shoulder and said, “Alright, mi pequeño, for just a little bit.”

Antonio smiled as his father put him down and he rejoined his sister who pulled him into her lap and began telling him about his big brother’s adventures.

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

Camilo held on to the bounding jaguar, leaning close to his back as Parce made his way up the mountain. Antonio made this look so easy or maybe it was because Toni trusted Parce implicitly. Toni told him to pay attention to the animals, in other words, trust the jaguar, he knows what he’s doing out here. Camilo knew this area, it was directly north of Casita and the path most taken by the residents to reach the outlying farms. The path started to the north then veered westward following the curves of the farms. He was surprised how quickly they were able to make it to the very end of that road and Camilo asked Parce to stop to get an idea of where he was headed. He sat up and asked, “Dolores?”

(Yes, Milo.)

“I’m at the furthest edge of the western farms, where to next?”

(I can see you.)

“You can?”

(Well, I can see where you are. I was able to have Casita label your light while you were still here.)

“Oh,” he said and decided he needed to get a good look at that map in Mira’s room. Probably would have been better if he’d looked before he left but the thought hadn’t occurred to him. “So, any guesses on how far we need to go and which direction?”

(Westerly to start. I’m not sure what the distances are…maybe ten kilometers from where you are now?)

“Got it,” he said and pointed in that direction and said to Parce. “Dolores says we need to go this way.”

The jaguar chuffed and started off again at a more reasonable pace. Camilo still leaned close to the jaguar’s back not wanting to be hit by a random branch as the big cat made his way deeper into the woods. The moon hadn’t risen yet and Camilo was taken aback by just how dark it was and how silently the jaguar moved. Another half hour of walk running and they stopped in the next clearing “Dol? I feel like we’re getting off course.”

(No, you are headed in the right direction, but they are more to the northwest – I’d say more north than west.)

“Only one problem with that, Sis. I got no moon, and the stars are hidden by trees and clouds.”

(Hmmm, okay try this. Go forward a few meters)

“Parce, can you walk a few meters that way?,” he asked pointing. The jaguar did and Dolores said, (Ah, okay, keep going straight for a few more minutes I’ll signal you when you should head to your right. If you veer off I’ll let you know.)

“Got it.” Sounded as reasonable as anything else he’d heard tonight so Camilo pointed, and Parce again moved forward. The trees got even thicker making progress slow. After a while Dolores indicated they should head to the right. Camilo was not at all sure how to communicate that to Parce when they were not stopped. In the end he decided to pat the right side of the jaguar’s neck, get his attention and point. This seemed to work as Parce turned and moved in that direction. Twenty more minutes of walking and he heard Dolores say, (You’re close, but it looks like someone’s broken off from the group, headed your way. Be careful – it’s not labeled but from the sounds of it, it is probably one on the kids…not Fernando.)

He had almost forgotten about the old man and Camilo nearly lost his purchase when Parce veered left and off of the game trail. The jaguar stopped not far into the forest and dropped into a low crouch. Camilo looked around but the trees were pretty dense here. Pay attention, his brother had admonished so Camilo tried to listen to the sounds of the forest. After another tense ten minutes he heard a dog bark then go silent. The night air was cool, but Camilo’s fur outfit was almost too warm as he could feel his sweat going cold on his face. Dolores’s soft voice came, and he nearly shifted out of his fur, (Milo, whoever it is, sounds frightened, their breathing is very rapid.) Camilo got off of Parce and edged closer to the trail and waited. He continued watching the trail as there was another short burst of barking.

“Dol, can you guess how far?”

(Maybe half a kilometer away, I can hear the dog. I’m assuming Doris is near it, but she’s stopped moving.)

“She’s not following?”

(Not yet.)

He climbed back up on Parce and said to the jaguar, “Let’s get as close as we can and see if we can find the kid.”

Parce let out a low growl and moved up the trail. After a few minutes, the jaguar stopped and looked back at him. Camilo got down from the jaguar and moved to the edge of the trees. Parce moved past him across the trail into the trees and Camilo lost sight of him pretty quickly. He remained very still, and Dolores said, (They’ll be right in front of you very soon.)

“Got it.”

Camilo stepped out onto the trail just as a small child rounded a bend. There was no avoiding the collision and Camilo increased his size enough to keep from being knocked down. The dog barked again, it was closer now and Dolores said, (Doris is moving toward you.) The child was at first struggling mightily, but then they looked up at Camilo, squeaked and fainted. Camilo almost dropped the dead weight and remembered he looked like a jaguar. After a moment of uncertainty, he decided to hang on to them and step off the trail. He backed into the forest, not wanting to turn away and was doing his best to not trip. Once out of sight of the trail, he propped the kid up against a tree and Camilo shifted back to himself and pulled off his ruana. He wrapped it around the kid who was to his mind too cold. He waited and watched nervously as Parce came out of the forest and stood blocking the trail waiting for the dog to come around the bend. When it did, it skidded to a halt to keep from running into the jaguar that was at least four times its size. The dog growled but Parce let out an impressive sound as he took two steps toward the dog that made it yip in fright and turn back to run the way it had come.

Parce then proceeded to ‘mark’ the area where the child had run into Camilo. Then rolled about destroying any footprints in the area. (What’s happening? Doris is running toward you now.)

“Can’t talk now…” Camilo whispered.

(Okay, be safe.)

Parce leapt off the trail, climbed into a nearby tree with branches that overhung the trail and just sat. He let out a low growl when Doris came around the bend with her dog. The dog whined and Doris immediately stopped, and Camilo saw the angry face he’d seen in the vision, there were no kids with her, and Camilo wondered why. More questions for his Tío or maybe she was always angry. Doris backed away slowly, keeping her eyes locked on the jaguar. Parce had not moved at all but instead was watching the woman the way a cat watches a bird.

(Doris is moving away now…tell me what’s happening)

“I have one of the kids. He’s or maybe she? Anyway, they're out cold. Accidentally scared them with my disguise. So, what now?” There was an unusually long pause and Camilo asked, “Dol?”

Dolores said, (Hang on, Milo)

Not being able to hear what they were saying was making him even jumpier than he was before.

(Milo?)

“Yeah?”

(Mirabel wants you to start down and have Parce listen for Antonio.)

“Why?” he asked, failing to keep the irritation out of his voice. Wasn’t the whole point of him being out here to keep Toni out of it?

(Just do it Milo,) Dolores said impatiently, almost angrily as she continued, (Doris is on her way back toward you and we don’t know if they have weapons.)

His irritation vanished. He hadn’t considered that and responded, “Right, sorry Dol, getting a bit tired.”

(Me too, hermanito.) she said but the anger was gone from her voice.

Camilo only paused long enough to listen to be sure no one was near and picked up the kid. They were surprisingly light given their size. Parce was waiting patiently nearby, and Camilo carefully placed the child in front of him. He made everything about himself thinner, except his arms, those he let remain their normal size to steady the child and said to Parce, “We’re heading back but Mirabel wants you to listen for Antonio.”

Parce chuffed and started forward, head occasionally turning and ears swiveling. The jaguar chuffed again and turned abruptly left, loping but not running toward a light that popped up in the darkness in front of them. While worrisome, Camilo doubted he would be able to get the jaguar to stop so he could look around and did his best to hold on and not be unseated. The jaguar leapt forward into that light and Camilo closed his eyes against its brightness. Parce skidded to a halt and Camilo fell off, managing to shift back to himself and keep the kid on top of him as he hit the floor. He blinked and realized he was home, probably in the upper tower of Casita. His parents, Antonio, Isa, and Luisa were there. Toni already had his arms around the jaguar’s neck. Parce lowered himself and nudged him. Camilo let his head drop back on the floor. His father carefully lifted the still unconscious child off of him and Camilo rolled on his side and let out a groan.

