#oh mirabelle you never disappoint

[carcarrot]

'Shine and Dazzle in Sparky Fashion!': Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks, models and dog photographed for Mirabelle magazine, 1974

[showtoonzfan]

Also yeah this new Hazbin cast is not it man. I’m sorry. Most of them either sound flat, don’t fit with the character design, or are just not as good as the original. Angel and Alastor I especially don’t like, Alastor sounds so nasally and Amari just can’t top Bosco’s performance, with Bosco not only was he good but when Alastor was threatening, he SOUNDED threatening. I may have made fun of Al’s design, but Bosco’s voice is what made the character interesting and threatening for me. With Amari’s voice he just sounds beyond silly and I can’t take him seriously.

Blake Roman is literally just intimidating Kovach, except this time Angel just sounds forced and awkward. It makes you wonder why Viv just didn’t get Kovach back since it’s obvious she wanted to find someone so similar to him, and then you realize…oh yeah, Kovach wasn’t on Broadway or is a big singer. Micheal was really good at what he did as Angel too as everyone has already said so Viv fumbled the bag SO hard with these two it’s sad. I’m especially pissed about Alastor cause Bosco was the reason he was my favorite character and now he sounds so cringe.

Husk and Vox are played by two very talented actors/singers but their voices just don’t fit with the character design, though I’m not that against Christain Borle as Vox, the voice doesn’t fit the twink design but at the very least they got a man who sounds like a full grown adult playing a full grown adult lmao. Husk is a different story however, because it feels like Keith was picked to play him just because he was famous and nothing else. Back in the pilot, Viv had a specific voice in mind for Husk and she found it, aka Mick. He perfectly came off as an old washed up grumpy alcoholic, and Keith’s voice kinda just…erases all that personality. Sure Keith’s voice sounds cool but that’s it, it’s style over substance.

I wish I could say more about Charlie and Vaggie but I’m not sure what to say other then they kinda sound forced and awkward too, and I hate saying that cause they’re also played by two very talented actresses. Stephanie B played Mirabel from Encanto, she’s had voice acting experience before so I hope she ends up sounding good in the actual show. Erika meanwhile…I hate to say this but other than her singing voice there’s nothing really special about her as Charlie compared to Jill Harris, though even with Jill I never felt any strong feelings towards her performance.

Adam meanwhile, dear GOD I was right about him looking bad in animation form, his design sucks so fucking much. Fans were right, that’s Alex Brightman’s voice, he seems to be using his normal voice but just a tad deeper. He’s the only one who’s a fine choice, though I really wish we got to hear him as Pentious here!

But yeah in terms of the voice cast I’m just disappointed man, really disappointed. It makes you really realize how talented the pilot cast was. They were so good cause they were all chosen for a reason that wasn’t just “they’re famous” and it fucking sucks how bad Viv fumbled everything.

[miracles-and-butterflies]

Saving a miracle is a lot and comes at a hefty price. Good thing nobody warned Mirabel ahead of time, wouldn’t want her to be able to consider what she’s doing before making rash decisions.

Vaguely inspired by @yellowcry’s Cursed Gifts AU.

Sequel to And I’m Asking “Why, Lord?”

Warning for sensitive topics below.

Time Eats All His Children in the End

Mirabel blinks, slowly coming back to it all. She’s lying on the floor of Antonio’s room, surrounded by grains of sand and burnt leaves. There is no sign of Bruno. Distantly, she can still hear the animals and Antonio playing nearby, splashing in the water. She manages to push herself up, sitting, having to balance herself with her hands.

What happened?

There is no obvious sign that anything has changed. No magic in her veins, no power at her command. Some small, naive part of her thinks it wasn’t real.

Then, her eyes drop down to herself and her stomach churns in disgust and horror. Her dress is completely shredded, hanging loose and in tatters. Her glasses have been knocked to who knows where, she can’t see them. It’s cold. She feels like a pinned butterfly, having its wings removed and its insides pulled apart. She’s on display. For something, someone not human. He has done something to her, taken something or changed something, and she has no idea what.

“Mirabel! You’re awake!” Antonio calls. She turns to find Parce pounding up towards her, the little boy riding on his back. His smile drops as he catches her. “Tío Bruno said to check on you that when you wake up… Mirabel, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, Antonio,” she reassures him. As scared as she is, she doesn’t want to have him feel the same. But God, her voice is rough.

He clocks his head in confusion at her. After a moment, he shares a glance with the capybara that still hasn’t moved and nods in confirmation. “You don’t look okay and Chipsi agrees.”

“I… to be honest, I wasn’t quite prepared for the vision.” She lied. Well, partially.

Antonio, too young and oblivious, takes that as the gospel truth. “Oh, okay! We never really get to talk about Bruno and I had no idea what having a vision was like! So, what was it like? What did you see? Did you see the future? Was I all grown up? Was I taller than Camilo?”

“I’m sorry, but you know we weren’t looking at your future, primito. And I can assure you, I didn’t see anything you want to see.”

“Okay,” he huffed, sounding disappointed. “Next time Tío Bruno visits, I’m gonna ask him to give me a vision. Do you want to come and play with me and my friends?”

She shakes her head, gently. “No, thank you, Antonio. I have some embroidery to finish.”

Once she’s out of Antonio’s room and with the door safely closed behind her, she doesn’t have to act like she’s fine. She feels horrible about it, but she had to lie Antonio. This is nothing for a child to know, to be part of it, but she is a child and nobody thought to spare her…

It’s too much.

She stops, catching her reflection in the photographs of the ceremonies. Everyone minus her. That hasn’t changed then. Briefly, she considers taking Bruno’s off the wall and throwing it away. But, she doesn’t. She keeps walking. At least, she takes a few more steps before collapsing to her knees. Wincing at the sting of impact against her hands as she catches herself.

Casita flickers its tiles beside her, asking if she’s alright. The answer is blatantly obvious.

She feels horrible and betrayed and used and broken and worthless and—

She wraps her arms around herself, trying to calm herself down. It’s all too much. She can’t just bottle this up as she does with everything else.

Digging her nails into her skin, she scratches. Deep. Drawing blood. She doesn’t care, she screams through it like a dying animal. She wants to tear it all off. She wants to let herself bleed to death because at least then she won’t ever know what he’s done to her. The family will still be safe, the miracle will still survive. No one will care if she doesn’t. And maybe that is what hurts the most: the reality that no one would care what has happened to her. That’s why it did happen.

From her knees, she drops to her side. Curled into a ball and facing the plain, empty wall. Blocking out whatever Casita is trying to say to her. It is only a house. If it had never cracked in the first place, if it had never made her run to get help. She never asked for this, she never wanted this. She prays for it all to go away.

Eventually, her voice cracks. Her screams break off into sobbing, wretched and pitiful.

She can’t breathe through it. She tries, quick and frantic and mad, but she isn’t getting air. It slips through her lips, just as her door slipped from her all those years ago. Just as the last shred of her hope has slipped through her fingers into a dead man’s hand. She wants to rip apart her body and clean it, cleanse it in holy water. Clear away the damage and stains of a curse she doesn’t understand.

Pedro has taken something from her, and she will never be the same again.

Taken something. Stolen everything. And she had let it happen. She had trusted Bruno and then trusted him. And poor pathetic, little Mirabel couldn’t even save herself. She had asked for a blessing, now one has cut a place inside of her, buried into her like a parasite. Eating her out from the inside and will leave her a rotting corpse for the worms must be fed.

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

Wish spoilers ahead.

The start of Wish is exactly like that of Encanto but without all the heart. It is literally the meme of "Can I copy your homework?" "Yeah but change a few things so it is not too obvious."

Also Asha deserved a pretty dress in the end like wth are you going to sell to little girls Disney you are all about money and you failed miserably even at that.

And it is for real soooo unfair how the queen did get a pretty dress the whole movie and Asha only got some lazy ass sparkles added to her boring ass dress.

Asha... not bad, ok, but she is copy paste Anna, Mirabel, and Rapunzel. Youtuber ModernGurlz is right about Disney's "adorkable" problem. All their main girls since Rapunzel have the same "quirky" personality save a few details. I have liked them all but it is getting boring. Give me a princess with a monotone, sad personality, give me a shy princess who only smiles and talks around close friends, give me back the classic super girly personality Aurora and Snow White style, give me an angry girl with a brutal sense of humor like Merida. Be creative, please!!!

I love the queen's design, super gorgeous. Too bad her character added nothing. Her help was barely needed since Asha's friend had already sneaked them into the castle and it was her who deciphered the king's magic. A super villain couple would have been way more fun.

Oh, yeah, Asha's friends. There were so-damn-many of them and only like 3 were rememberable or needed for the story.

The villain is a complicated issue. I appreciated Disney's attempt at another fully evil character, I liked how he wasn't yet another badly set up "twist villain" revealed only at the end. But I didn't like the end result that much.

His backstory was super underdeveloped and to "get" his motives better, if they really wanted to make him evil-yet-complex, they should have shown us a flashback of him losing his family Encanto style (They copy pasted the start might as well do the same with the antagonist backstory.

What the hell was the missing piece of tapestry for if it wasn't going to have any significance later on? Did the writers just forget or what even?

Worst part for me: The stakes were low as fuck. Disney doesn't respect its target audience, nowadays it thinks that children can't handle anything worse than a main character getting disappointed. The worst this "super evil" villain does is make people sad temporarily, for like two minutes (Kid you not), like one character stays sad for longer but MOST people in the kingdom seem happy and normal after giving up their wishes, he legit just makes people sad a few minutes (Again, I kid you not, no one dies, the wishes he "eats" to make himself stronger come back, nothing he does has a permanent, devastating effect, he is not even revealed to have killed Asha's father in a dramatic way or something). Yeah he makes people forget their wishes which is pretty sketchy but up to that point he seemed to have complex reasons for that, reasons that seem to disappear or have never even been there the second half of the movie when he magically becomes more evil due to a forbidden green spooky magic he uses, and then suddenly he becomes Maleficent (The cool, perfect villain version, not the woobie one) style evil in a very, very rushed and over the top way. I feel like he should have started up as fully evil with no backstory (Just a simple, Gaston or original Maleficent style, self centered guy, who wants more and more power and adoration), and simply gotten worse and stronger OR given more complexity as to why he became that way, but instead we got this weird thing in between where it is clear he just wants power and love from the people for the sake of it and yet he has this half-made sob story on how his family died.

There was a great lack of originality in this movie at the climax as well. Anyone watched "The little mermaid II"? That was pretty much it. Villain gets power boner, says he will enslave everyone (Worst thing he does in whole movie and yet no one trying to defy him dies at least off screen or gets hurt in any meaningful way). Then heroine saves the day.

The funniest part of this movie is that the villain's fate is worse than anything he ever did in the movie I swear. He gets trapped in a freaking mirror and then locked up in a cell (Similar to the Little mermaid II villain's end too lol). That is straight up torture till death, it is so fucked up. And his wife who literally sees how the green spooky magic is the main thing responsible for his bad day (If we are being honest that is all it was, other than the taking wishes part he seemed to be a good king) leaves him to rot and becomes queen Catherine II style, it is hilarious. Like girl, you turned against your husband like five minutes ago because apparently through decades of seemingly loving marriage, you never knew he was evil but now somehow you are ok with him rotting in solitary confinement till the end of time? So dorky and silly. So bad, so bad.

Lastly, that goat was annoying as hell.

[winxanity-ii]

⌜Tactus Mortis | Chapter 12 Chapter 12 | me bueno⌟

╰ ⌞🇨‌🇭‌🇦‌🇵‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌ 🇮‌🇳‌🇩‌🇪‌🇽‌⌝

❘ prev. chapter ❘༻✦༺❘ next chapter ❘

Today felt different for Camilo, lighter somehow, as if the morning air carried a hint of promise. From the moment he woke, his mind was teeming with thoughts of you. Lately, the dynamics between the two of you had shifted; gone were the days of him playing childish tricks on you followed by your exasperated scolds, instead replaced by meaningful conversations tinged with understanding and, dare he admit, a touch of affection. Somewhere along the line, without him even realizing it, his perception of you shifted, and now he finds himself drawn to you in a way he can't quite explain.

Racing down the stairs of Casita, he barely managed to grab a bite, his response to Pepa's inquiring gaze muffled by a mouthful of bread. "Just heading out," he muttered, the underlying message clear in his haste: he couldn't wait to meet you.

