#senora guzman

[icecry]

『Visions of the past....』

Some more colored panels from the flashback in Chapter 3 of Thief and the Prophet. The atmosphere is such a refreshing change. It isn't just Bruno's memories that are painful.

Happy New Year!✨

[sokkas-first-fangirl]

If the magic failed, that meant they were doing something wrong. Not working hard enough. Not dedicated enough. Not helping enough.

The Madrigals worked harder than ever. Work and dedication would keep the Miracle burning. Abuela told them now, more than ever, that they must be strong. They must be grateful. They would serve and strengthen their community, thereby proving themselves worthy of their precious Miracle.

Bruno was gone. Mirabel was Gifless.

Isabela was thrust into her role more than ever. The shining example, the good girl. The perfect rose. Graceful, beautiful, sweet, perfect Isabela.

She couldn’t falter. Not even for a second.

Abuela was counting on her.

💐

A study in Isabela Madrigal's reflection over the years. How it changes and how her own perception of herself changes with it.

[foggyfanfic]

How Mariano Got Betrothed to the Wrong Madrigal

Oneshot Preview: Thankfully, Isabela was his best friend, and knew him well enough to read the answer on his face, “So why are you going along with this?”

“With…?”

“With this! With our abuelas setting us up?”

Now, nobody had ever accused Mariano of being an intellectual. In fact, he was frequently accused of the exact opposite. Which was fine, kinda hurtful, but he couldn’t be too upset about being called stupid.

Not after this marvelous mess up.

It started on the first day of school, he just happened to be the same age as the two oldest Madrigal kids, and was thus sat at the same table as them. Isabela was fun, but she hogged all of the brightest crayons, except for red. 

Red belonged to Dolores.

Dolores was patient, even at the young age of six. It seemed like it didn’t matter how many times he needed help, she always gave it. The three of them played together everyday at recess, Dolores would be the princess, he would be the shining knight, and Isabela took great delight in being the plant breathing dragon.

Then they grew up. Not instantly, of course, little by little.

The first sign of their impending adulthood was when Isabela came to school in a brand new dress and said, “Abuela says I want to be the princess sometimes.”

“Oh, ok,” Mariano agreed, because he knew how important it was to listen to your abuela.

Dolores being the dragon was kind of fun anyways, because she didn’t have plant powers so they had to wrestle for the princess. Unfortunately, Isabela got bored with that game a little while after that and they had to find a new one.

Time marched on, and slowly by slowly, Isabela started wearing more dresses she wasn’t allowed to get dirty. Both Mariano and Dolores missed playing with her, even if she did hog the brightest crayons. 

However.

If Mariano could go back in time, he would not have mentioned to his abuela that he missed playing with Isabela.

When they were nine, going on ten, both Isabela and Dolores were promised visions from their Tío for their birthdays. Isabela was all smiles the day after she got her vision. Dolores avoided him for a week after she got hers.

When they were eleven, Mariano realized that his favorite games to play with Dolores all involved wrestling. And really weird, he didn’t mind losing to her when they wrestled. Dolores would huff and pout at him if he tried to wrestle with her when she wore her favorite red skirt, and although he didn’t like to make her upset, he thought she was cute when she pouted.

At thirteen he realized why he liked wrestling with Dolores. His parents raised him to be a gentleman, so he stopped.

At fifteen, he started planning their wedding. It would be wonderful, he would read her a poem for his vows, and she would speak hers so quietly it would sound like a secret just for him. Isabela would make a bouquet of deep red roses for Dolores, and he would pluck one out to put in her hair.

She always looked so beautiful in red.

At sixteen, Romero asked Dolores out, she said yes.

To Mariano’s great relief they only went on two dates. However, he couldn’t ignore what it meant that Dolores had agreed to date Romero in the first place. She didn’t see him the same way he saw her.

Nobody ever accused Mariano of being an intellectual, but he liked to think he was raised right. When a woman demonstrates that she doesn’t have feelings for you, you respect that.