“You did very well, Camilo. Very well,” his father said. He handed the child off to Luisa and she headed to a nearby door that was open. After a moment, his Tía Julieta popped through and pulled it shut. He sat up and craned his neck to take in everything. Just so many doors. There was only one that was red, so Camilo assumed that was the one that Tío Bruno used to go to Bogota. His mother appeared in front of him and helped him off the floor, then wrapped him up in a fierce hug as if he’d been gone years instead of a few hours.

She released him when the door his Tía had closed earlier opened and Abuela was there with Dolores and Mirabel. His sister sighed with relief but she looked almost as tired as he felt hungry. He’d never considered that her Gift could be so taxing, but there was no reason to think it wouldn’t be. They were both using their Gifts in ways not previously considered, so it would take some time to gauge their limits. He decided Dolores was just better at hiding them than he was. The whole we are the Madrigals and we’re all fine mentality he’d been born into was a hard habit to break.

Speaking of; his stomach picked that moment to protest loudly. Damn, he was hungry. With everything that had been happening, he’d been shifting and holding shapes longer than he’d had to since before the breaking. His mother was now holding a covered basket and he could tell by the smell they were cheesy buñuelos, which were his one of his favorites. She handed him the basket saying, “Made them myself, Corazón, now eat before you pass out.” She then turned and knelt in front of Toni saying, “You did so well, Toni. I am so proud of you, mi vida, but it’s time for bed, no more excuses.”

“Okay, Mamí,” Antonio said.

Camilo had already popped a few buñuelos in his mouth and went over to his brother. He handed the basket to Mirabel and knelt down giving Toni a squeeze and said, “Thanks for letting Parce work with me, Toni. Couldn’t have done it without him.” The jaguar chuffed as if that should have been obvious. Dolores was next to him then and she cleared her throat, arms crossed. “You too, Sis. That’s an impressive new skill you’ve got. Definitely kept me out of trouble.” Camilo got up to hug her as well when Antonio shouted, “Jaguar pounce!”

Dolores smiled through her wince and Camilo caught his little brother midair. He was surprised Toni could even jump that high. Antonio pulled his sister in because he enjoyed nothing more than a good group hug. Camilo’s stomach again protested his lack of sustenance, and his mother came over and lifted Antonio onto Parce and said with some accompanying thunder, “Eat, boy.”

Mirabel immediately stepped forward with the basket, handing it off, then turned to ruffle Antonio’s hair. “Good night Toni, see you in the morning,” she said as Parce headed toward the stairs.

“Night!” Toni shouted as he disappeared down the steps.

“Well, I’m off to bed,” his mother said, “Once I make sure Antonio is down for the night. Good night everyone.” And she too went down the stairs. Camilo popped another buñuelo into his mouth as the plain door opened again and Tío Agustín was there. He waved to them and everyone still in the tower went into what turned out to be Abuela’s room. Camilo was mildly weirded out, he’d never actually been ‘in’ his Abuela’s room before. Only ever seeing it from the hallway. A small cot had been set up in the corner. The kid was in the deep sleep of exhaustion and Abuela moved next to him and said quietly. “Nieto, thank you for helping this child. So many new things you are learning,” She paused and asked hesitantly, “I never got to ask, did your interview go well?”

Camilo smiled. That had completely slipped out of his head. He’d already told his parents and he remembered the box of books he was supposed to be reading and said, “Yes, I’ve been accepted as an apprentice at the school.”

“That’s wonderful news, Camilo,” his Abuela said smiling and it struck Camilo that she looked like his Mamí when she did.

“Yes, that’s my boy,” his father said and put an arm around his shoulders. “Good man.”

“Yeah, congratulations, primo.” Isabela and Luisa said.

Tía Julieta was up from the chair near the bed and said, “That is wonderful, Camilo, but you all need to leave, or you’ll wake this child.” As she passed him , she handed him his ruana. She then went to the door and Camilo was amazed it was not the tower, but Mirabel’s room. Dolores moved past them into Mira’s room and stopped her prima as she went by and whispered something that only she could hear and Mirabel responded with an embarrassed smile and said, “Thanks Dolores, but all I did was rely on all of you. I really appreciate everything you did tonight, but are you really alright?”

Dolores seemed taken aback by that question. As far as Camilo knew no one ever asked his sister if she was alright. Dolores undid the knot that were Mirabel’s hands from in front of her and said, “I’m tired so right now everything is just a little too loud. That can happen when I’ve overdo it sometimes. In fact, I think I’m going to my room.”

Mirabel nodded and said very quietly, “Good night.”

Dolores plucked a buñuelo from his basket and popped it in her mouth as she went by, “Good night, Milo.”

“Night, Sis,” Camilo said softly.

Next to go were Mirabel’s sisters. Isa patted Mirabel’s head telling her she’d totally nailed it. Mirabel pushed her hand away as Luisa patted her back and winked. Isabela said she couldn’t wait to find out how this would all end and how wonderful it was going to be to go to Bogotá. They said good night and left followed shortly by his and Mira’s dads with an admonition to get some sleep. Camilo reached into the basket to discover he’d only a few buñuelos left. He offered one to Mira which she declined, telling him he really needed to eat as much as possible.

“Guess I’ll go to bed too,” Camilo said, popping the last buñuelo into his mouth and handing her the empty basket.

“Yeah, it is pretty late,” Mirabel said, hugging the basket to herself.

He started toward the door and turned back and said, “We really are better together.” Camilo felt strangely embarrassed by that statement and said, “Wow, there must have been extra cheese in those,” he said looking at the floor. “G’night Mira,” he said as he waved while heading out the door.

“G’night Cam.”

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

Mirabel watched the door close behind Camilo and said softly, “Sleep well big brother.” Her mother came out of Abuela’s room and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer.

“You should get some sleep, Corazón. You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow and Casita will let us know when the child wakes,” her mother said as she turned her to face her.

“Okay Mamá.”

Her mother smiled and squished her cheeks as she covered her face with kisses. She pulled a mildly resistant Mirabel into a fierce hug and said, “I am so very proud of you Corazón. And not just for this, but for the young woman you are becoming.”

Mirabel smiled and thought this was just the safest place in the world as the tenseness in her shoulders eased and she finally released the yawn she’d been stifling. She leaned into her mother and returned the hug saying, “I learned from the best, Mamá.”

Next Chapter:

Previous Chapter:

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

You can read the rest here if you are so inclined.

[nellycanwrite]

Nelly: yeah I'm gonna update lmfe soon :)

Me, vibrating: behave like a normal person behave like a normal person take a deep breath 👀👀☺

OHOHOHO ANON, YOUR TIMING IS IMPECCABLE! I have finally risen from my grave to give you: Chapter 50❤️

“How’s Dolores and the others?”

Your face fell when he asked that. “I couldn’t convince mamá to let them take their siesta. Ever since they got their gifts, they’ve been working with the town non-stop. I’m getting worried,” You and Bruno froze when Javier stirred from his sleep, but soon cuddled closer between his two siblings and buried his face deeper into his pillow. You let out a breath and tugged on Bruno’s hand to lead him outside. “Let’s talk somewhere else. The kids might wake up.”

You led Bruno to the kitchen and sat down. Julieta was out with Agustin for the day to attend their stand in the town square for injured people. Pepa, Felix, and Alma were out to check on their own work, so you and Bruno had the whole house for today with the kids. As soon as you had finally realized that you were truly alone, you sunk down to your seat and leaned on Bruno’s shoulder. There was a moment of surprise for him, but he soon wrapped his arm around you in a side-hug and kissed the top of your head.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked. You sighed.

“It’s just… I wanted to tell mamá to lighten the load on the kids. They recently missed their siestas for a couple of days, so I’m not too sure if it’s healthy for them to go on at this pace. Isabela’s been growing flowers non-stop, Dolores gets dizzy with all the noise during the afternoons, and Luisa has been working so hard to impress mamá by hoisting up donkeys left and right,” you groaned and rubbed your hands on your face. Bruno could clearly see the tired lines of your stress forming on your forehead. “...but at the same time, I know mamá means well. It’s for the town and—well—you have to work to earn your miracle, right? That’s what she always says. And the kids don’t seem to mind…”

“Have you asked the kids if they want some time out?” Bruno asked. He pried you off his shoulder and urged you to rest your head on his lap. You relented without much fuss and tried your best to relax.