The jog to your shop did little to quell the smile that played on his lips, a smile born from the budding realization that his feelings for you might be evolving. Arriving at your shop, breathless and eager, he's met with disappointment—the door is locked, and a note reading "Be back, on lunch" greets him instead of your familiar face. Frustrated, he kicks at a stray pebble, contemplating how to kill time until your return.

That's when he spots Mirabel making her way down the road, her steps drawing her ever closer down the path towards him.  A spark of mischief ignites within him, and before he can second-guess the impulse, he shifts into your form, taking on your appearance with an accuracy that spoke of his keen observational skills, just as Mirabel called out in greeting.

Turning around just in time to meet Mirabel's approach with a smile he imagines you might give—sweet and kind—he greeted, "Hey, Mirabel!" His voice, now yours, carried the unique timbre and inflections that were distinctly you.

The conversation flows easily at first, Camilo slipping into your mannerisms with practiced ease, navigating through the pleasantries and everyday small talk: discussing the shop, the clients, and the simple ebb and flow of daily life.

Everything proceeded without a hitch until Mirabel, with a hint of curiosity, ventured a question that veered into more personal territory and asked, "So, how have you and Camilo been?"

Caught in the moment and perhaps too invested in his impersonation, Camilo found himself responding with a sincerity that caught even him off guard. "Oh, we've been good. He's actually pretty cool," he found himself saying, momentarily forgetting his guise amidst the authenticity of the moment.

Mirabel's response was immediate silence, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she digested the words. "Camilo, cool?"

Realizing his slip-up, Camilo panics internally. You would never openly praise him like that. With a nervous laugh, he nudges Mirabel, hastily, "Ha! C'mon, Mira. You should have seen your face. We both know those words practically contradict each other's existence!" 

Mirabel's skepticism didn't wane as she eyed Camilo critically, her "Yeah?" laced with doubt.

Yet, seizing the moment to salvage his ruse, Camilo leaned into his facade with gusto. "Oh, come on, Mira. You know me better," he quipped, channeling your supposed exasperation. "That tramposo, always a whirlwind of mischief. As if I'd suddenly sing praises of his antics."

Her suspicion seemed to waver, replaced by a chuckle, a sound of relief mingling with amusement. "For a moment there, I thought... Well, never mind. You had me going." Her laughter, though brief, was a testament to Camilo's convincing performance. But then, with a glance at the sky and a sudden recollection, she exclaimed, "Oh! I'm supposed to help Mamá with the pastries. Can't keep her waiting." With a swift goodbye and a wave, she hurried off, leaving Camilo alone with his triumph and relief.

No sooner had Mirabel disappeared from view did Camilo release a pent-up breath, his hand instinctively finding its way to his chest, as if to steady his racing heart. "That was too close," he muttered to himself, a smirk playing on his lips, proud yet shaken by the narrow escape.

But the silence that followed was abruptly pierced by a familiar, albeit unwelcome, voice in his head. Sidero's spectral tone carried a mix of amusement and intrigue, "You must really like Y/N so much to morph into her as much as you do," the spirit teased, his words weaving through Camilo's thoughts with an ease that was both unnerving and invasive.

Heat crept into Camilo's cheeks, painting them a shade of embarrassment he seldom wore. "I-It's not like that," he stammered, the words tripping over themselves as he scrambled for a defense. "I was just—just trying to trick Mirabel, you know? A simple jest between cousins." His voice, usually so confident and filled with bravado, now faltered under Sidero's scrutinizing presence.

The spirit's laughter, devoid of warmth, echoed in his mind. "Good," Sidero concluded, leaving an ominous weight behind the word. Camilo, flustered and confused, found himself at a loss, his earlier confidence evaporating into the cool evening air as his mind goes blank.

☆

☆

The weight of the day seemed to dissipate as you drew closer to your shop, the sight of Camilo waiting outside igniting a spark of warmth within the fatigue that clung to your bones. "Camilo!" you call out, arms laden with a heavy basket filled with oils and herbs.

The buoyant mood that had carried you back to your shop, quickly dissipated as Camilo's presence, usually a source of playful banter, morphed into something unrecognizable. His stance, stiff and imposing, did nothing to prepare you for the words that followed your lighthearted jest. "What, Toño sicked his animals on you?" you chuckled, attempting to bridge the gap with humor.

But Camilo's response was a far cry from the laughter or playful retort you anticipated. Instead, he offered nothing but a cold, piercing stare that seemed to look right through you. Confusion and a hint of concern began to bubble within you, and just as you were about to voice your worries, Camilo's words cut through the silence like a sharp, unexpected chill. "You know...I thought I'd try to get to know you better. Don't know why I bothered. You're so stuck up, so utterly convinced of your own righteousness. It's like you can't see past your own nose."

Each word was a calculated strike, but it was the depth of his critique that left you reeling. You could only stare as Camilo's expression twisted into one of disdain, his nose turned up, lips curled into a sneer that was so unlike him. The harshness of his tone, the coldness in his eyes—it was as if you were seeing someone entirely different. His words, laced with contempt, seemed to echo around you, each syllable a heavy blow to your spirit.

"It's like, every interaction and every conversation, you're there with your judgments and condescension." The laughter and light-hearted teasing that had peppered your conversations were absent now, replaced by a critique so pointed it felt personal, intimate even. 

"I don't like you," he finished before leaving, his words slicing through the last threads of hope you had for what your relationship with Camilo could have become. This wasn't just a dismissal; it was a dismantling of the very foundation you thought you were building together.

The hurt was so profound, so jarring, that it rendered you motionless, your gaze dropping to the ground as a protective measure against the onslaught. It wasn't until a wetness touched the hand not occupied by the weight of the basket that you realized tears had begun to silently trail down your cheeks. Looking up, half-expecting raindrops to blur your vision, the realization that these were your tears—your response to Camilo's cutting words—left you hollow. "Oh..." was all you managed, a whisper lost to the void left by his departure.

***Uh....forgive me?

[gamerbearmira]

HELLO I AM BACK! So sorry for being gone so long I got busy with work and my sister had a baby so I've been super busy but I am back now so... BABY MIRA PART 4!

'Casita did this?!' the feeling of betrayal was overwhelming to Mirabel as she wailed in the crook of her papis shoulder ignoring the way her abuela started to argue with Casita getting no response also ignoring when her mama started to argue with her abuela for being so loud. Casita was one of her closest family members and to hear from her own tiles that she did this HURT. Mirabel didn't understand why? Why would Casita do this to her? Did she not like her anymore? Did she ever like her? Did Casita want her to be different from how she was? What did she do to deserve this?!

"Oh Miraboo its ok Papi's here everything is going to be ok Casita... Casita is bringing food and then you'll be full and then we can go back to sleep you must be so tired Mi pequeña mariposa." Her father says all this in a hushed voice and he starts bouncing and swaying slightly trying to soothe her. The combo makes her stop crying as hard but she was still whimpering 'No, No sleep I need answers! I need-'

"CASITA YOU ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DID THIS!" it seems her abuela has lost all patients as her anger yell cuts through her internal ranting before it really started. The loud noise makes her flinch and she starts to cry softly she feels her papi start rubbing her back as well as the bounce/sway movement he has going comforts her in a way she can't really understand but she stops crying and stops whimpering "Mama I know you're angry but lower your voice you're scaring Mirabel!" Her Mama hisses at her abuela clearly near the end of her own patience.

before her abuela can respond the sound of rushing tiles pushing something can be heard and at the still open door is a serving tray with a bottle of milk it's pushed forward and Casita claps her tiles together saying 'there we are! food for mi pequeña mariposa especial!' Casita pushes the serving tray towards her mama who is right next to abuela near the door as she got closer to her when she started to argue with her about her volume. Mirabel isn't paying attention to that though. She is paying attention to what Casita just said, what Casita just called her, her special little butterfly.... Casita has never given nicknames before.... So Casita does like her? She isn't disappointed and doesn't wants her to change who she is? Then why do this? Why make her restart her life all over again!

Before she could think about it any longer she feels herself being passed from her Papi shoulder to her Mama cradled arms with a rusty ease that showed that though it has been years they never truly forgot how to take care of their baby. Before she can really register the change in position and start crying (why she doesn't know but she's been doing a lot of things for reasons that are unknown to her sooo...) she finds the bottle in her mouth in a rush and a small bit of warm milk in her mouth she finds herself sucking it down on instinct just now realizing how hungry she was. She finishes the bottle quickly almost too quickly causing her to spit up on her mama a little bit as she almost choked herself "oh Mira I'm so sorry you must have been so hungry." Her Mama sounds a little upset but it's not like she knew her youngest would turn into a baby and need to be fed every few hours.

"What do you mean you did it Casita?" She hears her abuela ask Casita in a forceful and angry tone. Casita wastes no time to respond this time

'I mean I used some of the power given to me to undo the mistakes of that." She gestures to the candle with a wooden plank from the door 'Idiot who thinks it's a good idea to hide important information from people. Like the fact that Mirabel apparently does have a gift! Which it still won't tell me what it is!' there's a small angry rumble from the tiles in front of the door they stop after a moment and perk up a bit 'But I have made it agree to a redo! Yes a redo is exactly what we need!' the tiles clap happily together like Casita has just revealed something wonderful. There's a moment of still silence as the ones who can understand what was said soak in what was just relayed to them. Her abuela looks from the tiles to the candle shock on her face opening and closing her mouth unable to say a word.

'I have a gift......' the thought brought Mirabel a tingling feeling all over like butterflies kissing her skin, like ants crawling all over and biting her, like ice and fire coming together to create a burning cold that hurt and soothed all at once 'I have a gift.... Or had? What is my gift! Does it not count now that I'm a baby? Do I have the gift now?' the thoughts were confusing and it all was hard to wrap her head around. This whole situation is confusing and overwhelming and hard to wrap her head around honestly. Her mama starts rocking her slightly, anxious by her own mama's behavior she hears her mama start to ask her abuela what was said but with her belly full and the night's activities the act of rocking quickly starts to lull Mirabel to sleep. Right as she closes her eyes she looks over to the candle and sees in the smoke two little words. Two little words that she's waited 10 years for from that candle.

'I'm sorry.'

OMG HIIIIIIII I MISSED YOU <333

Really I did. Hope you’re doing well and taking a rest from work AND CONGRATS ON THE NEW BABAY⁉️⁉️⁉️

Ok so i read it. SO COOL OMG <3 Ngl I can kinda understand why Alma is yelling, I mean it’s a pretty stressful situation and no one’s clued in BUT then again, you can’t go around screaming. With a baby present, in the middle of the night no less. Aside from that, shout to Julieta and Agustín. They’ve managed to (somewhat) keep it together. Personally, I’d break down crying in confusion 💀

Also Mirabel was so lost. Handling emotions she couldn’t even control. And then they shoved a bottle in her mouth, but you know, she was full and it made her quiet down so whatever. She was probably relieved when Casita didn’t randomly start hating her. And then. The candle. Mf in a redemption arc (as far as I can tell) and I’m all for it.

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE MORE (if you have more <3) RAHHHHHH‼️‼️‼️

Mirabel to Casita:

[toaverse]

Healer Isabela AU

Another gift swap AU :D

Enjoy!

Unbeknownst to Alma, her three children got magical rooms with gifts.

Julieta could grow plants and flowers, Pepa could control the weather with her emotions, and Bruno could see the future.

Naturally, Julieta became her mother’s golden child, but that didn’t mean there became a rift between her and Pepa.

Given their nature-themed gifts, the sisters grew closer, spending more time together and often gossiping about townspeople they didn’t like, as well as Bruno…

This resulted in both sisters becoming quite mean, gossiping and bullying Bruno because of his negative visions, and anyone they don’t like.

But Félix, and especially Agustín, still saw good in them.

While Félix was head over heals for Pepa from day one, Agustín befriended Julieta and the two started dating later.

The two genuinely fell in love, Julieta even changing her awful behavior as a result of being with him.

But that all went downhill…

After Isabela was born, Julieta went back to her awful behavior. She often left Agustín to take care of Isabela and Dolores while she went out with Pepa and Félix, she belittled Agustín whenever he got into an accident, she gossiped about him with Pepa and the townspeople, and she complained about how hard motherhood was.

And Agustín? He held out hope that the woman he fell in love with came back, that Julieta woud change again, and for good, that she’’d be a mother for Isabela…

But that never happened…

Julieta slept with her husband whenever she was in the mood, so Luisa and Mirabel would still be born.

When Isabela got her gift, which was healing with her food, Julieta, Alma and Pepa immediately put her to work, making Alma and Agustín teach her how to cook and forcing her to walk around town with a basket of food to give to the townspeople.