He tried just being her friend, but it seemed as they grew, she just became more and more beautiful. Eventually, he realized if he wanted to get over her, he would need space. Mariano spent a month torturing himself, trying to think of a different way to move on, but then she giggled at a joke her little brother made and it felt like somebody had wrenched his heart out of his chest to give to her.

So, at seventeen, he began hanging out with the other boys his age instead of Dolores. He still spoke to her at parties, and if he happened to run into her at the market, and of course, when their abuelas decided their families should have dinner together.

And he still loved her.

No matter how much time passed, Mariano still loved Dolores more than he could ever say. He tried writing poems about his feelings, but the words paled in comparison, so he gave up and wrote poems about other things.

When he was twenty he noticed Isabela dancing in the square, spreading flowers around. Dolores was just behind her, smiling quietly. Isabela made Dolores a red and orange flower crown and Mariano couldn’t hold back a sigh at how beautiful she was.

“She’s quite graceful, isn’t she?” his abuela asked, seemingly appearing out of thin air by his shoulder.

“Oh, uh, sí. She is,” he glanced nervously between his abuela and Dolores, who stood with her usual poise.

“And quite beautiful.”

“Sí,” Mariano gulped, did she know?

“I remember you two used to play together everyday at school.”

“Sí,” Mariano said, failing to keep all of his longing out of his voice.

“How long have you had these feelings for her?”

He stuttered and babbled for a little, but she just watched him with a knowing grin, so he gave in and admitted, “Since we were children, but she doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Oh? Are you sure?”

“Sí.”

“Have you asked her?”

“Uh.”

“Mariano, mijo, you can not know a woman’s true feelings unless you ask her.”

He blinked at his abuela for a little, then turned to look past Isabela at Dolores. She was very quiet, and usually very good at keeping secrets. Was it wishful thinking driving him to listen to his abuela? Or did he have a chance?

“Perhaps you’re right,” he said.

“Of course I am, now go ask her.”

Mariano nodded, and started to walk away, before he remembered himself. Dutifully, he turned back to press a kiss to his abuela’s cheek, and thank her for her council. When he turned around, Dolores was gone.

He frowned, slowly approaching Isabela as he searched the crowd for a flash of red. She noticed him and waved, he waved back then pushed through the crowd so he could speak to her.

“Where’d Dolores go?”

Isabela paused in her dancing to look over at where Dolores had been standing, finger halfway raised to point. She deflated a little when she noticed her cousin was gone.

“I don’t know,” she frowned a little, then looked quickly at her audience and with a magnanimous smile rained flowers down on them.

“You don’t have to stop on my account,” he said, recognizing the flower confetti as the finale it was.

“No, I wanted to do some shopping with her,” Isabela waved at people as she broke through the crowd, gifting a few of the children with extra flowers, “she’s so good at picking things Abuela likes.”

“Oh, great, then we can look for her together,” he smiled, “been a while since we spent any time together.”

“It has, hasn’t it?” she huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking her head, “When was the last time? New years?”

“Sí, sí, sounds right,” he eyed Dolores’ favorite fruit stand as they passed it, “how’ve you been?”

“Oh, wonderful,” she was also looking at the stand, then turned to peek into the book shop, “I recently learned how to do a new trick on my vines.”

“Oh?” Mariano asked with genuine interest, he remembered how much Isabela enjoyed her acrobatics, “I would love to see it!”

Isabela flashed him a warm smile, then glanced down at her fluttery lavender dress, “You should come by Casita for lunch tomorrow, I can show it to you then.”

It had been forever since he’d gone to Casita for lunch, and he suddenly realized how much he’d missed the sentient house. He had spent many an afternoon playing hide and seek there, but recently he’d only been when he was accompanying his abuela and had to be on his best behavior. Plus, it meant that even if he couldn’t find Dolores today, he could talk to her tomorrow.

“I would love that!”

“Great. I’ll let everybody know.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon looking for Dolores, and when they didn’t find her, he helped Isabela pick out some cloth for a new dress.

“I definitely want something purple,” Isabela said, looking over the bolts of fabric, “Abuela says it compliments my skin tone the best.”