“I did. They said it was fine with them—they were happy with it too. They want to show mamá that they’re big girls now so they’re doing their work really seriously.” you sighed. You gripped on his ruana and snuggled deeper into his lap. “Especially Isa. She’s doing her best to impress mamá to the point the town is flooding with flowers. Luisa seems like she’s mimicking her big sister and hauling as many things she can carry. When I invited them to take their siesta, they said they had work to do. Kids aren’t supposed to think about work when they’re eleven, much less eight years old!”

Bruno weaved his fingers through your hair and massaged your scalp ever so gently. You sighed through your nose in content, enjoying the way Bruno had expertly loosened your hair from its updo and smoothing out the stubborn strands that started to rise from your heightened stress. He weaved your locks expertly, idly playing with different styles whilst you tried your best to calm your nerves. If Bruno was feeling the same anxiety that you have, he was hiding it especially well.

Continue reading the rest of the story here!

[twilight-zoned-out]

Just want to talk about Agustín and Bruno because they probably had an epic bro relationship before Bruno left.

The biggest implication for this is the scene when Agustín finds Mirabel with the jade square. The way Agustín reacts implies that he’s also clearly familiar with Bruno’s bad reputation and knows how the rest of the family, especially Abuela, will react to the square. But there’s no evidence that he ever treated or viewed Bruno according to that bad reputation - instead, when Agustín shows up to help set the table in We Don’t Talk About Bruno, he’s the only one who doesn’t join in on the singing. He was probably one of the few people who recognized that Bruno didn’t cause bad things to happen; Bruno just happened to see a lot of bad things.

Bruno and Agustín also share a lot of similar traits. They’re both somewhat clumsy/uncoordinated, have bad things consistently happen to them (Agustín, physically; Bruno, reputation-wise), and are very caring and protective about those they love.

He felt close enough to Bruno to include himself in the triplet hug when Bruno returns. It’s possible that Bruno and Agustín spent a lot of time together, especially if Bruno hung around Julieta when he wasn’t hidden away in his vision cave and when Julieta was home.

[zafirosreverie]

When is it my turn? (Pepa x Fem!Reader)

"Pepa!"

The redhead cringed at her mother's annoyed voice. Damnit! She hadn't wanted to do it! Really! It hadn't been her intention for her cloud to burst right on top of you and her brother. She just wanted Bruno to stop trying to tell you another one of his stories. It was her turn to be with you!

"I'm sorry mami" she said, pulling on her braid and staring at the ground.

"Look what you did, your brother and Y/N are soaked" Alma frowned.

"Y/N doesn't seem to mind" Julieta chimed in.

"Y/N doesn't mind anything" Bruno growled, approaching his mother

Pepa tried not to blush when she saw you take off your blouse and skirt, leaving you in your underwear. You had been friends with the triplets since they were children and from the beginning, it had been clear that you were not ashamed of anything. At first, it was a shock, but after so many years of friendship, even Alma had gotten used to it and accepted this fact.

For the triplets and their mother, it wasn't uncommon to see you in your underpants or covered in dirt or with your clothes plastered to your sodden body. It was just your nature. The problem was that the middle sister had started having feelings for you a while ago. Feelings that a simple friend shouldn't have.

It started when you approached her and asked her to dance. You were one of the few people besides her siblings and that Felix boy that didn't mind her clouds and sudden changes. In fact, you had fun being with her when it rained or snowed, and that in turn made her calm down faster.

That time, she had been very, very upset and nothing Bruno and Julieta said seemed to help, much less her mother's scolding. But you had confidently approached and made her dance in her own rain. She had felt your warmth filling her own body and when her cheeks flushed at the sight of your soaked, semi-sheer blouse against your skin, she knew she was lost. You were no longer just a friend to her.

It was hard to admit it to herself because she was convinced you would never feel the same way. And she had reason to think so! Mainly the fact that you treated her siblings the same way or that you actually seemed to be spending more time with them lately.

"Ohh second round is coming!" you said happily noticing the clouds return

"Pepa!" Alma crossed her arms

"Sorry! Clear skies, clear skies"

Your laugh, while you jumped in the puddles that had been created, helped her a little...until you took Julieta's hand and brought her closer to you so that she could play with you. That made the thunder return.

"PEPA!!!"

__________________________

"Where is Pepa? She could help us"

The redhead stopped in her tracks when she heard your voice from Casita's living room. She didn't know you were here and...you were asking for her? A light fog enveloped her as she blushed, but she quickly regained her composure and walked into the room with a huge smile.

"Help you with what?" she asked, making you and Bruno jump

"Oh hi Peanut!" you smiled "Butter and I are making the three-cornered hat! But we are missing one person" you explained

Bruno looked at his sister fearfully, knowing that she would probably find this absurd. Pepa however had to restrain herself from blushing at the stupidly adorable nickname.

"Do you want to be our governor?" you asked

"Th-the governor?" the redhead asked "doesn't he die?"

"Yup. Bruno will be the peasant and I will be his wife" you explained.

Bruno was the only one to notice that the temperature in the room dropped almost immediately and Pepa's smile faded before she crossed her arms and frowned.

"You're 20 years old, both of you grow up!" she said and stormed out of there with a cloud shooting lightning bolts.

Her stupid little brother and his stupid plays. Why would you offer her a role in which she would clearly die? Why couldn't Bruno do it and she would be your wife? It was unfair!

__________________________

"Jelly, stop moving!"

"You tickle me Y/N" Julieta giggled "And don't call me that"

"Pepa and Bruno don't complain about me calling them Peanut and Butter, so you can't tell me to stop calling you Jelly" you scolded softly

Pepa knew that she shouldn't go into the kitchen. She knew deep inside that whatever she saw would only make her feel bad…but she just couldn't help it. She wanted to see you even for a moment. So against her better judgment, the redhead took a look at the kitchen.

There you were, precious, perfect, beautiful, laughing with her older sister while both of you had your faces covered in flour. So you helped the brunette cook again, huh? It was already becoming usual for you to come looking for Julieta in the afternoons and Pepa didn't like it.

However, her train of thought stopped when she saw you approach her sister again and start massaging her shoulders. Julieta squirmed a bit from the tickles but she managed to stay still enough to let you work.

Pepa felt her heart break and she quickly walked away with a black cloud over her head. She couldn't be mad at her sister really, she loved her siblings more than anything, but it hurt a lot that you weren't as close to her as you were to them, especially when out of the three of them, she was the one who needed you the most.

But when had life been fair to her?

________________________

"Hello Peanut!" you smiled when you saw your friend approaching you

However, Pepa didn't say anything to you, she simply grabbed your arm strongly and dragged you away from Julieta's stand, leaving her siblings surprised and you confused. There were no clouds, but the air around the two of you was hot.

When she was sure you were far enough away, she turned to you and crossed her arms.

"When is it my turn?" she asked dryly

"What?" you blinked "what are you talking about?"

"When is my turn with you, Y/N?" she repeated, a little blushed "you've been spending too much time with Bruno and Julieta. Have you already forgotten that I'm also your friend?"

You looked at her for a moment. Her face was almost the same color as her hair and she had an adorable pout as her green eyes bored into yours. She looked so cute. And you couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Peps, I tried to invite you to the play with me and Bruno and Julieta asked if you wanted to make cookies with us, but you said no both times. I thought you were the one who didn't want to spend time with me, so I gave you your space." you shrugged

"That...is not true" Pepa said weakly.

She quickly remembered both things and realized that it was, in fact, true. She had been upset with Bruno for playing your husband and she had been jealous of Julieta because you had come looking for her to teach you how to make cookies and she had just left. She hadn't stopped to think about the fact that you had tried to include her as well.

You laughed again at her expression and walked over to poke her cheeks, making her jump and look at you in confusion.