“Your job is to cook all our meals, got it?” Julieta told her daughter, leaving no room for questions for Isabela.

So, whenever it was time to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, Isabela had to make all the food and dishes, while the rest of the family either did their own chores or were sitting at the table or somewhere else without bothering to help her.

“Isabela, make an arepa for your Tía.” Julieta told her 7 year old daughter while she and Pepa sat at the dinner table gossiping. “Oh, and make a tamale for me.”

So, Isabela forcefully became everyone’s caretaker. Whenever her family demanded a dish from her, she’d make it. She had to stand near her stand of food in the town all day taking care of the townspeople, and she had to take the insults and scoldings from her Mamá and Tía…

The only people Isabela was happy to take care of were her Papá and hermanas.

It actually became a routine to give her papá a tamale whenever he got into an accident, or give Luisa an empanada when Isa saw her younger sister being tired, or give little Mirabel an arepa con queso as a little reward for helping her with cooking.

But things would change for the worse when Mirabel’s ceremony arrived, and she didn’t get a gift…

After Mira’s door disappeared, Isabela noticed how Mamá and Tía Pepa gave the 5 year old girl disappointed and disgusted looks, how the villagers were whispering to each other, and how their Abuela’s expression changed into a confusing one.

That night, Isabela and Agustín were the only ones comforting Mirabel in the nursery…

“You know what?” Isabela said, making a decision. “You can stay in my room. We can share. How does that sound?”

No way would she let her youngest sister stay in the nursery a moment longer…

Mira lit up, and hugged Isa tightly, accepting her offer.

That same night, Agustín and Isa moved Mira’s stuff to the latter’s room.

But the next day, it turned out that Bruno left…

While Pepa and Julieta didn’t really care that their brother left (he was a useless coward anyways), both blamed Mirabel for him leaving…

Both sisters started the whole “we don’t talk about Bruno” thing, and bad-mouthed and gossiped about him quite often.

And while Alma didn’t really do anything to stop her daughters’ awful behavior, she secretly did miss her son…

“Isabela, why do you have that pest in your room?” Julieta asked her oldest the next day, pointing at her youngest. “Bring her back to the nursery, she’s useless to us.”

“She’s my hermanita!” Isabela yelled at her mother, holding a crying Mirabel.

“Fine, keep your pet.” Julieta snarled, before walking away, shoving Isa out of her way.

That same day, Isabela went to her Papá and basically begged him to separate with Julieta and to move somewhere else far away from that witch and take her and her sisters with him, but it wasn’t that easy…

“Your mother was nicer, once…” Agustín explained to his 11 year old daughter. “I loved that nicer woman, I still do, and I still hope that nice woman would return someday. But her behavior to you and your sisters isn’t right. And I’ll make sure to call her out on that, and be there for you and your sisters.”

And he’d keep that promise, as Agustín yelled at Julieta for calling Mira a pest and useless, and argued with her constantly over how she treated all three of their daughters.

It gave Isabela a little more perspective, even if she was still 11.

So, she promised herself that she’d take care of her sisters, especially Mirabel. She would make their lives, including Papá’s, a little bit easier.

And she did exactly that, for 10 years.

And after Antonio was born, Isa would often take care of him, after Pepa and Félix proved they would rather dump their son onto her instead of being actual parents.

But after 16 years of having to cook every single meal for the family and taking care of the town, after 10 years of caring for her sisters, and after 5 years of basically raising her youngest primo, Isabela couldn’t take it anymore.

One day, when the morning arrived, Isabela just couldn’t get out of bed. It was like all the energy was sucked out of her…

“Isabela, get up! Breakfast doesn’t make itself!” Julieta yelled from the other side of the door, even slamming on it.

A wave of guilt and shame hit Isa. She didn’t want to deal with an angry mother and aunt, and her sisters and Antonio need her, but she just didn’t have any energy…

“Fine! Let us starve!” Julieta screamed, before stomping off.

In the end, Alma made breakfast for the family, and it changed something in the matriarch.

Seeing how her two daughters have become entitled self-centered bullies who think the world revolved around them, and that her son had left, Alma started to focus on her grandchildren.

She saw how overwhelmed Dolores could be due to her gift, Alma saw how overworked Luisa was with having to do so many stupid chores around town. She saw how Camilo was the obvious golden child and how he struggled with his own identity. Alma saw how she treated Mirabel like a burden, and how isolated the girl felt due to her lack of a gift. She saw how Antonio lacked parents who actually paid attention to him and how he saw Isabela as his mamá.

And Alma saw how Isabela was suffering from an obvious burn-out…

So, together with Agustín, Alma would push her two daughters aside, and start to take care of her grandchildren.

[waitingonavision]

Encanto Ficlet: Juntos en las costuras

Inspired by my conversations with both @seanettlles and @glitternightingale! :D I feel compelled to draw this now lol. Short, fluffy piece. Why am I incapable of writing angst? It’s on AO3 too!

...

Agustín smiles.

“We just thought you could use it.”

Bruno looks down at the object in his hands: something light, wrapped in colorful paper.

“Go ahead.”

The paper reveals a familiar shade of green as he pulls it open. A sliver, then a swatch; until finally:

“Oh,” he says in a small voice. “Gus, is this…?“

“I cut it the way you like. Mirabel did the embroidery, of course.”

Bruno touches the tips of his fingers to his cuñado’s skillful construction, to the winding line of hourglasses lovingly stitched by his sobrinita. He holds the button down shirt against his body, overtop the faded plum one. The one the family’s been seeing a bit more often of late. A lone layer separating him from them.

“I’m. Um. It’s—“ He swallows. “Thank you. I- I love it.” He does. The garment is simple, and practical—Agustín’s sewn in a couple of hidden pockets; there’s a rat-shaped embellishment on each one—in all the most wonderful ways.

“Para eso estamos,” the other man replies with a broadening grin.

Nothing in the world would have been able to prevent Bruno from wearing his new shirt that same day.

He catches Mirabel just as they’re about to enter the kitchen and help bring food to the dinner table. The grateful hug he gives her is all it takes: She gloms onto him, asking if he noticed the extra soft lining in the hidden pockets, saying that she’d even issued daily reminders to her pá to include them. Ruffling the girl’s hair, he tells her that he had noticed, and that the rats like them a lot.

It’s safe to say that setting up for dinner becomes a somewhat protracted affair. Between thanking Mirabel, and then having to pause for a tight embrace from Julieta. And a playful poke to his chubby hip from Pepa—which Félix proceeds to imitate, following it up with a shout of “Wepa!” and an arm slung around his shoulders. And Agustín wanting to know how the shirt fits (“Better than the old one,” Bruno chuckles).

Once everyone is seated, the kids prove themselves to be as full of questions as compliments. At some point Bruno has to admit that, no, his ruana isn’t going away. For what feels like the first time all over again, he observes how his words… don’t disappoint the family. (He places a few knocks to the underside of his chair).

The thing that makes him blanch is his mamá standing up to propose a speech and toast.

“Mamá, please, you don— it’s really not n-necessary…” With a wave of the hands for emphasis, while the others at the table go quite still.

Sweat begins to bead across his forehead: watching her watch him for a moment that seems to stretch on and on. He worries at the rolled edge of a cuff, crisp with newness. (“Cut the way you like” means, among other things, keeping the sleeves too long to wear unfurled.)

Finally, the old woman gives him the curtest of nods. Her eyes, however, convey nothing but a gentle warmth, lingering that way even after she eases back into her seat and as she lets her glass tip in his direction.

Salud.

Bruno releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding. It’s just one word, captured by a wordless gesture. Yet, there’s never just one grain of sand.

He thinks he understands what it must represent, as easily as he can feel the rat that’s started to groom herself in one of the hidden pockets.

How good it is that you have reached this point. How good it is that you’re home.

[achitka]

Doors (Chapter 45 - ¿Lo Entiendes?)

(Do you understand?)

Hello, this chapter is a little shorter than the last few. Thanksgiving is creeping up on me, so I gots lots to do before all my babies show up on my porch.

Summary - ish

Mirabel is finally figuring out that her gift of denial is really not working out the way she expected. Camilo shows his prima that box he talked about earlier. Luisa keeps getting stuck hanging about with the adults and Isa apparently wants to be a farmer.

Yeah, that about covers it.

¿Lo Entiendes? (Do you understand?)

Mirabel left the stairs and paused as she came onto the balcony. While she was still in the kitchen helping with supper, she had asked Casita to maybe tone down the glowiness of the magical doors while Señor Hernandez was here for supper. Something about that man was not quite right. This thought had also made Mirabel pause, she did not really know this person, and she was making a lot of assumptions about their character because of a few brief interactions. She’d seen how easily Tío Bruno’s visions could be taken the wrong way and were often misunderstood. Without context, they were just glimpses of maybes.

Still, she never expected Casita to completely change them. They all looked like regular doors, though each was of a different style and color. All except hers, Casita had kept it as it was, family decorations and all. She touched Dolores’s door with her fingertips and was surprised when they disappeared, and she could feel the warmth of the magic underneath. She moved down to Camilo’s room and tried it again, and the same thing happened. Mirabel had to admit that what Casita had done was pretty impressive.

Dolores came out of her room, and adjusted her clothes. She had her hair down for her date with Mariano, and Mira thought her hair always looked so different when she wore it that way. You could really see the red she’d gotten from her Mamí. She was wearing a pretty light green dress and Mirabel realized she’d never seen her cousin in that color before, and she couldn’t help but gape as she said, “Wow, Dolores, you look stunning.”

“Aww, thanks Mira, you don’t think the color is too different?” she asked.

Mirabel shook her head and Dolores tilted hers.

“Is everything okay?” Mira asked.

“Yes, Bubo just came in from the patio, but Tuli is still out there with their Tío. Oh, and I asked Luisa to look after her for you while you help Camilo study.”

“Thanks, Dolores, I was a little afraid I’d have to duck out on him early.”

“We got you, Mira,” she said and patted her on the cheek in much the same way her Mamí would, then she headed for the stairs. 

Mirabel looked back at Camilo’s door and frowned. “Casita, can you…” she started to ask as the door returned to its normal appearance, “… oh…” and Mirabel smiled, “Thanks Casita.” Casita clattered a tile, and Mirabel turned when she heard a door behind her open. Isabela came out of her room with their mother and Tía Pepa. Unlike Dolores, she was dressed more casually, and she looked a little nervous. Mirabel noticed her sister had re-dyed her hair, and it was once again braided. At first, she thought it black but realized it was more a really dark blue with yellow and red highlights near the ends. Isa waved, and Mirabel waved back. It was still a little strange to her that Isa included her in any part of her life. Mirabel watched as they also moved toward the stairs, so she knocked on Camilo’s nose.

“Hey!”

Mirabel pulled her hand back. Camilo must have opened his door whilst she was watching her sister. “Sorry Cam.”

Camilo was rubbing his nose, “You didn’t happen to bring any snacks…” he asked while looking at her empty hands.

“Camilo, we just ate.”

“What’s your point?”

“That we just ate.” He held on to his look of disappointment a little longer, then shrugged, and she followed him inside. There were books and papers on the desk, on the bed, on the floor. Pretty much any flat surface and a few that were not. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but where did you leave off?”

“Oh,” he said and stepped over a nearby pile and pointed to one under a chair, “here.”

This was actually how Camilo usually studied. The ones on the desk were completed items, and everything else were the ones he was working through. Lowest to highest, Mirabel thought as she too, stepped over a pile and sat on the floor. They had gotten through the majority of them when Camilo's mother came in with a tray. Tía Pepa set it on a small table, then turned and was back out the door. Camilo didn’t look up, since he was concentrating with his eyes closed as he tried to come up with an answer to: How many sonnets did Shakespeare write and what is the last line of his last sonnet.

Mirabel set the book she was holding down, and went to the table. She poured them both mugs of coffee and brought it over with a plate of cookies. She could see Camilo was struggling with this one, so she waited as she nibbled on a cookie in between sips of coffee.

“Got it,” Camilo said, “158 and the last line…Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.”

Mirabel handed Camilo his mug while pushing the cookie plate toward him. She set down hers and picked up the book and smiled as she said, “Correct.” She put the book back down and let out a yawn.

“Oh,” he said and took a cookie from the pile, “who brought the stuff?”

“Your mom.”

“My mother brought us coffee?”

“It’s really weak and nice and warm,” Mirabel said with another yawn.

Camilo took a sip and nodded. He looked around and could see there was only one pile left and said, “We don’t have to look at those. I already know them backwards and forwards.”

Mirabel yawned again as she nodded and said, “Can’t believe I’m so tired.”