Mariano, used to helping his Mamá with her shopping, hummed thoughtfully and reached for a deep purple linen. Isabela looked at it, and her eyes got all bright, a smile twitched at her lips. 

Then she stood up just a little straighter, folded her hands over themselves and said, “It’s lovely, but I prefer pastels.”

Mariano felt his brow wrinkle, because it had looked like Isabela had been really excited about it for a second, but then again, he could be wrong. It had certainly happened before.

He helped her select a different bolt of purple. A pastel purple. The shopkeeper offered her a steep discount in exchange for fresh flowers to fill all of her vases.

Isabela obliged with the same perfect smile she used to use when she was playing the princess.

They parted ways not long after, Mariano reported to his abuela that he would be having lunch at Casita the next day and she’d cheered. He did not realize until later the misunderstanding that had taken place, and by then, it wouldn’t matter.

Dolores didn’t make an appearance at lunch the next day, but Mirabel did.

He watched Isabela and Mirabel snipe at each other, even as they planned what embroidery Mirabel would put on Isabela’s new dress.

“That’s too many colors,” Isabela said.

Mirabel rolled her eyes, “You know, you used to like colors, back when you weren’t boring.”

“I’m not boring, I’m an adult, with a little something called responsibilities,” Isabela hissed.

Mirabel rolled her eyes even harder.

Mariano chuckled, accidentally drawing both their attention. Isabela sat up straight, primly folding her hands in her lap, but Mirabel pushed the sketchbook towards him. Coincidentally, although he didn’t think much of it at the time, Señora Alma walked into the kitchen at that exact moment.

“What do you think, Mariano?” Mirabel asked, voice friendly, but sharp eyes pointed at Isabela.

“Oh, uh,” he might not have been the brightest crayon in the box, but even he knew a trap when he saw one, “I think Isabela looks perfectly lovely in everything.”

He did not notice Señora Alma turning to examine him.

Mirabel gave him an unamused look, not fooled by his hedging, “Great. But what design do you like best?”

Mariano gulped and looked down at the sketch book, then he said, “Oh! How about the one with the little avocado? It’s like that character you and Dolores made up when we were in school, remember?”

“Doctor Avocado?” Isabela blinked into the middle distance, a slow smile growing across her face, she chuckled quietly, “I’m surprised you remember that, it’s been years since I thought about any of that stuff.”

Mariano shrugged a little sheepishly, then admitted, “I still have the drawings you made.”

And here’s where Mariano truly messed up, because personally he felt everything up to this point wasn’t really his fault. Technically, what Mariano meant to say was “I have the drawings you guys made”, which involved using the plural form of “you”; however, his mind was on Dolores and Dolores only, so without thinking he used the singular, familiar, form of “you”. It was a small detail, and even though he heard his own mistake, he didn’t think it important enough to correct it, but it’s one of those mistakes that snowballed into a really big problem. Like when he assumed the dog could be trusted not to jump on the kitchen counter while Mariano ran to the bathroom really quick.

Because what Señora Alma apparently heard was “My dearest Isabela, I have treasured that most fine art of an avocado with a medical practice for all these years simply because it was crafted by your perfect hand.”

Isabela did not end up picking the design with the little avocado, instead she went with a much more understated design. One with little pastel flowers that gracefully tumbled down her pastel skirts. Mariano finished lunch with the two sisters, then lingered in the courtyard with Isabela, hoping Dolores would make an appearance. He finally left in defeat when the sun rested on the tops of the mountains.

Fortunately (at least he thought it was fortunate) Señora Alma started inviting him and his abuela over for dinner more often.

Unfortunately (and he was correct about this being unfortunate) Dolores was always seated at the opposite end of the table from him, and barely looked at him whenever he was around.

Once again, Mariano sat himself down, and forced himself to accept that Dolores just wasn’t interested in him that way. Despite what his abuela had said.