"But, if you really want to know" you whispered conspiratorially "your turn will be when you stop being jealous and ask me out"

You winked at her and gave her lips a quick peck before quickly backing away, leaving her completely red and Encanto covered in mist.

[acewithapaintbrush]

I read about a tradition in Spain that was just perfect for a small "Encanto Easter Story" because I could finally use my headcanon that Bruno is the godfather of every single grandchild. 

Please enjoy some wholesome good Tio Bruno content:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Easter mass is finally over. The church had been packed, like it always is on Domingo de Pascua, and for Bruno the service had been peaceful and nerve-wrecking in equal measures. He had spent the entire time gripping the cross hanging around his neck to keep from knocking on the wooden bench and disrupting the sermon. 

Nerves shot or not: Bruno had missed this. The singing and the praying and the stillness in between. 

He had not missed the side eyes and the occasional whisper directed his way. But that's just the way things have always been. No matter how much more decent the villagers have been treating him these past couple of months, he will always be an oddity, the unknown and mysterious and sometimes scary seer of the Madrigals. 

Bruno can deal with that, especially with his family by his side. Mirabel holding his hand and Dolores leaning against his shoulder, Camilo occasionally leaning forward to make funny faces at a bored Antonio until Felix scolds him and tells him to pay attention to the Padre. 

Yes. He can deal with anything.

But mass is over and they have returned to Casita. Bruno feels a silver of apprehension and fidgets with his ruana (a nice one, the one he only wears to church). Julieta seems to have picked up on his nervousness, because she bumps his shoulder and smiles at him. It always surprises him how much those little affirmations can boost his confidence. With a deep breath he nods at her and hurries into the kitchen to gather the surprise he has prepared for the children. 

The Mona de Pascua, the traditional Easter cake that is passed from the godfather to his godchildren to be shared, sits just as wobbly and misshapen on its plate as it did last night. Bruno had insisted on making it himself, without Julieta's help. Seeing it now, he kinda wishes that he'd accepted her offer. It is not round at all and the chicken he'd tried to form out of chocolate to be placed on top looks more like a chicken that has been run over. 

The kids will probably hate it. 

"Ay hermanito. It doesn't look so bad." 

Bruno gives Pepa, who has followed him into the kitchen, the stink eye. "The fact that you need to tell me that tells me everything I need to know." 

Pepa snorts and ruffles his hair. He hates when she does that (no he doesn't) and ducks away from her. 

"Well it looks… unique?" 

Bruno scowls at the cake. It's the first one he's made since his disappearance so of course he is out of practice. But that's exactly why he had wanted it to be extra special. 

Sometimes he still can't believe that his sisters have made him the godfather for all of their children. Hard to believe that everything had started because of an innocent promise in their teens, either. When a nervous Bruno had sat his sisters down to tell them that he doubts that he will ever want children of his own. 

He had been worried and scared, unsure of how his sisters, who were already discussing baby names at the tender age of 16, would react. But he shouldn't have worried. They had simply declared that, in that case, he would make the perfect godparent for their own children. They had promised him that the first born grandchild would be his to spoil rotten. As is the job of every godparent, apparently. 

When Julieta had given birth to Isa first, Pepa had been so distraught that Bruno had offered to be her child's godfather as well. One more wouldn't make such a big difference. 

By the time Luisa had been born, the villagers had started to call him "Bad Luck Bruno", had started to curse his name and had insisted that he was bringing nothing but misfortune to everyone and everything he touched. 

Julieta had placed baby Luisa into his arms and had said "None of that is true. Don't believe a single word they say. I trust you with my second child as well, Brunito. Always remember that when it gets too much." 

When Camilo had been born, Pepa had followed her sister's example and Mirabel a few months later had just felt like the next logical step. 

Godfather to four beautiful sobrinas and a sobrino. Bruno had been so happy. Every time he'd felt like the words of the villagers were getting to him, he had just remembered his sister's words instead and had gathered them all close for a tight hug. 

Looking at Pepa now, smirking at his sorry cake, he just regrets that he wasn't around for Antonio's birth as well. 

"Listen, Pepa. I know I'm not Tonito's godfather, but I would like to include him as well. I don't want him to feel left out and I kinda consider him mine as well, you know, so I just thought that-" 

"What are you talking about?" Pepa interrupts his rambling. "Of course you are Antonio's godfather."

"Wait. I am?" 

"Yeah. Well, not 'officially' with the church. We had to make Julieta the godmother to get the baptism done but we left the space for the godfather blank and later put you down as his godfather in our will. Hey, maybe we could ask the Padre to repeat the ceremony or whatever you do when you want to add a godfather later on."

"I'm not sure that's even possible." 

"Oh well. No matter. Like I said, we put it down in our testament and it's not like Juli would challenge you about this."

Bruno can only stare at his older sister. "But why? I was… gone."

Pepa grimaces. She doesn't like to be reminded of that time. None of them particularly do. "You are the godfather for all of our children. I wasn't going to change that just because you weren't… around." Suddenly she turns away and her shoulders start to shake. Just the tiniest bit. "Not making you the godfather would have felt like giving up. And no matter what you might think, I never gave up hope that you would come back one day. One day my little brother would return and he would be the most wonderful godfather to my youngest, just like he'd been to all of them. I just had to believe that, or I would have… I would have-"

Bruno wraps his arms around his sister from behind and buries his face between her shoulder blades. Pepa exhales shakily, grips his arms and lowers her head. 

"I will Pepi! I won't ever disappoint you again. I will take good care of Antonio and the others." 

"I know you will."

They stand like that for a long time until the children all stumble into the kitchen. Bruno and Pepa break apart and he can see her inconspicuously wipe away some tears. Before the kids can notice and question her, he takes the plate and holds it up with a flourish. As if it doesn't hold the most sad looking cake anyone has ever seen. 

"Felices Pascuas!" 

None of the children laugh when they see their special cake. In fact, they are all delighted and every one of them demands the biggest piece. In the end Bruno gives it to Antonio, since it is his first one. There is some grumbling but they are good kids and congratulate their smallest on his big serving. 

And as Bruno finds himself surrounded by all six of his godchildren and sharing the Mona de Pascua with them, he can't help but smile. 

It tastes a lot better than it looks. 

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Please accept some artistic freedom when it comes to how baptism and godparents work. Let's just say that the Encanto is a closed community and it got its own rules.

Happy Easter!

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Mmk so what I really wanna know more of is how the Madrigal Parents contributed to the Generational Trauma. Bc ofc Alma may have been the main one putting pressure on everyone to be perfect and useful constantly, but it’s not just grandparents who contribute - generational trauma is passed on to our parents as well and I wanna see how the parents hurt their kids as well. Even if they love them (like they obviously do).

Like, Julieta is caring and amazing, but she’s also probably the OG golden child, and I want to see how that pressure hurt her relationships with her kids. Like, imagine her using Luisa as a crutch, because she’s the strong, dependable one, and she’s really got no one else. She’s Julieta - of course she can handle cooking constantly with no breaks, no mistakes, no pressure. Why would she need someone to just talk to sometimes? And ofc Agustin tries, but he’s clumsy and Alma never liked him so he’s got his own duties, and there are times he hurts more than helps. But then there’s Luisa. Sweet, eager to help Luisa, with a gift that means there’s no limit to what she can carry and a smile on her face. She never seems to mind helping her mother, and well... it’s just a small task here and there. She doesn’t ask for much, and she could really use the help. Luisa has other tasks, of course, but she’s always going to help her mother, who never seems to see when it’s too much... because how could she? No one ever told her what too much was.

And she loves her youngest, sweet Mirabel, but she never seems to understand how she feels. In the movie itself, her reaction to Mirabel’s insecurities is sort of just a fake platitude that, over time, grows to mean nothing, and then a joke - a quick, easy bandaid so she doesn’t have to actually deal with it. She knows her daughter is hurting, but she doesn’t know what to do... but she can’t say that, she can’t ask her husband, who may understand better than her. She can’t ask for help. So she smiles and dismisses and hopes it does something. It doesn’t.