Camilo took another cookie and leaned back against his bed and asked, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“You won’t get mad?”

“Why would I get mad? What did you do?”

“That was probably not the best way to start this… do-over?”

“Okay, what did you want to ask?”

“You remember how you blanked out on me yesterday before dinner?” Mirabel nodded, “You said you didn’t remember anything. But then later it happened again when you were waiting for us all to get back from the mountain. Only that time it went on for a lot longer.” Mirabel wasn’t entirely sure she liked where this was going and shrugged. “Take my word for it. You were still as stone and completely unresponsive. Not gonna lie, Mira. It spooked me enough that I kinda went to my room and yelled at Casita to let you go.”

“Let me go? What do you mean?”

Camilo took another bite of his cookie then a long drink of his coffee and replied, “I was worried that the house had made you apart of itself. Like La Candela was. Yes, I know it sounds crazy,” he said when she frowned, “but that’s what I was thinking.”

“So, what changed your mind?”

“Well, I was laying on my bed, and Casita used a bunch of butterflies, like the ones we saw on the mountain, to show me something and I guess… Are you really doing all right, Mira? And I don’t mean because you’re being yanked in every direction these days. I’m talking about what happens when you… think about the breaking… and what happened to Casita… ”

Camilo stopped. Mirabel knew there were tears in her eyes and she wanted to just let it spill out, but something was still holding it all back. Casita must really be worried about her if she involved her primo. So instead, she shrugged and said, “I’ve been trying really hard not to think about all that. But sometimes... I mean, it’s like I get trapped in that moment of time. It fills up my head and I can’t shut it out. What did Casita show you?”

“You were talking to a younger you, that I assumed was Casita, but you were so frantic because of the guilt you’re still dragging around with you. I’m gonna have to agree with Casita on that one, Mira, what happened was not your fault. Not even a little bit of it. If anything-”

“Don’t say it, Camilo.”

He finished his cookie then set his mug down and said, “Fine, if that’s what you want.”

“It is. I know I need to find a way, but I won’t do it at the expense of Abuela’s feelings. That woman has been through enough.”

Camilo picked up another cookie and said before he put the whole thing in his mouth, “While that’s true, maybe you ought to consider it as an option.”

“No,” she said a little more forcefully than she meant to, “I can do this; I just haven’t figured out how yet.”

Her primo pursed his lips like he was about to say something but thought better of it. He shook his head, then seemed to recall something at that moment and leaned over to pull a covered box out from under his bed. He flicked off the cloth cover and dust blew up into the air. Mirabel caught a whiff of it and flinched as that nervousness intensified. He started shifting the contents around and said, “I found this under my bed after this Casita woke up, and I wondered why. Think I know now.”

“What is that stuff?” Mirabel asked, leaning in to see what was inside.

“Souvenirs of a bygone era,” Camilo replied cryptically.

“Really?”

He reached into it with a flourish and pulled out several small decorations. Mirabel looked at the ones he’d handed her, they were all adorable, and she smiled as she held up a cut out of a butterfly to the light. For whatever reason, as she examined them, she felt that nervousness that got a little worse when she noticed there was a small tear at the tip of one of the wings. “Where did you get these?” she asked as she picked up a half-finished paper boat.

“These? Just stuff I collected since they were all discarded by the maker because they weren’t perfect,” Camilo smiled. “This,” he said and pointed, “is my box of imperfections.”

“Your what?” Mirabel asked, curious now.

“Box of imperfections,” he repeated.

“Why would you have something like that?” Mirabel asked as she noticed a fold that didn’t look quite right on the prow of the boat. She ran a finger across it, then set it aside, not wanting to notice anything else.

Camilo had been watching her the entire time and said, waving a hand, “I don’t know, seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“So, what else is in there?”

“Oh, all sorts of things. A few tassels,” he said and held one up, giving it a jiggle. Mirabel noticed the strings were not all the same length and cringed a little. “A mostly finished painting of the Encanto. Not sure why this didn’t get finished.” Mira could see what the problem was. The colors used to paint Casita were all wrong. “I’ll have to find a frame for it.”

“Where did all this come from?”

Camilo sat straighter and handed her another cookie, saying, “You made all of this stuff.”

“I did?”

“Not surprised you’ve forgotten some of it. Who’d want to remember gifts that were made and dismissed. You never stopped making them though.”

Mirabel picked up the butterfly again and touched the small tear in its wing. She remembered then that Camilo had taken her discarded efforts on more than one occasion.

Camilo continued, “The fact that you don’t seem to remember most of this is also kinda weird, but there is one thing you should see.” He shifted a few things around, then pulled out a small box that was decorated with hand drawn butterflies and flowers. He handed it to her, and the contents rattled a little. Mirabel frowned. She did not want to take it, but Camilo gave the box a gentle shake, so she reluctantly accepted it. She carefully removed the lid and immediately put it back on.

“Where did you get this?” she said, trying to push it back into his hands.

“You know where,” he said, pushing it back.

Mirabel’s hands were shaking a little as she set it in her lap and stared at the box; she’d thrown this into the trash. She just couldn’t look at it after that day. She carefully took the lid off and stared at the tiny diorama it contained. She’d spent the months leading up to her Gift ceremony planning out with Camilo what their new rooms would look like. Tío Bruno had helped her make the tiny furniture, so she could move it around where she wanted. Camilo had found the tiny rug for her to put on the floor. He said it was because he hated getting out of a warm bed onto cold wood. She examined the scribbles on the walls and floor with her fingertips. She remembered they’d looked quite real to her then. Since she didn’t know what her Gift would have ended up being, she’d included all the things she might get a Gift for. In fact, everything in the little box was the same as her room was now, right down to the trees and mountains on the walls and the little map on the floor. Mirabel spent a little time righting the furniture, smiling as she moved each piece to its proper place.

“This was the first thing I put in that box,” Camilo said, “and I kinda understood why you didn’t want to keep it, but you worked so hard on that, seemed a shame to toss it.”

Mirabel couldn’t think of anything to say to that. She’d thought about this box over the years but figured it was long gone, and she asked, “Why show it to me now? ”

“I guess because you know there’s never going to be a perfect moment to deal with... what’s been bothering you. It’s very obvious that letting go of your guilt is really the only way you’ll be able to move past this. The truth is, I probably wouldn’t have put two and two together if Casita hadn’t made a point of showing me what it did. We both know that it is also not a coincidence that your ideas from eleven years ago got incorporated into your room... into the whole house really. Anyway, you may say you’re working on finding a way, Mira, but I think you’re lying to yourself.”

“No, no I’m not.” Mirabel snapped, “I told you I just haven’t had enough time to figure it out yet, and what would you know about any of that anyway? It’s not like you ever cared about what happened to Casita,” her tone was accusatory as she stood up, causing the box to flip onto the floor. She knotted her hands up in front of herself as her nervousness increased. She’d almost added ‘or me’. Camilo didn’t respond, but he must have finished her unspoken thoughts in his head, and her fingers tightened.

He still didn’t say anything, he just started to pick up the various items he’d taken out of that box of imperfections, except the diorama. That he collected and put the bits inside. Camilo was never one to shout when he was really mad, and Mirabel knew she’d done more than that. She’d purposefully hurt his feelings. She could always tell because he would just stop everything and give her the look he was aiming at her now. Mirabel would have liked it better if he shouted, then at least there was a chance he’d forgive her. Why was she doing this?

Camilo got up and pushed the other box back under his bed with his foot, and shoved the small box back into her hands as he went past her to the door. Before the breaking, he would have just expected her to leave in a huff, and she would have. Anything so they could get back to pretending to be that perfect family. Camilo was her first and sometimes only friend. He was trying to help her, and she was doing her best to push him away with flippant, hurtful words. She thought of the oak tree on the mountain and how she’d used it to free herself from similar things her abuela and the people in town would say. Mirabel’s sadness welled up again, leaving a painful lump in her throat. She knew those episodes really were getting worse, not better. She’d thought that when they moved back to Casita all those problems would just go away. Everything would be fine.

Camilo looked back at her as a few tiles above him shifted, and he paused then said, “Can’t say you’re wrong about that, Mira, but I do care about this Casita because I care about you. So, if you don’t want my help, or don’t think you need it, then I guess we’re done. Should probably leave it at that, thanks for the assist studying, prima. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Mirabel’s fingers tightened on the box as a tear fell. That guilt, that she was holding on to so tightly, was again being directed toward someone else. All because he wanted to help her. A second teardrop fell. Lately, she’d noticed that her buried anger with a certain family member about Casita falling was the actual source of that guilt. She didn’t want to be angry with them anymore, and she told herself she’d forgiven them for everything that had happened. Mirabel thought of the dream, that she was realizing, was not one. This Casita was new. One that the old had set into motion prior to the breaking, and Mirabel had really been feeling the weight of that responsibility.

A few tiles shifted nearby, and Mirabel closed her eyes as she took a breath to help push down that leftover guilt and pain. (I am my mother's Gift to you, Elegida.) Mirabel heard that little voice in her head say. Her new Casita had pulled her primo into this because he was someone she would actually listen to. Someone she could have an argument with and still want to have around. Someone who had collected her imperfections and stuffed them in a box... just in case. Someone who would never be afraid to tell her she was wrong.

She was lying to herself; magic wasn’t going to fix this problem. But maybe talking about it wouldn’t hurt as much as she thought. She set aside the diorama and said with a small sniffle, “I’m sorry, Cam, can I have a do-over?”

Camilo met her gaze; he wasn’t frowning anymore. He nodded and shut the door.

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

Luisa came out of the kitchen to the edge of the courtyard to wait for Tuli to come back from her walk with her Tío. She hoped that was going well. She’d noticed the way Tuli had been watching her Tío all through dinner. It reminded her of the way Mira would watch their Abuela. Always expecting and receiving a dismissal for whatever she had tried to add to any conversation. Luisa would watch her sister stow away her unhappiness and try again. She glanced up the stairs as Dolores came down. She told her that Tuli and her uncle were heading toward the front door. Luisa paused as she looked up. All the doors no longer showed their owner, but looked like regular doors. Now that was weird, since she didn’t feel any different and used two fingers to lift a very heavy planter a few centimeters off the floor. She wondered if when Mira was helping with the cooking, she’d asked Casita to do that and if so, why? She also realized that Tía Pepa’s clouds hadn’t really manifested the way they normally did.

Luisa turned when Isa came off the stairs, looking just a little frazzled. She came over to her, and it amused Luisa that she was nervous enough that she asked her opinion on the colors she’d used on her hair. Luisa couldn’t actually answer as their mother pulled Isa along into the kitchen. Tía Pepa was following along behind with a barely disguised look of amusement. When Luisa turned back, she realized the doors were all back to normal. She was curious now, so figured she’d ask Mirabel tomorrow. It was interesting that this Casita would do that, but after last night, Luisa was convinced that this Casita was Mirabel’s alone.

Abuela came into the courtyard with Tío Bruno, they sat down on one of the sofas nearby. Her Tío waved for her to join them and Luisa, a little reluctantly, came over and sat next to her Abuela and Tío. Her Abuela was holding a small box that was just the right size for a pair of shoes, and she was nervously tapping the top of it. Shortly after that, Rodrigo, her mother and Tía Pepa all came out of the kitchen. Her Tía was whispering something to her mother that made her mother snicker. They noticed her sitting there, and her mother waved her sister off, and Luisa felt weirdly uncomfortable. Just what were those two gossiping about.

Casita bounced a few more chairs in their direction and everyone had a seat. Once everyone was settled, her abuela opened the box. It was full of pictures, and she reached in and pulled out one that had four smiling young women. They had their arms linked with their heads close together. The only difference between them being that one was wearing a veil, while the other had rings of flowers on their heads. Luisa realized the one with the veil was her abuela. She was not sure who the other women were, but the family resemblance of a few of them was striking.

Abuela handed the picture to Rodrigo, and he was taken aback. He looked closer and seemed to recognize one of those people, and he asked, “Do you have any others?”

Her abuela nodded, and she took out another with just two women this time. Rodrigo handed the first photo to Luisa as he accepted the next and Rodrigo’s eyes went wide as he asked as he pointed to the other woman, “Santa Maria, could it be?” he asked himself, then returned his attention to Abuela, “Who is this?”

“That is my sister, Juliet.”

He sat back and said, “So what Señor Bruno thought was true.” he said, then leaned forward again and pointed at the woman in the picture. “This is quite remarkable,” Rodrigo paused and looked at the triplets, and said, “My Abuela, whose name is Juliet, recently shared a story about a missing family member. Her sister, who she thought lost at the beginning of the thousand’s day war.”