At least he was rekindling his friendship with Isabela. They had a lot in common, both were the eldest grandchildren and carried the weight of their abuelas’ expectations. He had missed her, to a certain extent, and it was nice talking to somebody who understood what it was like to stand in front of a mirror and practice saying “Sí Abuela” in just the right tone of voice. His male friends had apparently never done that, and had in fact teased him for being vain when he’d asked. They hadn’t understood that it wasn’t about vanity, he didn’t need to look good for the sake of aesthetics, he needed to be neat and well groomed in order to set the proper example for his younger siblings and cousins. Isabela understood that, better than anyone else.

One day, his abuela asked him to take Isabela to the market, to get her help picking out gifts for the young girls in the family. Isabela had agreed, but had walked a little slower than usual, and kept getting distracted.

“Is something wrong?” he eventually asked, when he finally realized she was frowning and sighing a lot more than usual.

“I-. Well, I don’t know,” Isabela glanced at him, then at the market as it passed by around them, “Mariano, how do you feel about me?”

“What do you mean? You’re my best friend,” he had answered, because by that point she was.

“That’s it?”

“Uh, sí? Why? Has somebody-.”

“Do you… have feelings for me?”

Mariano’s eyebrows almost jumped off his face, he should have said “No” and would have said “No” but he was a bit busy gaping at her. It had never occurred to him that Isabela was somebody he even could have feelings for.

The silence dragged on without him denying his feelings out loud, forcing anyone who might overhear the exchange to draw her own pessimistic conclusions. The silence dragged on so long, in fact, that if any eavesdropping pessimists had decided she didn’t want to overhear confirmation of what she thought was destined to happen, then that eavesdropping pessimist had plenty of time to escape to the soundproofed portion of her room. Another thing he didn’t realize was a mistake until much later.

Thankfully, Isabela was his best friend, and knew him well enough to read the answer on his face, “So why are you going along with this?”

“With…?”

“With this! With our abuelas setting us up?”

He gaped at her a little more.

She frowned at him.

Silence stretched between them once more.

“Mariano, you do realize that’s what’s been happening? Don’t you?”

He could only shake his head.

She groaned, “What did you think was happening?!”

“I- I don’t know, I just thought… we’re friends,” he shrugged, “that’s-. Aren’t we friends?”

Isabela softened, she smiled a little, “Sí, we’re friends.”

“Bien, that’s uh, that’s good,” he frowned down at his shoes, then looked back up at her and asked, “they’ve been trying to set us up?”

“Sí, for months now, my abuela is starting to hint at marriage,” Isabela said. They had slowed to a standstill as he had processed what she was saying, but now she started walking again. She held her chin high, with all proper poise, and looked straight ahead with a contemplative look on her face.

“Oh,” he walked beside her, feeling comparatively clumsy and oafish, even as his steps passed smoothly over the cobbled road.

“I… am going to go along with it,” Isabela said, quietly, “there’s no other man in the village I think I could-. You’re my best friend, if I’m not going to fall in love, I might as well marry you.”

“Oh.”

They walked in silence for a while.

“What do you think?”

“About marrying each other?”

“Sí.”

“I uh-,” he hesitated, then quietly admitted, “I’ve been in love with one girl my entire life, I can’t imagine being with anyone else, but- but- she doesn’t-.”

He couldn’t continue, it always broke his heart a little to admit that Dolores didn’t love him back, but now, here, when talking about marriage, when seriously thinking about his future, saying it out loud was unbearable. He found himself sniffling a little, his bottom lip trembling. 

Isabela put a hand on his shoulder.

He looked at her, and suddenly, he could see a path he’d never considered before. A path in which he married Isabela, moved into Casita, spent his life with his best friend, just down the hall from the woman he loved. He would have kids with Isabela, and raise them with her, and see Dolores every day for the rest of his life. It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it would be cruel to marry somebody who was in love with him, knowing he could never give them his heart. And it would be good for his family, to be so connected to the Madrigals.

And it would mean he would always be close to the love of his life.

“If I can’t be with her,” he said, slowly, “th-then I can’t imagine anyone better than my best friend.”

Isabela nodded, giving him a small smile. It wasn’t one of the ones she’d practiced, it didn’t match his own practiced grin. It was quiet, and warm, and reassured him that he could be happy with her.