Or Isabela - the second gen golden child, with a gift much prettier than hers but as useful. Maybe Julieta told her, one day, sitting together in the kitchen, that her grandmother is a wonderful lady, but can be a bit... harsh. Usually, it’s just best to do what she says than try and argue or disobey. They’ve already got so much to worry about, with Bruno’s disappearance and Mirabel’s lack of a gift, that it’s just simpler, and less heartache, for her to do what she’s told. It’s what she’s always done, after all. Maybe she’s a part of the reason Isabela was willing to have five babies with a man she didn’t love to appease her grandmother - after all, it’s easier, for everyone, if she just does as she’s told.

And I’m sure Agustin tries. He’s kind and goofy - he’s close to Luisa and cares for Mirabel and Isabela, but it’s not his place to interfere, he supposes. Alma has never liked him and never will, and he supposes that insecurity has bled into his relationship with his daughters - for all they love each other, he sometimes feels like another set of problems Luisa finds herself having to carry, and Isabela doesn’t know how to talk to him, because she’s the perfect Madrigal Golden Girl, and that’s a pressure her father could never understand. And he understands Mirabel’s feelings of inferiority at times, but could not understand how it is to be so isolated in your own family. Between all that, and his own learned passivity... him finally snapping at Alma “I was thinking of my daughter,” was a long time needed.

And Pepa - even when she tries, her emotions will get the best of her, with rain or hail coming down, and it’s up to everyone else around her to manage her emotions so they aren’t literally hit with a storm. The second they hear “clear skies, clear skies”, do her kids prepare themselves to take comforting and mature roles? Felix loves his wife, and he does whatever he can to calm her, but well - it’s a hard job at times, and he finds himself forgetting about his kids sometimes. Pepa’s emotions are obvious in the weather that day, so the whole family finds themselves centered around them, including Felix.

What about Dolores’s super hearing, and her learning quick she can’t talk about most of what she hears because it can upset her mother? What about her learning how to be quiet, not just for her gift but so she doesn’t make her volatile mother even worse or hurt her? Her using it to steer her away from things that might upset her, being quiet about her own desires, thoughts fears, because there are more important things to worry about, and she’s not really anyone’s priority, anyway.

Camilo’s a shapeshifter - he adapts himself into whoever is needed at the moment. He takes care to keep everyone, to keep his mother, laughing and smiling as much as possible, to keep them all happy - and if he has to copy his uncle, his father, his grandmother, someone else’s mother, to make sure everyone stays smiling, so be it. He learned how to calm his mother down and how to adapt himself to fit her needs, even if he gets literally burned in the process. He’s forgotten who Camilo is, as he tries to make sure Pepa’s clouds stay as small as possible.

Or Antonio - five years old and already feeling the pressure of an entire family to get a gift, lest he be another Mirabel, a family outcast. Does he see his mother’s winds and shouts and wonder how bad it will be if he doesn’t get a gift if she’s acting this way? Does her anxiety rub off on him, making it all worse? Does he seek comfort in Mirabel instead, because he knows his mother has already been stressed, and he doesn’t want to make her worse?

Idk, I just want to see how the Madrigal parents might have hurt their kids as well. Because generational trauma doesn’t just start and end with Alma.

[one-pissed-off-child]

My impression/expectations of the Madrigals based on the first trailer vs what I think of them now

Mirabel

Then

- didn't really pay attention to her tbh

-seemed a little dull compared to the others

-viewed her as a narrative device than an actual character

Now

-Anna and Hiccup fused into Mirabel

-her sarcasm is immaculate

-most relatable character out of everyone

-fantastic dancer

-prolly very into arts and crafts

-very cute face

Isabela

Then

-hnngh pretty flower lady

-disney princess vibes

-probably gonna be my fav

-I feel like she sings to birds in the morning

-prolly gives food to the homeless or smth

Now

-went for Cady Heron got Regina George

-I judged this book by its cover so hard

-she's?? so?? hot? help???

-serving femme domme realness

-golden child syndrome sucks

-wouldn't be opposed to her taking over the world actually

-supervillain au when?

-thinks she deserves everything and she's absolutely right

Luisa

Then

-hnngh big hot lady

-seems like a no-nonsense type character

-another candidate for favorite

-man crusher

-notice me senpai

Now

-a lot sillier than I imagined and I love it

-Scorpia kinnie

-emotional baby

-daddy's girl

-I could strangle disney for not giving her a colorful dress like the others

-#LetLuisaHaveFrills2k22

-gives the best hugs

Dolores

Then

-didn't appear much in the trailer so

-didn't really have an opinion

Now

-she's!! so!! cute!!!

-town's biggest gossip

-her squeaks give me life

-better rapper than Eminem

-can't keep a secret

-very unflappable like nothing surprises her

-tells her mother everything

-can destroy you in five words or less

-I feel like she likes fluffy things

-won't start a fight but will finish one

-10/10 quality girl I want to kiss her nose

Camilo

Then

-thought his shapeshifting power was pretty cool

-immediately pegged him as the comic relief

Now

-very pretty boy

-everyone's favorite cousin

-mama's boy

-doesn't care what anyone thinks

-his smirk sustains me

-also tells his mother everything

-master prankster

Antonio

Then

-adorable baby boy

-want to give lots of snacks and snuggles

-deserves love

Now

-and pretty much yeah

Bruno

Then

-I had no idea this man existed lmao

-didn't see him in the trailer

Now

-someone get this man some depression meds

-really needs a hug

-probably listens to Simple Plan

-terrible decision-making skills

-mans really decided to hide in the walls for a decade rather than talk to his mom

-i mean same tbh

-could y’all stop infantilizing this 50 year old neurodivergent man thanks

-is LOVED by his family and anyone that says otherwise is wrong

Pepa

Then

-I liked her hair

-also didn't appear much in the trailer so no opinion

-didn't watch We don't talk about Bruno before seeing the movie so I didn't have the same stigma against her that most do

Now

-introducing the actual fav character

-I LOVE HER SO MUCH

-someone get this woman some anxiety meds

-second biggest gossip in town

-another fantastic dancer

-probably enjoys peppermint tea

-needs to stay away from coffee

-is a loving mother and wife

-couple goals

-literally just see the way she looks at her husband and kids

-very dramatic

-would def be a broadway star

-definitely either the youngest or the oldest

-LOVES her brother

-stop saying she hates Bruno

Julieta

Then

-seemed like a very good mother

-very sweet

-I like her eyes idk why

-she has the most mom power ever lmao

Now

-an EXCELLENT mother

-stop saying Bruno should adopt Mirabel when she has Julieta

-so kind so caring I need her in my life

-should have gotten more singing lines

-prolly very sassy when she wants to be

-mom friend

-doesn't get mad easily but fear her when she does

-probably the oldest

Felix + Agustin

Then

-ALSO didn't appear much in the trailer

-thought Felix was a side character tbh

Now

-disney is ill for setting the bar this high

-how do the Madrigals keep picking up quality men

-what is the secret

-Felix has Gomez vibes

-probably bond over how much they love their wives

-fantastic fathers

-"I was protecting my daughter"

-Julieta and Pepa are winning

Alma

Then

-seemed like a sweet old lady

-kind of reminded me of my grandmother

Now

-needs a therapist asap

-if ya'll don't leave this poor ptsd ridden old lady alone

-did what she thought was best for her family

-STOP SAYING SHE HATES BRUNO

-LOVES all of her kids and grandkids but has a hard time expressing it

-was a single mother to three and the impromptu leader of an entire town of people in her twenties

-she handled what needed to be handled

-probably sings the best lullabies

-acknowledged that she was wrong and went to fix it

-all that being said I did very nearly throw hands with her for a second

[dancevidaniya]

Encanto needs to be a stage musical and here’s why

Someone’s probably already talked about this, but I feel the need to dump all my ideas here. 

General premise: there’s a lot going on in Encanto that could have used more screentime, and it’s a great story with lots of beautiful visuals and themes. 