“I suppose, in a way, I was. When the Encanto came into being, the mountains that surrounded our village were quite high. And though we were finally safe from the dangers that brought us to this place, that safety came at the cost of my husband, Pedro.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. My condolences, Doña Alma, I did not mean to bring up old grief.” 

Her Abuela nodded, “Thank you, Rodrigo, but you’ve brought me something I never would have expected. You’ve brought me news of one of my sisters, so I am actually quite happy.” Abuela said as she handed off the box of pictures to Pepa who looked a little astonished. Her Tía stared at the box in her hands, then began to leaf through the contents. She looked up for a moment, excused herself, and moved to a table behind the sofa to take a closer look at the photos.

“Oh, then that means you would be my tía abuela?” Rodrigo asked.

Her Abuela nodded, and she smiled a little as she watched her other children get up and crowd around Tía Pepa. Her Tía looked mildly annoyed, but she didn’t have a cloud as she began pulling photos out one by one, passing them to her siblings after flipping them to examine any writing on the backs. They were pointing and whispering in a way that made Luisa think this was something her Abuela had never done before.

Her Abuela returned her attention to Rodrigo and asked, “Do you plan to remain here?”

Rodrigo was still holding the other photo and replied, “I was planning to stay here for a time. Perhaps a month or so. I’ll have to return to Cartagena eventually, as I am currently a post graduate student at the university. I have spent the better part of the last two years collecting stories about that particular era in Colombia’s history for my thesis. Speaking of, do you think it would be possible for me to interview you, as well as some of the other elders in the village?”

Her abuela looked over at her children again, who were now comparing the photos, and said, “Yes, I think that would be fitting. We will be having a town council meeting in a few days. I will put the in the request there for others at that time.”

“My thanks, Doña Alma. I am looking forward to recording your story.”

Luisa noticed the slight drop in her Abuela’s smile. Mirabel had told her and Isabela one night as they were sitting in their tiny bedroom at their Abuela Valentina’s house, some of what had happened the night of the miracle’s creation. Her Abuela really was trying so hard to move forward, and Luisa felt a little guilty for not wanting to sit next to her.

Casita clattered some tiles near the door and opened it. Tuli came in with her Tío José in tow, literally. She was pulling him forward as he gaped at the magical doors. Tuli did not look upset, but it was obvious she’d been crying.

Rodrigo got up from his seat and said, “Gabi, you’re never going to believe this. ”

Tuli had given up trying to make her uncle move faster and let go of his hand as Luisa also got up. She met Tuli halfway as her Tío continued forward. Luisa knelt down and Tuli asked, “Where’s Mirabel?”

“She’s helping Camilo study, so I volunteered to look after you while she’s doing that.”

“Oh, okay,” Tuli said, and Luisa noticed she was clutching something small and fluffy.

“Whatcha got there?” Luisa asked and pointed to her hand.

Tuli’s expression looked worried as she held up the toy and said, “This is Tena. My Mamí made him for me when I was really small,” a curious smile crossed her face and she added, “My Tío brought him, and he looks even better than before.”

Luisa wondered about that before. Tuli, she’d noticed, only talked about before in terms of her mother and then only in bits and snatches. Never her father and aside from Bubo, she preferred to be with females. Men in general she avoided.

“Can I see?” Luisa asked.

Tuli’s face tensed as she pet the stuffed rat, then carefully set it in Luisa’s hands. Luisa accepted the rat and smiled and said, “This is so beautiful, Tuli. Your Mamí had some talent. Never seen such a realistic toy.” The fur that covered the animal felt real, and there was a faint scent of daisies when she brought it closer to her face to examine it. “Kinda feels like he’s filled with beans,” Luisa said as she hefted it once, then returned the rat to her.

Tuli shook her head and said, “It’s mostly sand and pebbles from a beach that used to be by where we lived. So, I can do this,” and Tuli draped the rat on her shoulder.

“That’s pretty neat. Fura’s sure to be jealous. Come on, let’s go up to my room. I have quite the collection of stuffed toys myself,” Luisa said and held out her hand. Tuli left the rat on her shoulder, and together they headed for the stairs.

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

Isabela and Bubo were walking along behind her prima and her former fiancé, and Isa was once again delighted that she was not, in fact, engaged. She looked over at Bubo. He looked just as tense as she felt. She wondered if he was going over in his head what he wanted to say. Isabela was very curious as to what had happened on the patio, so she asked, “So how did you talk with your Tío go?”

“Better than I was expecting, actually.”

“That’s a relief.”

Bubo nodded and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to know if there are any flats for rent? I need to find someplace that isn’t a storeroom to live with Tuli.”

“No, I’ve pretty much always lived with my family, but there are a few older folks that might.”

“Well, if you hear about any... ”

“I will. Any idea where Mariano is taking us?”

Bubo let out a short laugh and said, “No, I forgot to ask,” he looked up at her and Isa felt herself blush. Bubo tripped a little, and Isa steadied him as he caught himself. Deciding they needed a change of topic, Isabela asked, “When are you supposed to graduate?”

“It was supposed to be last spring. But I missed my last semester because of the civil war.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

“Rodrigo reminded me that I already had enough credits to graduate. Will just need to see if I can get my diploma.”

“Well, that’s good news then.”

“Yes and no, Rodrigo also told me they’ve shut down the college indefinitely,” Bubo said as they turned a corner. Isabela thought of Luisa then. If her dream of going to school got thwarted once again, she would not take it well at all. “Either way, it’s a moot point because I would still need to get back to Bogotá to make the request. But enough about me, Mirabel mentioned that you and Luisa were considering going to university. Did you have a line of study in mind?”

“Line of study? “

“Yes, at most universities you pick something to major and minor in. My major was entomology, and my minor was in political theory. So if you had your grandest wish, what would you like to study, major and minor?”

Isabela thought for a moment, “I’ve always had an interest in plants, all kinds really. Trees fascinate me, before I got my Gift I would lie under a tree and look up at the branches and wonder how they made leaves and such. I actually still want to know that. After I got my Gift, still did that, but I almost felt like I could feel the roots talking to their neighbor trees. I remember I told my Papí once that the trees were talking to each other with mushrooms.”

“You say that like you stopped listening for some reason.”

Isa felt the beginnings of her vine sleeve and said, “I really don’t want to get into why that happened, Bubo. Maybe some other time.”

His surprised look worried her, but he just nodded and said, “As you wish, so we’ll move on to a minor.”

Isa’s vine sleeve dissolved, and she said, “Farming. I’ve actually learned a lot from the farmers around here. And my Tía Pepa knows a lot about irrigation.”

“So, botany and agriculture, then.”

“Yes, there’s just so many plants I don’t know anything about. Like this,” she said and turned her palm upward and a small plant grew, “I’ve seen pictures, but the text is in a language I don’t know, so it is my unnamed plant friend.”

Bubo leaned in to look at it and asked, “Do you know if it will flower?”

“No, since this is all I know, I would need to plop it in some soil and wait for it to grow up. Why, does it look familiar?”

Bubo shook his head and replied, “Since I’ve been primarily studying butterflies, I learned the names of a lot of flowering plants, but that’s mostly by the blooms.”

Isa turned her hand, causing the plant to dissolve, and she said, “Well then, I’ll just have to pot it and see where it goes.”

Bubo looked under her hand and said, “It’s gone... fascinating.”

Isa poked his glasses, deciding she did not want to talk about plants anymore, and said, “Tuli told me you’re originally from Brasil.”

Bubo nodded as he straightened to resettled his glasses and said, “Yes, my father was from Colombia. He was there for work and met and married my mother in Brasil. They settled there, and I lived there until I was about Tuli’s age.”

“Oh, did your family move to Colombia?”

Bubo paused and said, “No, my parents were killed in a bus crash and that is how I came to live here with my abuelos.”

“I’m sorry about your parents, Bubo.”

“Thank you.”

Isabela noted he didn’t seem overly sad, so she asked, “This is going to sound like a weird question, but were you thinking about them when those flowers bloomed on the patio earlier?”

Bubo did not answer right away, he looked thoughtful then said, “Not consciously, but I was talking to your sister earlier about them, and it did stir up some old memories. Not bad ones. My mother loved her roses, and I could have sworn that was what I was smelling,” Bubo said then went on to tell her about them then paused and asked, “Wait, my hand was tingling while you were holding it. Did you use your Gift to make the ones on the patio bloom?”

Isa was surprised that he’d even noticed. People might think having a Gift was great, but on some level, most were afraid of that magic, especially the newer folks in town. A little nervous now, she shrugged and said, “Maybe?”

She knew that wasn’t really an answer to his question, and Bubo raised an eyebrow as her face automatically shifted to Señorita Perfecta mode. Isa sighed; Her dislike when it came to explaining herself was something she still struggled with, and she really didn’t want to hide anything from him. Not being perfect meant she’d have to own up to such things. Killing off her old habits was turning out to be one of the harder things she was learning, so added, “I did, though I wasn’t trying to, or I would have asked first, but I’m finding that wrangling in some of the newer aspects of my Gift to be a bit of a challenge.”

“That is so interesting.”

She kept expecting him to react differently than he did. No fear, no anger, just curiosity, but still, she said, “Is it? Don’t get me wrong, Bubo, most of the time I feel like my Gift is really all just for show. Making flowers is not the most difficult thing for me.”

“You did just say earlier that you were trying new things. You just haven’t caught the knack of it yet, so I’m going to disagree with you on that one. I can honestly say, I’ve not smelled those flowers since I was a child, and it wasn’t until you grew them that I realized just how much I loved and missed that scent. So, thank you for that.”

Mariano stopped and turned back to Bubo and indicated he should join him. There was a small pastry shop that had opened on the main thoroughfare, and Dolores came and pulled Isabela to her as Mariano and Bubo walked away. Dolores found an open table with four chairs, and she sat with Isabela.

“Mariano is getting a little too good at surprising me,” Dolores said as she looked at the shop, “I’ve been wanting to come here for weeks.” Dolores paused when she noticed Isabela’s tense look and said, “Relax, Isa, you’re giving me stress looking like that.”

“Sorry, I don’t even know why I’m so nervous,” Isabela put a hand on her knee to stop it from bouncing.

“I’ll tell you why, you really like him, and you don’t want to make a bad impression.”

“Doli, I already tied the man up and hung him from the ceiling.”

Dolores let out a snicker and said, “I know.”

“How?”

“Tío.”

“Oh, for the love of puppies – does everyone know about that?”

Dolores shrugged and asked, “Why did you use your Gift to make those flowers?”

“I actually,” Isa paused as Dolores leaned in, “I actually just wanted to hold his hand, the rose part just sort of happened.”

Dolores giggled and said, “That is so cute, Isa. I am so excited for you.”

Isa smiled; it was so nice to have her best friend back. Isa felt the flowers sprout in her hair. Their scent was the same as the flowers on the patio. Isa covered her face with her hands and let out a growl. “Why does that keep happening?” she asked, as she gave her head a shake, causing the flowers to fall apart.

Dolores gathered up her hands and gave them a squeeze, “Isa you don’t have to be perfect, you just need to be you. That’s who he’s interested in.”

Isa was not sure how to take that and almost wanted to be mad, but she just couldn’t seem to muster that up because she knew she was blushing again. She tried to relax a little because she knew she would never have done something like this if not for her prima, so there was no point in getting mad about what was clearly obvious to her whole family. Still, she envied how easily Dolores had shifted from meek wall flower to someone who was so much more relaxed and confident. Isabela had never really felt all that confident or relaxed before the breaking because every day was a performance. She’d been convinced that if she failed in that, surely bad things would follow.

Her self-imposed isolation from everyone but her family after the breaking had given her a little time to figure out some things. Finding out that people she thought were friends, were really just hangers on made her more than a little angry. What made it worse was that she saw that she’d treated her little sister that way.

“I was going to try to warn you about Bubo’s parents since I heard him talking to Mirabel about it. Just didn’t get the chance during dinner. Mariano is quite the distraction.”

They both started laughing then, and their conversation ended when the menfolk came back laden with a pair of trays. One was piled with various beautifully arranged pastries that Mariano set in front of Dolores. Bubo was carrying a small tray with some drinks. They sat down, and she took the coffee that Bubo set in front of her. She noted there was just a touch of milk and she smiled. Isa felt the flowers resprout, and she decided she’d leave them this time. He did say he loved the scent of them.

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

If you were wondering what Camilo was going on about - I posted an almost edited part of that in encantober here:

Next chapter... probably before christmas... probably

Last Chapter:

[writer1queenjaysblog]

Part 2!