Months continued to pass them by, and Mariano found himself thinking more and more of this life spent with his best friend. They would make an excellent team, him and Isabela, and they would have wonderful kids, kids Mariano would get to spend plenty of time with. In most households, the men were expected to go out and work, but not in la familia Madrigal. When you married a Madrigal, it became your job to stay home and take care of the kids so that the Madrigals could share their blessings with the village. He’d once thought he’d be raising Dolores’ children, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he would be just as happy raising Isabela’s kids. The more Mariano thought about his life to come, the more he realized how much he wanted to be a father.

He started spending more time with his youngest cousins, eager to practice for his oncoming life as the primary parent.

There were nights, of course, where Mariano had guilty fantasies in which Dolores would fall in love with him a little later in life, and Isabela would give him permission to be with her. These fantasies sometimes featured him saving Dolores from her horrible husband, or comforting her when her husband died in a very tragic and painful accident. But nobody needed to know about those nights, or those fantasies.

He focused on the thought of his future kids, and tried to ignore all else.

Mariano picked out the ring, he drafted up lists of baby names, he planned what he would say in his proposal with Isabela, and he tried not to think too hard about how close he would be to Dolores once he had moved into Casita.

And then his and Isabela’s plans all fell apart the night of the proposal.

In the scant hours between that disastrous dinner and Casita falling apart, all Mariano could think about was how embarrassing the evening had been for him, and the fact that Dolores had seen the whole thing. He wondered if the miracle had been trying to tell him and Isabela something, if it had been trying to discourage the match.

Then, when he found out that it had nothing to do with him, he felt horrible for being so self pitying while his best friend and the love of his life were dealing with such a crisis.

Mariano was the first to grab a shovel, and rallied the other villagers to do the same. He figured he would worry about his love life later, when Casita was done being built. He thought that neither Isabela nor Dolores had the energy or time to think about him. He thought he would never be a Madrigal, and he would just have to accept that.

Nobody ever accused Mariano of being an intellectual. In fact, they often accused him of the exact opposite, and after hearing Dolores’ side of the story, he couldn’t blame them.

“You’ve had this since we were ten?” he asked, for the fifth time. He was holding an old vision tablet, the magic long since faded from it. In it, he was on his knees, holding a ring out to Isabela as she sat primly at her dinner table.

“Sí, and I’ve looked at it almost every night since,” she shook her head ruefully, “trying to force myself to get over you.”

He stared at her, “Are you sure you don’t want to get married right now?”

Dolores giggled quietly, “I’m sure. I seem to remember you had all these plans for your wedding.”

“Our wedding,” he corrected, “it was always-. I thought you didn’t return my feelings, but I was never able to picture another bride. Not really.”

She smiled down at her lap. They were sitting side by side on a couch in the newly finished first floor of the new Casita. He was vaguely aware of the rest of her family milling around, of her father keeping a close on them, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from her face.

“You knew? When we were ten? That you love me?” he eventually asked.

“I’ve known since I got my gift.”

Mariano blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears as a smile took over his face. He leaned over and kissed her check, only to jump back when Señor Félix loudly cleared his throat. Mariano flashed him a sheepish smile, but didn’t want to spend too long not looking at Dolores.

“I-I was a little bit slow,” he admitted, “I didn’t figure it out until we were thirteen.”

“But that was when you started to pull away?” she asked.

“Pull-? Oh! No! No, no, no,” he grabbed her hand, “I was trying to be respectful. I… enjoyed being close to you in a way that uh, I figured I should get permission for before I uh, well, indulged. If that uh, if you get what I'm… getting at.”

“Oh,” Dolores giggled again, “I see.”

“If you’ve loved me all this time, why did you date Romero?”

“My Pá said that’s the best way to get over someone,” she shrugged.

Mariano couldn’t help it, he turned to look at Señor Félix with his hurt and betrayal clear on his face. Señor Félix looked startled, and actually took a step back. For a brief second Mariano was reminded of Camilo, as Señor Félix held his hands up in a questioning shrug and seemed to silently ask, “What did I do?”