Further elaboration (with spoilers obviously):

There’s so many characters! And you know what that means: we need more solos. 

What about a song or songs detailing what Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio are going through? Dolores living with a power that she can’t really shut off (presumably), Camilo trying to find himself while presenting himself as a careless goofball, Antonio’s fears before and after he discovers his powers. He admires Mirabel SO MUCH, but he’s also scared of sharing her fate.

Also, weave in a little more about Dolores’s unrequited love. Make it the tiniest, cutest little subplot. Maurino and Dolores have the smallest exchange where he’s delivering something for the party and she stutters out a little, “Thanks.” And then she makes that little “eep” sound before pattering off. He glances over his shoulder at her, shrugs and smiles.

I think a huge missed opportunity was that we didn’t get to really address the fact that Abuela Alma doesn’t have magic powers herself? Maybe that’s another reason why she’s so hard on Mirabel, she can see her own perceived inadequacies in her. After all, after going through such chaos in fleeing her home and losing her husband, having magical kids was her way of taking back control. The only way she thought she could fix the world around her was through them.

Felix and Agustin having a more lighthearted song about how they married into this crazy, magical family and sometimes they don’t even know how to raise their own kids. Sprinkle in some details about how they met their wives. It doesn’t even have to be a song of its own, it could lead into the aforementioned Abuela song where the tune tapers off into something more somber.

That scene where Julieta is telling Mirabel that’s she just as special as the rest of the family? Song. Make it a song.

Bruno!! Let’s talk about Bruno! This could have fit into the last category, but it’s just that important.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is a straight up banger, I’ve listened to it a thousand times already, don’t change a thing.

Bruno himself needs more to sing though. We need a song from his perspective about what was going through his head when he ran away and the life he’s been living in the walls.

In the same song perhaps, talk about what it was like to grow up with a power that people progressively began to distrust and even revile. Mirabel and Bruno both grew up under a stigma, both feeling unwanted if for different reasons. And now Mirabel herself seems to be an instrument of doom, just like him.

Bruno and Mirabel could have an awesome musical number for the whole vision sequence. Build it up with discussion about their anxieties. Mirabel insisting on the vision because she has to know how she can fix the situation, Bruno flinching and trying to get out of it because he knows what happens when people hear his prophecies. The vision begins and the music builds and builds and the green lighting is going crazy until - “ISABELA?”

(Sidenote: later in the musical, make it more apparent that the Isabela thing is only the beginning of the healing-the-whole-family process).

Finally, Bruno needs more time to reconcile with the family and for them to apologize and promise to do better by him. That was one of my few complaints about the movie. They really ran out of time to organically welcome Bruno back, and a stage musical would have so much more time to do that in a satisfying way.

And speaking of things that needed more screentime...

One of my other big complaints about the movie was that Isabela and Mirabel’s reconciliation feels really fast and in my opinion, pretty forced. Isabela was pretty harsh on Mirabel, and her song seems to still be tilted towards, “I’m pretty amazing. Oh yeah, thanks Mirabel.” And Mirabel herself has two seconds to change her mind about her sister. 

So what I would change is: the cactus can still appear in a fit of passion, but it needs to be Mirabel’s idea that Isabela make more. Isabela takes notice for the first time that Mirabel’s unique outlook on life expresses itself through compassion, even towards her. Make Mirabel forget about the hug, and make her suddenly interested in her own sister’s development. She wants to see what else Isabela can do, and Isabela wants more of Mirabel’s perspective. They come to really believe each other when they hear the message, “I’m struggling.” Then it leads into them having a blast like they were at the end of the song.

On to visuals: Casita!! Magic house!!

Is there anything that screams "theater” like a story that revolves around a single location? And houses are right at the top. And a magic house that shifts and emotes and has magic rooms? That’s a theater dream come true!

You ever check out some of the behind scenes footage clips of the Beetlejuice musical? It’s ridiculous what they managed to do with the lighting of that house, using all the latest technologies. A Disney budget could really run with that.

Through animatronics and the unsung heroes of theater, the techie, you have all the power you need to have cabinets opening and closing, banners sagging and then lifting, cups vibrating on dancing tile counters, floors bouncing and moving people around the stage, flowers sprouting all over the place.

Turning the house set around and you got yourself Bruno’s hideout in the walls. Turn it again and hey look, it’s more of the family members’ rooms! Break the house apart to reveal Bruno’s crazy cavernous tower, and then break it again during the catastrophic climax. Sidenote: explain why the hell the family couldn’t build Mirabel a bigger room or let her share one of theirs. Like, Jesus lol

Anyway, there’s just a lot to say. I’ll just go ahead and leave you with a final suggestion: everyone’s gotta apologize to Mirabel more than they did. HARD. Especially Abuela Alma.

Thank you for your time!

[vaguelyominouscoconuts]

Let's talk about how adults other than Abuela Alma contributed to the generational trauma.

So it's pretty common knowledge at this point that the only "villain" in Encanto is generational trauma, but people only seem to recognize Abuela Alma as perpetrating it. Yeah, maybe she's the biggest culprit, but she's not the *only* culprit. With that in mind, let's talk about the triplets.

Pepa

Pepa is volatile, highly emotional. And while that can be difficult on the best of days, it's made even worse by the fact that her being upset could cause a literal hurricane. Her children have probably learned that they need to tiptoe around her. They wouldn't want to risk upsetting her in case they cause a hurricane. And when she *is* upset, it falls on them to calm her down (as we see Camilo doing). I do think that Felix has done a great job trying to take that burden off their shoulders, but he can't do it completely. He's the only adult that listens to Pepa and tries to help her instead of telling her to bottle up her emotions. He's only one man, there's only so much he can do by himself.

Pepa has also unwittingly taught her kids to bottle up their emotions. They've grown up seeing that getting upset not only causes bad weather, but also incites the displeasure of Abuela. So they learned that "for the sake of the family," they need to keep it to themselves. This doesn't seem to affect Antonio so much as it does Dolores and Camilo. I mean, they don't even get songs about their problems like the other kids do. With Dolores especially, we see that she's kept quiet about how she's in love with Mariano, and how seeing him court Isabela really hurts her. And for someone who tells everyone everything and can barely keep a secret, keeping something like this to herself is a big deal.

Julieta

I wouldn't be surprised if Julieta feels like she's under a mountain of pressure. I mean, she is single-handedly responsible for the health of an entire community. Imagine how much food she has to cook, and how long that takes. Now, we never really see Abuela scolding Julieta like she does the others, so I think that Julieta is sort of the Isabela of her generation. She's perfect, her gift is useful, she lives up to Abuela's expectations. I think that she's unknowingly passed this pressure onto her daughters. She doesn't want them to end up being treated like Bruno or Pepa, so she's probably pushed them towards doing everything they can to meet Abuela's expectations. And this has obviously taken its toll on them. Isabela feels like she has to be perfect like her mother, Louisa feels like she has to do everything like her mother, Mirabel is trying so hard to meet Abuela's expectations like her mother and sisters.

And when Mirabel talks to her mother about her problems, confesses how unspecial she feels, Julieta sort of brushes her off (I mean not exactly brushes her off, but you get it. "You have depression? Here, let me tell you a joke. Are you happy yet?" vibes). She obviously wants to help Mirabel and make her feel better, but she's not going about it the right way. When Mirabel says "I'm not special," Julieta just says "Yes you are" and basically leaves it at that. That's not what Mirabel needs nor wants to hear. She doesn't want to be told pretty lies and placations. I don't know how to put it to words, but it's like she's trying to get Mirabel to not think about her problems or something. If anything, this probably makes Mirabel feel even *more* unspecial, like her problems don't matter. I think Julieta just doesn't understand what Mirabel is going through, no matter how hard she tries.

We don't talk about Bruno

Bruno disappeared without a word. While it would have been hard for his mother and siblings, imagine how traumatizing it would have been for Isabela, Dolores, and Louisa (especially the first two, since they are the oldest and remember him the best). Imagine you're a child who has spent your *entire* life with someone, only for them to disappear without a trace. It would have been earth-shattering, confusing, unbearably upsetting.