The next day as Bella woke up going into the kitchen hoping to beat her family to breakfast and go to work early.

As she ate her food and left she quietly and quickly left the house. She thought things would be easy until "Morning Bella!" Said Camilo she groaned "Hi Milo."

"So where are you headed?" "To work. " "I'll join you. " "No..no there's no need." "Yes there is mama said I had to watch you to keep you safe if not she'll flood the village like she did when you where 16."

Bella left the house and never told anyone thus having Pepa flood the village 😑.

The teenage boy influenced her to sneak away that's when all hell broke loose and she never snuck out again.

"Ok ok you can come." "Great also Tia Julieta packed some of her healing meals ."

Disappointed that she couldn't use her beautiful long hair she spoke "I was actually going to use my hair milo. " He looked at her with a stern look "No don't ever use your hair on anyone else in the village..ever!"

"Ok ok jeez I'm just kidding Camilo! " She wasn't but she knew that was better then arguing with Camilo and the others.

"Ok good girl. " He pet her head as they went to work.

Lunch time

Bella walked to the stairs hoping not to see her family until Agustin saw her "Mija how was your day?" "Oh great papa." He looked at her hair as if he was examining it like he always does.

"I didn't use it papa." "She didn't use it tio." Said Camilo "Good must make sure that you are safe." He hugged her tight before walking into the kitchen.

"Antonio your shift! " Said Camilo as he went to shower as his brother walked down the stairs smiling "So..what do you want to do?"

"Nothing but rest." He shook his head as he took her to his room with his pet cheeta "Long day huh?" "Yup. " "Camilo watched you again huh?" "Yes and yes boy this family is a piece of work!" She said stuffing her face in a pillow.

"Look at this way everyone here loves you. "

"Yes I know tonio I know maybe that's the problem they love me too much."

"Lunch is ready guys!" Said mirabel

As everyone ate Bella wondered how would it be if she healed someone with her hair? Again like she use to? "Uh..we did well with the food today mama." "Oh great job mija and Camilo told me all about it I'm so proud of you! "

Oh how she wished she could be like other girls in the village..free.

Dolores saw She wasn't eating her favorite food. "Sis are you ok? You haven't touched your favorite food?" Everyone turned to see that she hasn't taken the first bite which worried them especially Julieta she got up to check her fevor.

"Oh dear are you sick?" "No mom I'm fine." "Are you sure?" "...well no actually. " Isabella got up "Who's Messing with you again I'll finish them!" "What no?! It's no one It's just that I wonder why I don't use my gift? "

"You did use your gift today you painted that beautiful picture on the wall near the river, a couple of houses-" "No Camilo I'm talking about my hair!"

She said frustrated everyone looked at her then at Mirabel "Bella you know what abuela said about using your hair-" she said calm but Bella as had enough

"No! No I don't know Mira why don't you tell me?!" "Bella-!" "No Julieta this is crazy!"

"Bella!" "Bella do not speak to your mother that way!" Said Agustin as she got up from the table "I don't know what crazy secrets your hiding but I'm so done I'm leaving!"

"No you can't! " Said Pepa thundering in fear "Why?! I'm old enough to take care of myself now! "

The cracks in the wall showed up as she walked up the stairs as Bruno was getting scared "No no no mija you..you must stay here!"

"Why tio Bruno? " "because you have to..you- before he could say anything Pepa covered his mouth "shush mama said to not speak about this and we keep our word." She whispered to her brother "I'm leaving. " I'm sorry you can't escape us my dear. " Camilo charged at her pinning her to the ground "Hold still sis."

Julieta pulled out a needle "What is that?!"

She scramed "Something that'll help you forget this..f o r e v e r." She said sticking her in her arm "Soon everything will be the way it should be."

Cliffhanger!

[queenofthedisneyverse]

D.O.L.L.H.O.U.S.E I SEE THINGS NOBODY ELSE SEES - Twins of pain drabble - short

Trigger warning: child abuse

They tried, they really did but it wasn't enough. They tried to help out, but that didn't work. they tried to stay away, but that doesn't work.

The twins were about to go to the sewing shop but Isabela had other plans. Ever since Mirabel didn't get a gift and Miguel showed up out of nowhere she hated them. They don't have worries, they can run, they can play in the dirt, everything she can't do and that angers her down to the very core of her being.

She pretended that she needed to have a talk with them and dragged walked with them down an empty alley

"what do you want Isa?" Mirabel's voice cracks, she's nervous. Isabela never wants anything to do with them unless...

"don't talk to me like that and I go by Isabela not Isa" she snapped back at her. "I've seen you two walking around with Mariano what do you think you're doing?" She was seething. what do the chaos twins think they're doing walking around him? are they telling him bad things? are they trying to ruin the proposal? trying to ruin her life?

"W-we were just talking, nothing more Isabela" Miguel tried to reassure her. Why did he even speak? she hates him more than anything

"I was talking to my disappointment with a sister, not her pitiful excuse of...I would say brother but you're not really that are you?" she smirks knowing she just stabbed Miguel in the heart

He tries to hold the tears back but he can't "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE?!" He yells with tears streaming down his cheeks "we try to stay away we try to leave you alone but nothing ever seems-" Isa cut him off

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO?" she yelled back, she was surprised that he even had the gall to say anything to her let alone yell. Rage and Disgust filled her and she slapped him...

He fell to the ground with a hard thud Mirabel tried to get him back up but Isabela smacked no punched her with one of her flowers. (just imagine the scene where Isabela's flower punched Mariano in the nose)

"I don't know who either of you thinks you are but you are the falsa madrigals, you hold no place to talk to me in such a manner" She straightens up softening her facial expression to a much more calm but stern look.

Dolores heard everything but she was going to make up some lie that involves the twins being the bad guys. Isabela walks past them and stops to say one more thing

"I wouldn't bother coming home, Dolores probably already told Abuela how disrespectful you were being, go sleep in the forest or ground like you usually do" And with that, she walks away like nothing happened.

The twins couldn't do or say anything except

"sorry Isabela" they say in unision. They gather themselves and head towards the woods to their healing coop. Once they're all patched up they had back into town and straight to the Guzman house.

"Hello, Nino's, where have you been, you didn't run into any bullies again did you?" She asked them with a worried look. They can't tell on Isabela they don't want to get her in trouble for just having emotions.

"we..." Miguel tries to answer

"were talking to Isabela," she says cheerfully

"oh ok, what a sweet girl she is," she says with a soft smile

yeah sweet...

Not soon after Mariano comes back home preparing for lunch with his Mother. Mariano was such a nice man...He didn't deserve Isabela but what could they do? even if they said anything no one would believe them. The villagers + they're family would just claim that they're looking for attention.

So they put on a smile and just hope that the next day would be better. Although it never ways. The twins spent the night at the Guzman's house they stayed in the guest house in their backyard. They never got a full night's sleep they either stayed up the whole night or cried themselves to sleep. This wasn't one of those nights, Mirabel stayed up and talked to her brother about small things and even cracked some jokes to make him feel better.

Being told that you weren't real for most of your life hurts and especially when you know you weren't born the same way your twin was. You were made by a magic house so your sister didn't have to be alone and giftless. So yeah his life was strange

Don't get him wrong he loves his sister but that doesn't subtract the fact that he's not normal. This thought haunts him every day of his life and Mirabel knows this.

Miguel tried to hold his tears back but he couldn't anymore. He cried and cried and cried. Mirabel tried her best to make him happy but nothing worked. The best she could do was hug and comfort him for the rest of the night.

They were 12 years old...

-

If you have any questions or drabble ideas my asks are open.

@gamerbearmira

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Hi! I recently read Disenchanted rewrite and from the snippet I saw, I find it to be better than the movie. I especially love how you gave the two sisters an actual relationship with each other.

Oh my, this is really huge for my rewrite, thank you so much for your simple and really helpful feedback. While we’re at it, how about I break down the first 5 things on my fic to do list to help share why I’m rewriting Disenchanted:

I rewrote Disenchanted because I had to: This is going to be really quick, the reason I’m rewriting this sequel is because I got so pissed off by how out of character Giselle, Robert, and Morgan were depicted in the movie I couldn’t get past the first act satisfied and ended up looking at spoilers on wiki and Moderngurlz’s review. Since Disenchanted got sent to streaming and the sneak peeks ended up killing the hype, this movie never stood a chance with the Rotten Tomatoes critics and the Oscars. Hopefully, once Wish comes out this November it’ll end up avoiding the pitfalls Disenchanted ended up in. Let’s face it, no one on the Disenchanted writing team actually understood the assignment.

2. I rewrote Disenchanted’s prologue because I felt like it: Let’s just say I didn’t like the chipmunks recapping the first movie and speedrunning the whole prologue. That’s why I had Morgan and Sofie recap the first movie to make it more audibly tolerable for the readers.

3. I made Morgan the main protagonist because I felt like it: Let’s be honest, Morgan was done so dirty in the sequel, because the whole movie had Giselle be the main character (*cough* main character syndrome *cough) I really did not like how her portrayal as a stereotypical angsty teenager felt really forced and the excuse got old super fast. It also shows that nobody knew how to write an authentic teenaged character. Mirabel, Camilo, Mei, Miriam, Priya, and Abby worked because they were all given their own unique traits that made them likable to the audience, while Morgan in the first act felt pretty irritating and unoriginal. That’s why I drastically changed her personality in my rewrite.

4. I aged up Morgan’s little sister Sofia to be 6 years old because I felt like it: One of the issues of Disenchanted that ended up being executed poorly, was Giselle having a new kid, Sofia. The downside why it didn’t work out was that in the film Sofia doesn’t really impact the story since she’s just a freaking infant that doesn’t do much. The problem with writing infant characters especially under one is that they don’t really have much agency in the story and end up becoming living props.  Heck, Mayday Parker from Across the Spiderverse was a more compelling character cause she was animated really well in her own movie. Oh yeah, Across the Spiderverse works so well as a sequel because it respects its characters. More infant characters that actually work in a story are Jack Jack (Incredibles), Sunny Baudelaire (A series of unfortunate events) and Grogu (The Mandalorian) In Disenchanted, Infant!Sofie existed as a plot device just to show how tough city life(well not really to me) got for the Philips and why Giselle decided to move her family to Monroeville.  She existed as a plot device just so knockoff Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather could find someone to babysit.  She existed as a plot device just so Edward and Nancy could give her a wand.  She exists as a plot device as a true Andalasian(oh yeah spoilers that doesn’t really touched upon in the movie) to make Morgan feel inferior in her own family. Maybe they should’ve had her be played by a child actor instead of twin infants. Not only would that have given us an interesting dynamic with her older sister Morgan, but it also could have subverted the mean step sister trope, (that whole trope subversion gimmick never happens in the sequel, that’s when you know this was gonna be disappointing.). Or if they wanted the evil stepmother personality shifts to make more sense, they could’ve just had Giselle be pregnant until the end of the movie (no wait, that topic would be too sensitive for Disney to show). Or just not have a new child to keep the focus the conflict between Morgan and Giselle, not much would change. That’s why Sofie is 6 in The Fairytale of my life, and I’m going to show her dynamics with her 3 family members.

5. I gave Morgan and Sofie a really good sibling dynamic because I had to: This answers the topic above. Disenchanted is one of the prime examples that shows why a sibling age gap between a teenager and an infant does not work. One of the positive traits I wanted to give Morgan was being a good role model for her new sister and it’s going to be shown throughout my fic.

Well, I hope this satisfies your ask. I’m going to be very busy finishing Ch 2 and writing the rest of my rewrite

[miracles-and-butterflies]

For @time-for-a-grandkid-round-up, based on the prompt of “everyones reaction to baby mirabel.”

Three combined parts - aftermath of Mirabel’s birth which sets the scene; three months later, the warm family being guardians; another three months later, mainly Agustín.