Bruno showed them that if they weren't good enough, if they didn't live up to Abuela Alma's expectations, if they weren't useful to the family, they'd be *shunned* from the family. They'd be treated as if they never existed. Bruno confirmed for them that there were *real* consequences for not being perfect, which put more pressure on them to not make the same mistakes as him. Of course, Dolores could hear him in the walls. Knowing he was still there, that he hadn't just gotten eaten by a leopard or something, probably taught her that running away from your problems is an option. We don't see her doing that in the movie (we barely see her at *all* in the movie, which I will forever be upset about), but I think it's a possibility. And it definitely served as further confirmation that she needs to keep her issues to herself or risk having to run away.

So, yeah. The triplets aren't perfectly innocent either. But like Abuela, that doesn't make them villains. It just makes them deeply damaged people who need a chance to heal.

[tresmadrigalsibs]

“Our own Casita” Au

Aka AU where Felix and Agustin discuss and decide with Pepa and Julieta after Mirabel’s ceremony to move out of Casita.

While Alma is so focused on the gifts and protecting the miracle, a year after Bruno went missing and Mirabel didn’t get her gift, Agustin started to really notice how the concern about these gifts really got to the family. Even after almost fourteen years (I like to think they didn’t rush to have the babies after marriage) of living as a Madrigal, he’s starting to really notice the strain that the gifts actually seem to put on the gifted members of the family.

How Julieta was always the only one to do the cooking, having to get up very early in the morning to prepare so much food for not only the family, but the entire village because her gift seemed to be needed every single day, which he felt a bit guilty that he was someone who needed that gift.

Or How Luisa, his second born daughter, she was only ten years old but she was already doing so manny chores that he was sure would make anyone tired let alone a girl her age. She’d been doing almost double the work for a year under Alma’s insistence to help around even more than she had before.

There was Isabela who seemed to always be sitting still like she was being painted in a portrait, but he could swear that her smiled was a little strained every time she agreed with something Alma asked of her.

Of course there was also how his youngest was effected. He saw how hard she tried to be as ‘amazing’ as her sisters and cousins. He’d noticed that Camilo hadn’t been able to play with her as much as they used to. He’d also noticed that Alma had started to distance herself from the little girl. Before the ceremony, Mirabel loved to hug and be hugged by Alma. Nowadays, he hadn’t seen the matron even give her a little pat on the head.

When he voiced his concerns to Felix, his best friend and hermano admitted he noticed the strain with Pepa too. That he didn’t like that if someone wanted their crops waters they’d have to make his beautiful wife feel unhappy or that she’d have to force herself to be happy or stay in her room if someone wanted a sunny afternoon. She should be allowed to feel her emotions without having to worry about how convenient it was for other people.

He worried for Dolores, his sweet quiet daughter who couldn’t make many friends because there were still kids who believed that someone with her gift could only be nosy and a snitch. Who knew what would happen with Camilo and his gift as he was still learning and getting used to the chores of being other people.

Their gifts were amazing but how reliant everyone seemed and the fact that using their gifts seemed to be the most important thing to some people.

After further discussion, they decided to speak about the matters with Pepa and Julieta. There was some reluctance. This had been the way things had always been, why change things after all? But at their age, it was understandable. After another night, they decided to first prepare by finding a plot of land in Encanto that was not occupied.

They built a two houses that connected to each other. They made sure to make rooms for each of the children plus a nursery in case of any future children or grandchildren. It would be best for the family to be able to still be close with one another, especially after losing Bruno the year before, but they needed to see and learn how it was to be without the stress of others expectations.

They decided to leave one last step for Mirabel, adding the doorknob to the front door. After the house was completed, which had taken nearly another year, it would be time to sit down and tell the kids

[casitafallz-a]

Pariah AU | To Uncover the Truth P3

Decay knew this was going to be a very awkward breakfast but she was grateful that Felix was first to assist in getting a plate together for her as she sat though she held the gazes confidently, she knew her Pariah Counterpart was brimming with questions more than the rest… well. Pariah Abuela more so.

“Gracias.” She nodded to Felix through he seemed...the most relaxed out of everyone.  

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked, after a moment “You…looked a little rough last night.”

“Better. Exhausted but better. Today’s…probably going to be an emotionally quiet day. Hopefully.” Sometimes denial was better to have and be a little happier for a little longer; she’d process the….failure when she was at the Watcher Casita, writing up her report. Maybe give it a cry… she’d see after she cuddled Dante and got a new arm.

Decay was a little glad that Felix picked up food that only required one hand than anything that needed to be cut up, and much quicker to eat; now she realised how hungry she was.

“What happened to your arm?” Antonio was the first to pop after the first few minutes of looks and cutlery against ceramics.

“Antonio!”

“What?” Antonio looked around, “We’re all thinking it.”

Decay sniggered, though she grimaced at the ratting echo it had that…made her sound much more sinister.

“It’s okay,” Decay interjected before Abuela could get involved, “I don’t mind that you’re curious. I know that…you’ve probably not encountered anyone with my….condition. Where I’m from, this isn’t uncommon so no one tends to care what’s happened to you, only if you’re functional to work.”

A few forks were placed down so Decay took a heavy sip and sat back now she had the table’s attention.

“So, like what happened to your arm? I… well I mean how you got the metals ones.” Antonio rephrased, stroking Parce’s head.

“Well, I lost them separately to each other” She knew she probably had to censor this, Antonio looked to be about seven…or eight so best not scar him. “I…lost my right after getting it trapped under a rock slide, it…cut off circulation to the limb so…to save me, they had to remove it.”

“That sounds nasty.”

“It wasn’t pleasant but…I got better. I got a new one when I got into my current line of work. I lost the other arm a few years later…” She paused, sparing a look to Pepa and Felix. “to a bad man with a chakram blade.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s an Indian throwing weapon, but… you’re a little too young to know those details.” The adults would put them together quicker than him to know what she’d mean soon enough. Bruno certainly did by how he seemed to wince; his hand coming to his arms.

“Aww.”  Antonio pouted into her plate before grabbing an empanada.

“Still… like that sounds…hard.” Mirabel winced, “is your job…dangerous?”

Decay hummed, “It depends how old and how skilled they are that determines their missions. Us three, we work in a type of…military organisation—not a government run one” she added swiftly seeing Abuela’s alarm in her eyes. “Private organisation. We try and keep the peace between places… or provide aid to refugees of those of lost homes. We can be displaced ourselves but once my superiors realise me and my team are missing, they’ll investigate.”

Abuela still looked much more concerned, “But… they have gifts? Are you…made to join? Can you leave?”

“No. I will admit, this place does have it’s own magic. I was taken in to be healed but they gave me the option to return. I chose to stay and recruited into their service. Verana, actually was born into the service industry… that’s where her cultural differences come from. That life is all she knows.”

“They have magic too!” Mirabel blinked, “how?”

“That’s…not a story I can tell. It’s…too complicated.”

Abuela sucked in a heavy breath. “Do you have a gift?”

Decay set her fork down properly and lent forwards and laid out her palm up on the table before the magical glimmer along the sides flickered stronger before she watched the potato duo form in her hand, little wadding arms and legs formed too before she felt herself waver a little in strength as she finished up though she heard the gasp from her counterpart.

“You have my gift?!”  Isabela gaped, though looked very uncertain at the implication.

Decay licked her lips though prodded one of the stationary potatoes. And for a moment there was nothing before it wiggled, falling flat onto its face.

Silence fell over the table, a few jaws dropping as the potato man wiggled again and managed to manoeuvre its limbs to set itself up…. Then let out this tiny, adorable whine and…walked straight into Felix’s glass, pinged off and began to roll around.

“Cool!” Antonio jumped off his chair, hurrying around, “it’s so small!”

Camilo looked very put off, leaning back in its chair as the second one moved and begrudgingly began its journey down the table top. Mirabel grinned down at it, leaning forwards.

“Are they safe?”