Last part is partially an introduction to my OCs, Agustín’s parents, Sancho and Juana. Based heavily on my headcanons - check with those posts.

~~~~~~

Waiting For a Miracle

“What is it? What’s happened?” Julieta inquired, desperately.

“Is our son okay?” Agustín added.

There’s been no cry from the baby; Bruno has left the room, presumably to tell the others; Pepa and Félix keep shooting each other weird looks; and nobody is saying anything. Naturally, the parents are worried.

“Félix, is the baby healthy?”

“Is the baby dead?”

“It can’t be… this was nothing like Luisa’s birth… we survived that… surely not… not our son?”

“The baby is breathing and the heart beat is steady,” Félix says, not sparing either of the couple a glance. “I can’t get a cry though.”

She knew she should’ve just done this herself, but after Luisa’s birth she didn’t want to take her chances. Just as Julieta starts sitting up and is about to demand Félix hand over the baby, a small, mewling cry echoes from the newborn, proving that indeed it is healthy and alive. With a dreamy smile, Julieta relaxes.

“Someone get Mama.” She gasped, her voice a little chocked up with excitement and hoarse from crying out herself. “Oh! And the girls, get them too - they must meet their brother.”

“You’ve done it, Juli. He is to be Pedro Eduardo Rojas Madrigal.”

Pepa coughed. “I, uh, don’t think so.”

“What are you talking about, hermana?”

“It isn’t… You see… She’s a girl,” Pepa said. “A healthy, beautiful, little girl.” She repeated as if to reconcile everyone to the disappointment.

All this for nothing.

For a moment, Agustín thought Julieta had fainted, she was as white as the sheets. He lowered her back against the pillows and stroked the hair back from her sweaty face. 

“A girl.”

“A healthy baby is the main thing,” Félix pointed out.

Bruno suddenly appeared in the room, smiling.

“Bruno? Why didn’t you tell us?” Julieta demanded, all but ready to throw a cushion at her brother.

“I didn’t know, but I’ve got something to help…”

“Bruno, what are you doing?” Felix asked.

However, Bruno continued mumbling to himself as he stopped at the end of the bed, tossing salt over his shoulder at the baby and Pepa, who thundered with anger.

“What the hell was that for?” She snapped.

“To cancel bad luck. Obviously.”

Pepa looked utterly bewildered. “She’s a baby! She’s barely ten minutes old! She isn’t bad luck! Stop throwing salt— Julieta, surely, you don’t agree with this?”

“It’s just salt, Pepa.”

“So you think your baby is bad luck?!”

“I never said that!”

“You didn’t have to!”

“Oye, oye, oye, cálmate,” Félix said, quickly, coming between Pepa and Bruno (and Julieta). “You’ll upset the baby.”

Bruno did stop with the salt, but was still going through a long list of rituals; he was spinning now.

Pepa took the opportunity to clean the infant and wrapped it in the expensive cloths Alma had bought in advance from overseas. While spinning, Bruno knocked into a vase, causing it to shatter and startle the baby. Agustín and Julieta physically turned away when the child made a cry.

“A girl,” Agustín said. “What good is this girl to us?”

Nobody can answer him.

They name her Mirabel Teresa Rojas Madrigal.

Julieta can’t even enjoy the fact that she finally has her baby girl, her Mirabel.

The grandparents are far from pleased. Sancho said the same as Agustín when he was told, while Juana cursed the baby as disappointment and an evil thing for hurting her son. Alma’s opinion had been as equally obvious, but less vocal - though she did swear under her breath and didn’t even look at the baby. 

Everyone had been hoping for a boy. But they had a girl.

Félix and Pepa had spent the time gushing over the baby. Praising her little body, her doe eyes, the perfect fingers, any time she dared to make a sound.

Pepa noted she was very observant, as she watched the clouds and rainbows disappear and reappear overhead. Félix had been concerned that her tiny body wasn’t keeping her warm enough and rushed for Dolores’ old yellow blankets.

After completing all of his rituals to ward off bad luck, Bruno didn’t come near again. Opting to instead keep watch of the other kids and baby Camilo.

The disappointed couple don’t admire the baby.

“I thought you’d be hungry,” Agustín announces when he renters several hours later, holding a glass of water and a plate of half-burnt arepas. 

Julieta fell into his arms and buried her face into his shoulder. “Oh, Agi!”

“What is it?”

“Everyone is so angry and upset, and no one has looked at the baby except Pepa and Félix. Now they’ve all gone back to showering Camilo with attention. My sister must love my humiliation and disgrace! Oh God, if only she had been a boy!”

He patted her back. “Hush, mi corazon. You’ll wake her.”

“Everyone talks about how blessed we Madrigals are. But this is anything but a blessing. Agustín, what are we to do?”

“Rest. Everything will be much better once you have eaten and slept.” Agustín said, offering the plate. “Do you want me to bring the girls in? They’ve been asking to see you.”

Julieta doubts it’ll make a difference for her, but she nods nevertheless. As Agustin gets up, she manages a few bites and downs the whole glass. The baby wakes at one point and yelps a bit, Julieta peers over the crib and the baby quiets down. Good. She doesn’t really want to hold it. 

Agustín returns a minute later with Alma following, little Luisa holding her hand and Isabela holding the other. The two girls trample each other to the cradle.

The reactions between them are wildly different. Isabela seems to have the same disgust that she had when seeing Luisa for the first time, the difference is that nobody is telling her off for it; while Luisa looks like it’s her birthday and she finally got the horse she wanted.

“My dolls are bigger,” Isabela says, looking down her nose. “My roses are bigger and perfecter.”

“More perfect.” Alma corrects with a small smile. The first time she’s smiled today.

It must be obvious to the girls that their parents look awfully tired and sad. For Isabela doesn’t linger and gives them both comforting hugs and kisses and flowers. Luisa, clearly wants to comfort them too, however, she goes for a different strategy. 

As she loudly declares, “She’s better than any boy!”

The mood dampens even more.

“What an awful thing to say!”

“Don’t say such nonsense, Luisa.”

“Take her to the nursery, Agustín,” Alma snaps. “She will stay there until she learns her lesson and apologises.”

On any other day for any other thing, Agustín would have argued against Alma and defended his girls. But not now. He picks up Luisa and puts her straight to bed, without a word. She is beyond confused and surprised, as she was grounded for two weeks.

~~~~~~

It’s been three months since.

Camilo is the complete centre of attention and is spoiled rotten by everyone. All the gifts and praise that would’ve been for the new baby boy go to him. He is regarded as the second Pedro. There had been celebration at his birth, for being the first grandson, but this is now getting ridiculous. At least in the eyes of his parents.

And his sister.

Dolores doesn’t understand at all.

“Papí?”

“Yes, Lolita?” Her father says, sparing her a quick glance from the laundry he’s currently doing.

“Why does everyone hate the new baby? Like, what did she do? She’s not even cried yet.” Then, with wide and somehow innocent eyes, she asks, “Is she dead?”

Dolores’ attention is rapt on her father’s features. He blinks a few times, keeping his gaze fixed on the clothes. Did she say something bad?

“I heard people saying that stuff,” she explains. “The town and the family—”

Her father shakes his head. “Listen, mija,” he begins. “There is no reason for anyone to hate a baby, alright? People are just… shocked. You remember that everyone thought it was a boy? And, well, Mirabel was a bit of a surprise.”

That's a very different take to what she’s heard.

“But people say we should get rid of her and she’s bad and—”

“Dolores,” Félix says. He turns around to face her. “She’s a baby. She hasn’t done anything wrong. She has a place in this family as much as you or I or anyone else. If you have any other questions, I want you to ask me or Mama, okay?”

She stares at the folded piles of clothes. This is confusing. So many people say different things to her father - they can’t all be wrong? Abuela doesn’t let any of them see the baby, it has barely left Tía’s room. There has to be a reason for it. Her father is angry though, and he never normally is.

“Why are people saying lies? Lying is bad.”

“It’s not lying, mija, it’s more complicated than that. This is what they believe.”

“So they aren’t lying. So it’s true.”

“No, it’s…” Félix sighs. “I don't want you to get confused about this. Let’s go see your Mama.”

Dolores just nods. Still unsure.

They find her mother out on Casita’s patio, pacing back and forth with her back to them. It’s strange because she’s giggling and there’s a bright rainbow over her head. While Tío Bruno is playing in the grass with her cousins, Isabela and Luisa. It sounds like they are re-enacting one of their bedtime stories. One with a fight or battle because they are all roughhousing.

“Pepa? You busy, mi vida?”

Pepa turned so quickly, almost giddily. It made Dolores dizzy. In her mother’s arms was a tiny bundle, that Dolores assumed was Camilo, but the blankets weren’t the fancy gold, velvety ones that swaddled her brother. She froze beside her father, clutching his leg.

“I did it! I made her laugh, Félix!” Her mother beamed. In demonstration, she blew cool air against the baby’s cheek, producing a tiny noise and smile.

“That doesn’t sound like a laugh.” Dolores pointed out. “It’s quiet. Babies aren’t quiet.”

Pepa ruffled her hair. “You were a quiet baby, Lola, until you started talking. Your hermanito likes to use his voice as frequently and as loudly as possible. But your primita… you just like listening to us talk, don’t you, Mirabel?”

There’s no answer.

Dolores wonders if Mirabel can actually hear them. As an expert listener, Dolores can point out that the baby is definitely listening. Her eyes follow whoever is talking and her head turning ever so slightly. But she’s just… silent.

“Why is she quiet?”

“Some babies just are,” Félix shrugged, gently tickling the baby. She smiles a little, but only a little gasp leaves her mouth. “I think it’s a good thing. Two loud babies would have been difficult for you. Maybe your prima is trying to help.”

Dolores was going to comment on how that would be impossible as babies don’t know anything, however, she was stopped by Mirabel’s eyes falling on her.

“Do you want to hold her, Dolores?” Pepa questioned, angling her head to a bench.

The girl nodded, only to please her parents, and clambered onto it. Félix readjusted her position a little. Her mother sits down beside her and gently places the baby in her arms.

“Support her head, Lolita,” her father reminds.

She’s no bigger than one of Isabela’s dolls. She’s softer though and carries her own temperature. She isn’t as heavy as Camilo - then again, he’s older than her. The pair are very different. Mirabel is tiny and smells like soap and has the ability to remain perfectly still. She doesn’t have any hair though. Just a few brown strands.

Amber eyes watch her carefully. Any time Dolores moves her head at a noise, one that nobody but her can hear, the little orbs follow her almost instantly.

Mariano, her and Isabela’s friend from school, doesn’t have any baby siblings or cousins. He wants one though. Dolores has never understood why. She misses the quiet days before Camilo was born. But if Mariano means a baby like Mirabel, she can see why.

“She’s like me.” Dolores smiled. Then frowned. “I don’t get it. Why don’t Tía Julieta and Tío Agustín and Tio Bruno hold the baby? It’s easy.”

Félix sighed. “Tía Julieta and Tío Agustín… aren’t feeling very well, mija. They think some time away from the baby will help. And Tío Bruno isn’t a fan of babies. He’ll be more interested when Camilo and Mirabel start walking and talking.”

“Oh. Why don’t people like Mirabel? She’s a good baby.”

“She is. But she’s not a boy. Everyone wanted her to be a boy and she isn’t, so they don’t like her.” Pepa answered simply. Sitting back a little to avoid any raindrops falling on the children.

“That’s not fair, Mama. Girls can do anything boys can.”

“I know, mi corazon. I know.” Félix sighs.

“Try telling your Abuela that,” Pepa mumbled under her breath.

The conversation stops as little Luisa comes barrelling their way, crashing directly into Pepa’s knees, crying that it is her turn to see the baby.