“Right now…they’re passive and probably going to be looking floor a pot of soil to settle in. they’ll get more adventurous once they’ve explores more of this world. They’ll eat dirt and absorb water… on and they’ll reproduce by burrowing into fertile soil when they’re ready.”

“They can reproduce?!” Isabela looked both astonished and amazed.

“I recommend eating them before that; they don’t feel pain… or care about each other that much. They’re still veg.”

“Why would you eat them?!” Antonio look offended at the idea, reaching forwards and plucked the one that was peering into Felix’s glass of orange juice and held it to his chest. “They’re little people!”

Isabela seemed to get more interested and picked up the one that had gotten at the end of the table. Abuela looked…uncertain, even as the girl picked it up and peered at it closely then produced a petal up for it.

The potato man cooed, reaching for both ‘hands’ and took it from her… then drooped it, holding it’s arms out again for more. So Isabela began to produce little planty things for it and waited on it’s reactions.

Bruno lent forwards to watch though it seemed most of the adults weren’t so thrilled, even as Isabela and Antonio went to take them to her room to get them settled… or to just investigate them more.

“Shame, they really are delicious…especially with salt and butter.”

Camilo sniggered into his plate. “You eat them?”

“No… my son did when he was two. I thought they’d be good pets…he though they were a snack.”

Mariano, up until that point had been quiet with Dolores, choked onto his drink. “S-Son?!”

Decay paused though she noticed the widening look on Agustín, Luisa and Mirabel’s faces than Abuela’s. This wasn’t easy but… she did find herself enjoying this far more than she expected. Their plain and honest reactions to things that were beyond them… it was fun.

“Si. Dante.” She smiled softly, though it saddened a little, “He’s at home… I left him with Abscond and Fracture so… he’s in good hands.”

“How old?” Mirabel lent forwards.

“He turned 5 four weeks ago.” Decay smiled with bride.

“Aw, such a cute age.” Mirabel smiled, “though… you had him young? How old are you? Twenty five like our…isabela?”

“No…” Decay paused as she realised the matter this presented, “It’s…hard to explain. I’m...older than I look. Time…doesn’t work the same way there than it does here.”

Bruno’s head perked up, “How?”

“Says the man who sees the future…” Decay gave him a look, before shaking her head. “Look… It’s complicated. Time out here is…slower. Time there is faster.”

“I don’t get it.” Camilo rubbed his head, “How? Time is…time. Nothing changes that.”

“Plants in the solar system are faster or slower depending on their orbit around the run; their concept of years are very different” Decay reasoned though looked to her plate for a moment. “It’s…that concept but with time. How long as your wife been gone?”

Agustín’s face was…oddly impassive, his breakfast abandoned in front of him like most at the table.

“Two years.”

Decay nodded though she did her best to run the numbers—though she knew them already from Pariah herself; she needed to look smart…and well versed.

“So,” she lent forwards. “here, it’s been two year but there it’s… been about sixteen years. People like me, to survive those obscure passages of time, we also granted a tattoo relic to bind our aging process to a stable reference. I’m 38.”

Mirabel gaped, “You’re almost 40! Wow!” she looked shocked, taking in her appearance “That’s so weird… you look just..” her eyes flickered to Casita. “Wait, how old is the other girl that looks like me?”

Decay supressed a smile “She’s 115.”

Mirabel’s jaw dropped, Abuela who had been taking a sip of coffee choked a little.

“Oh, come on! You honestly believe that?!” Camilo shook his head. “This is nonsense.” He shook his head, taking a handful of his food and walked off though Decay rolled her eyes.

“Camilo...” Pepa called after him.

“it’s okay, let him believe what he wants. I’m not asking any of you to believe me for that matter.” She added, “but, Dolores, you’d be able to tell is we were lying, right.”

Dolores’s hand tightened onto Mariano’s though gave a non-committal squeak and looked to Mariano.

“Excuse me,” Agustín spoke, setting his cutlery down and hurried away, no doubt to his room though Decay watched idly, he probably needed a break but… she had to get the family’s mind open…especially if Rana would be here for the long term. The family had to understand them before they, or Rana, needed to understand the family.

 -

Wanderer’s arms were like a vice, wrapped around her and even her legs had joined in like she was some sort of trunk for a koala. Rana didn’t like it but she knew Wanderer needed this so, she bit her lip and became the tree. The holster with blades didn’t help and the added weight pressed in the rim into her skin. Her stomach grumbled unhappily for food but the whole idea of going down, she hated.

She could only hope Decay brought food up to them then she could avoid officially meeting the rest of the family. Looking after Wanderer gave her a purpose to lay in bed, even if she hated the inactivity.

A knock at the door pulled her attention before the house opened it for her to see…Luisa standing in the doorway. Her second oldest Hermana. Out of all her siblings, she did…preference a more affectionate thought towards her in comparison of the other two. Rana cared very little for Isabela. She had Wanderer to care more about her native counterpart. It was odd now to see her now given they had somewhat met last night but…she had been far too busy to notice.

“hola…” Luisa stepped in, a tray in hand though her eyes flickered to Rana’s clingy Kohala of a girl. “How is she?”

“Clingy.”

“I see,” Luisa smiled softly, “Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine,” Rana answered though the low growl of her stomach even seemed to stirrer Wanderer who groaned, her grip on her loosening before she rolled but Rana lurched as Wanderer seemed to roll off towards the side of the bed and she wasn’t the only one. Luisa was the first to reach and catch the eldered-teen and Wanderer’s eyes were wide and alarmed before Luisa was quick to adjust her back onto the bed though remained knelt.

“gracisas….” Wanderer’s lip quivered, “Rana…stop making weird notices…” She sniffled, “So loud…”

Rana gave her a look before rolling her eyes.

“Would you like something to eat, er… Wanderer, is it?” Luisa asked politely.

Wanderer seemed to really notice Luisa for a long moment before her lip curled down and eyes welled up. “yes… very much. You’re so thoughtful.”

“I’m happy to help.” Luisa brought over the bowl, where inside sat the typical breakfasts though held very little to what Mami ever really made; she could see this was read from a recipe book. Rana supposed she shouldn’t judge too much, they didn’t have Mami.

Wanderer’s hand shook as she took it and for a long moment stared down into the food.

“With cutlery, you’re not a baby” Rana intersected as Wanderer began to lift the bowl to her face.

“Aw…” Wanderer’s shoulders slumped and set the bowl onto her knee

Rana took the other bowl with a nod though was quick to eat it down in comparison. Wanderer glasses steamed up but that might have been somewhat of an improvement as she ate, one small spoonful at a time.

“Is…she always like this after…” Luisa asked hesitantly.

“Well, I suspect she was stuck in a death loop for a few hours if she was trapped underwater, her brain chemistry is…disorganised as her body tried to regenerate the damaged cells.” Rana answered. “Recovery…takes some time.”

“Oh…I think I get why.” Luisa winced. “Is there anything we should be made aware of when she’s like this?”

“Hm… She’ll be very huggy with everyone, mostly she might get confused with who you lot are, she might think you’re her family but… she has none but us.”

Luisa’s eyes widened. “Orphaned?”

Rana shrugged, though pondered how to explain it. “She watched her world and town turn to dust around her. Genocide. Her family might be alive but… she’s never been able to find them.”

It was no secret Wanderer hated the idea of pruning of worlds because that was essentially what it was; controlled genocide to balance the universes and to prevent mutual annihilation of timelines. Distort was in favour of pruning given he was a victim of a collided AU, the last Madrigal of his world. His world or at least his family might have been saved if his or the other world had been pruned. The fights between her and Distort were often very brutal.

“I’m…so sorry to hear that.” Luisa swallowed thickly.

Rana shrugged, setting the bowl back onto the tray. “Just don’t pity her. She hates that.” Though seeing Wanderer take too long, Rana decided to step in. “You know what this is painful to watch, Wanderer, slurp it; you’ll eat it quicker.”

There was no hesitation as Wanderer brought the bowl to her mouth.