Thank God someone (on Julieta’s side) cares that much about Mirabel. Even if it is four-year-old Luisa.

~~~~~~

“You are amazing, Isabelita! Seven out of ten!” Abuelo Sancho declares, as he carefully examines the little spelling test.

Visits to Agustín’s parents have been more frequent over the last few weeks, against the wishes of Alma. But Agustín believes it’s important for the girls to spend time with their other grandparents. And honestly, he is still struggling and needs the support of his parents himself - especially now that Julieta is back to work.

Isabela likes to proudly showcase her accomplishments - Alma has encouraged that behaviour from her. And Luisa enjoys playing with the dog, a fino hound called Mario. They don’t have any pets in Casita - again, at Alma’s insistence, with the exception of her precious Bruno’s rats.

“I was better than Mariano this week. He only got six.” Isabela added.

“Well, let’s see if you can get ten out of ten next, hm?” Abuela Juana asks from where she’s sat drinking tea with her son.

“I can get ten out of ten!” Luisa says. “I can spell Isabela now. I-Z-A-B-E-L-L-A.”

“There’s no ‘Z’, it’s ‘S’.” Isabela corrects.

“And only one ‘L’.” Finishes Sancho. “But it was a good attempt, Luisa.”

Luisa huffs. “Isabela is a silly name.”

“Is not! Abuela says there’s been loads of queens called Isabela. Queens are not silly.”

“Is so!”

“Is not!”

“¡Oye, oye, oye, niñas!” Sancho says, picking up Luisa to separate the pair. “How about we go on a little walk to calm down? Maybe we’ll finally find that unicorn.”

The two instantly stop bickering and beam at each other. Sancho has been telling them for years that there’s a unicorn hiding somewhere in Encanto and that one day the three of them will find it.

It’s always been an effective distraction.

Sancho guides Isabela towards the door, quickly picking up his hat and promising Juana that they will try to be back in time for dinner this time.

Agustín tries to smile as he watches his girls go.

He’s getting better, little by little, but he’s not quite there yet. He just wants things to go back to normal.

“I don’t understand why you won’t just get rid of it,” his mother sighs as the door closes.

He blinks.

“Get rid of what?”

“The baby,” she answers, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It has made you and Julieta so depressed and unlike yourselves. Your girls deserve better. And that thing has ruined everything.”

They both turn to the crib, where as usual the little thing is awake and entertaining herself by trying to grab at her yellow blanket.

She’s what? Six months now?

Mario settles himself under the crib. He looks bored without Luisa. He would have been taken on the walk too, but he currently has an injured leg.

“None of you have any attachment to her. You could easily put her up for adoption, over the mountains or here.” Juana is still talking. “In fact, Claudia Guzmán wants another baby, doesn’t she?”

“She does, but I don’t see—”

“Agustín. Think of how much it would benefit your family to have that thing out of the picture. Julieta would be pleased. Alma might even approve of you for doing something great. You can’t forsake poor Isabela and Luisa more than you already have. They need their father. You need to think about your daughters.”

He sighs. “Could you excuse me, mother?”

The woman nods.

Agustín doesn’t really know why he keeps hiding in the bathroom.

Before it was to get away from Alma and the baby. Now it’s just a habit. He doesn’t cry anymore. Just stands and tries to think.

He can’t handle his mother all but telling him he’s being selfish. It’s the one thing he hasn’t done throughout all of this. Every decision has been made to benefit Julieta, Isabela and Luisa. Not him.

Alma thinks it’s bad enough Julieta torments herself with that mistake, never mind him.

Said mistake is still the same. Still quiet. Still tiny. Still disregarded by everyone.

But she’s growing and learning. According to baby books, she is now recognising faces. And some part of her has worked out how little time she gets with any actual guardian. She must know Luisa, who all but swings her head into the crib every hour.

She should be getting ready to crawl, but doesn’t show any interest in moving. Most of what would have been her toys went to Camilo.

Pepa says she likes ribbons, tying any she finds to the side of the crib. Luisa is always pulling out the shiny ribbons from her hair and dangling above the baby. Luisa will then be told off for doing so by Abuela.

Félix says she doesn’t like peak-a-boo. Similar to Dolores in the fact they’ve already worked out that you’re hiding behind your hand or a piece of furniture. He’s trying to find something to entertain her - as she isn’t interested in moving, dancing (which was Dolores’ alternate) doesn’t really work.

Camilo and Mirabel are old enough to be aware of each other, though they still can’t play together. Pepa tried that. Camilo is wild, already moving (thankfully, not yet speaking), he likes grabbing at things. Mirabel doesn’t know how to react to him. It is weird, putting Isabela and Dolores together, allowed them to learn skills off each other.

Cutting through the sound of his thoughts and running water, as he pretends to wash his hands, is Mario barking and growling.

The baby cries from the other room.

Every time Mirabel makes a noise, which is almost never, it throws Agustín for a loop and he has to remember the fact that yes, this baby does have a voice.

He turns off the tap in time to hear his mother exclaim and get up out of her chair.

“Shush, niño. Mario, enough! Lie down!”

The dog snarls, but eventually does as he’s told. Or at least that what Agustín assumes as the barking dies down.

“¡Silencio, maldición!”

The baby continues to wail.

Agustín stumbles out of the bathroom and back into the main room. Mario is indeed back in his bed in a corner, chewing on yellow fabric. His mother is standing over the crib, hitting the wooden frame. And the baby is crying, her little hand poking out of the bars, red.

The dog got ahold of the blanket and trying to tug it from Mirabel, she was bitten or at the very least caught by his teeth.

“Mother…?”

“The baby poked Mario in the eye. I should have known better than to let him get so close.”

“It was probably an accident—”

“That is no accident, Agustín! I’ve been telling you for months to get rid of her. You should have listened to me. She is despicable! ¡Un error en el plan de Dios!”

The baby cries, her little hand frozen as red drops on the floor. Helpless.

That’s all she is. She was helpless against a dog. She was helpless against all the neglect she’s received. She was helpless to the fact she wasn’t the boy everyone wanted.

“Don’t you dare.” He warned.

He crossed the room quickly, gently pushing the arm back through the bars. And, to the utter horror and shock of his mother, picked the baby up, letting her little head rest on his shoulder. One hand holding her body and the other cupping her head.

It’s not smooth, he’s too concerned to not hold her like she’s a glass bird. He hates the realisation that this is probably the first time Mirabel has actually been held by one of her parents - she’s so rigid and cold against him. Her little legs don’t even reach his waist. Isabela and Luisa were definitely not this small, he has the marks from them squirming and kicking him. He briefly wonders if she’s healthy.

“What are you doing?” Juana questions. His mother sighs a little, she looks tired. “Put the thing down, Agustín. I will get some more tea and we can talk this through.”

“I will not.” He says.

“Of course, you will. What are you saying? This isn’t good for you. She has done nothing but torment everyone in our family since birth. She is a mistake.”

He glares, taking a step back. “She is my daughter.”

Whatever his mother says next, he doesn’t hear. He doesn’t want to hear it. He turns and leaves.

Part of him tells him to go back and talk with his mother, or at least gather up their belongings and wait for his father to return with Isabela and Luisa. But, his parents know where Casita is.

That part of him is small though because, right now, he’s thinking of his daughter.

Agustín slows down near a forested area with a cliff face. He leans back against a tree and sits Mirabel down in his lap.

She’s stopped crying, but she’s still sniffling. She’s shivering too, that’s from the cold. Maybe he should’ve stayed just to grab extra layers. Then again, her blanket is probably long gone now.

He unbuttons his vest a little and sets her inside it. Keeping her closer to his chest will make her warmer, right? It’s only until they get back home.

Her hand has stopped bleeding. He can see that it’s a nasty scratch that goes across all four fingers. He’ll let Julieta deal with that. He doesn’t have anything on him that will help.

So he starts walking again.

“I’m sorry,” he says, with no response.

Even if she doesn’t understand him, he wants to apologise. She deserves an apology.

“Mirabel? Can you hear me?” He asks.

Again, there’s nothing. But he takes the little yawn as confirmation that she’s currently listening, though not for much longer.

“Nothing is going to hurt you. It’ll be okay. I’ve got you, Miraboo.”

[hello-nichya-here]

hi! how are you? I hope you're fine!

omg you ship brumira! yay! that's a wonderful taste truly! do you think, objectively speaking, that a happy ending is possible for those two? plus, can you give me your opinion over the matter of their incestuous baby? and if you can analyse your thoughts?

I don't know if you have seen the film, but I recommend Crimson Peak (2015). it's a true masterpiece! a gothic romance, an incestuous affair between sister (Lucille) and brother (Thomas). plus, sharpecest is very similar to brumira.

thank you so much for your time!

These two are in love and I will hear no word to the contrary!

I feel it's a bit difficult to be objective in a story that involves actual magic and miracles, but I'll try.

I think it would take quite some time for Bruno and Mirabel to get together. Too much happened way too fast, and they're trying to adjust to being in a (somewhat) less dysfunctional family. They're very likely to be scared that the other would be disgusted and disappointed if they knew about their true feelings, so they'd keep it a secret. But as Mirabel reaches adulthood and they have been seeing each other every single day for at least three years, they eventually can't control themselves anymore. I can easily imagine Casita locking them up in a room to force them to talk things out and admit they're in love.

Now, about the family... oh Lord. The Madrigals are trying to be more supportive of each other, but that would cross a line for them. They'd be extra freaked out by the fact that Casita, their miracle, seems to be absolutely okay with that "romance". Lots of yelling and crying about how the whole world has gone crazy, the magic is corrupted, their family is doomed to never be happy or normal, trying to prevent Mirabel and Bruno from seeing each other again - basically all the drama imaginable.

However, they won't want to drive away either of them, because they might have a ton of issues, but they learned their lesson and they're not turning their backs on their own blood ever again.

They'd go from panicking day and night to "This is horrible, but at least they both do want it instead of one forcing the other" to "Okay, there are worse things that could happen, but this is still wrong" to "I can't believe we're actually wondering if we're the crazy ones here. The planet truly has gone mad and we are losing our morals" and then, once Mira and Bruno have their first baby, everyone just forces themselves and each other to deal with it because they want the whole family to be together.

About Crimson Peak: I have not seen it, but now I'm tempted to XD

[gamerbearmira]

(As OG Snippet Anon I'm claiming the letters SA to mark mine!)

"How is she gonna get food? Tia has to feed Cami from her boobs cause he's so little but mama can't feed Mira..." Luisa asked the next morning when she woke up and immediately dashed to check on her little sister. After about an hour of crying with Isabela when she realized it wasn't a dream that her parents were gone.

"If the food comes from boobs does that mean I can feed her?" Isabela asked desperate to help with her sister.

Tio Felix choked a bit and Tio Bruno was smothering a laugh but the kids didn't know what was so funny. Dolores was sure her primas were right.

"You have to be an adult and a Mami to breast feed a baby." Abuela informed them after a moment of trying to not laugh at the innocent questions.

"Oh..." The two new big sisters looked disappointed about that. They wanted to help feed their sister...

"Abuela is Mami's Mami and an adult. So that means she can boob feed Mirabel right?" Dolores asked curiously and now Tio Bruno was choking while her mama looked amused and her papa was smothering a laugh. Why did Tio Bruno look so embarrassed? She'd ask him later.

"No no. I'm too old." Abuela said looking amused at the kids questions. And her sons embarrassment. Honestly breast feeding was natural so why did her son get so embarrassed over it? Ah but he was a strange shy boy...so maybe he just never realized it...

"I'll feed her mama. Cami is still nursing so another baby won't be a problem for me. I just hope she'll actually eat. She's so little..." Pepa said looking at the tiny baby even as she finished nursing her two month old son.

"You were this little too at one point and you still ate like a horse." Abuela said dryly and all the kids nodded. Tia Pepa/their Mami could eat more than anyone else in the family.

"Mami said that Tia could eat anything and stay skinny cause she does lots of exercise with Tio Felix. I don't get it but when Cami was in Tias belly Mami said he got there cause of all the exercise she does." Isabela said matter of factly.

There was silence for a minute and Tia Pepa went as red as her hair but Tio Felix just smiled as Tio Bruno pulled a face.

"Well she wasn't wrong."

SA it is 🗿🗿 we love that

ISA THATS OUTTA POCKET…YOU AIN’T GOTTA EXPOSE HER LIKE THAT…DAWG 💀💀

But she means well, as do the other kids <3 Even though Alma said she would raise them, Isabela and Luisa still try their best to help out as much as possible 😭😭

[toaverse]

Wonder what's Isa is gonna do then. She obviously DOES NOT want to marry Mariano, so I want to see her snap back to Alma about it.

Oh yes, she would!

At first, Isa didn't dare to stand up to Alma. No, she didn't want to marry Mariano, but her Abuela and Tía had planned this engagement and wedding from the last detail, and Isa didn't want to disappoint them...

But, seeing how happy Mariano was with her prima and their two babies, Isa couldn't stand by and be silent any longer...

"It's okay, Abuela. I'm fine with it." Isabela said, but it wasn't enough...

"No, you'll marry him." Pepa reassured her favorite niece. "Don't you worry, Isa."

Alma Looked at her granddaughter for a second, before continuing scolding Dolores.

Isabela then snapped...

"Can you just stop!" Isabela yelled at her abuela, making both Alma and Pepa confused. "I never wanted to marry him! I was doing it for the family!"

The rest of the family came outside as well, and saw the scene, but Isabela didn't care.

"Look at them! He already has two beautiful children with my prima." Isabela said, going to her cousin's side. Dolores and Mariano couldn't help but smile at Isa, really appreciating that she stood up for them. "And you want to separate them in favor for the family and "proper" grandchildren?! get your morals straight!"

With that, Isa walked off, taking Dolores and Mariano with her.

"Sorry for that." Isa said, looking at her cousin and Mariano with shame, before smiling. "You have my blessing."

"You have ours as well." Mirabel said with Antonio standing next to her, having followed the three.

Both Dolores and Mariano couldn't be happier.