“Amor,” Dolores gently pulled Mariano’s face back towards her, “it’s not his fault, I asked him for that advice.”

Mariano still couldn’t help but pout a little, “He could have told you to ask me how I felt before giving up on me.”

“Sí, and I could have asked him for advice on getting your attention,” she shrugged, “I thought this was just another case of people ignoring me in favor of Isabela.”

“I would never,” he breathed, “Dolores, she is my best friend, but you! You’re the sun in my sky, the song every bird sings, the passion too great for words to capture. You’re steady ground in an earthquake, a shelter in a storm, and the burst of laughter that cures a bad day. How could anyone not see your kindness? Your poise? Isabela is all the bright colors in a meadow, but you’re the red in my veins. I have warmth in my heart to share with others, because you keep it beating.”

Dolores was so often quiet, so often silent, but this was the first time Mariano had ever seen her struck dumb. Her lips parted in surprise, and her eyes shined with love.

Mariano knew he wasn’t an intellectual, but he liked to think he was raised right, so even though he wanted to hold her tight and kiss her, pour all the passion and longing he’d stored up into her, he didn’t. Instead he squeezed her hand, then brought it to his lips, so he could leave a gentle kiss on her fingertips.

Dolores gaped at him for another second, then with her free hand she took the old vision out of his lap and threw it like a frisbee across the room.

It hit the ground and shattered.

“So,” she said, “marriage?”

“Sí! I’ll bring my wedding journal tomorrow and you can tell me what ring design you like best,” he said, launching into an explanation of everything he’d planned.

Nobody ever accused Mariano of being a genius, but he’d stumbled his way to marrying the love of his life. So, he figured he was smart enough. 

[lethal-amigos]

Never Enough

by @my-gunpowder

The first time Jose quarreled with his mother and raised his voice at her. Jose's low self-esteem is primarily to blame for his mother, Lita. Since childhood, she loaded him with various activities and allocated little time for simple walks. Jose is really a smart guy, a jack-of-all-trades, and it makes no sense for me to even say that he is handsome because WELL, COME ON Senora Guzman will be very hurt by these words, because she herself is a victim of such a mother. But her mother was much worse, and therefore it seemed to her that she did not harm the children. The next morning Jose, of course, will apologize, but Lita will apologize in return. After this conflict, she will reconsider her attitude towards children

[gamerbearmira]

I have a story for the Vampire au! Okay, so vampires live in the Encanto and are hiding among the regular people, Senora Guzman is one of them. A little after Antonio is born Alma is worrying about whether or not he'll get a gift, but Pepa had a difficult labor and so she doesn't really care about his gift, she's just glad he's here and healthy. Pepa gets upset at Alma for caring more about the gift than Antonio's well being, and Mirabel gets brought up, so Julieta comes in to defend her daughter, Bruno also gets brought up. It devolves into a screaming match about how Alma treats everyone and their gifts until Julieta yells, "well maybe the reason Mirabel didn't get a gift is because of YOU!" Casita then starts to crumble, just like it did in canon only five years earlier. Pepa shoves Antonio into Alma's arms and tells her to get out of the house, Alma and the grandkids manage to get out, but the other adults, including Bruno who was still in the walls, don't escape time and die in the collapse. All of this is too much for Alma and she passes out due to a heart attack, she almost died, but Senora Guzman saw what happened and realized if Alma dies the children won't have a guardian, so she turns Alma in order to save her. Once Alma wakes up and gets her bearings, she realizes Julieta was right, and her mistakes cost her even more family members. She vows to change her ways and keep her grandchildren safe, she turns the grandkids into vampires so she won't have to watch them grow old and die, the Madrigal family becomes really close to the Guzman family since they're both secretly vampires, that's how Mariano and Dolores met, Casita is rebuilt with a more gothic architecture and a graveyard for the deceased family members, which includes a memorial for Pedro, the magic does return, and Mirabel gets her own room, but the color of the magic is red instead of gold. The townspeople are a little spooked by how everything changed, but they chalk it up to the sudden death of the adults affecting the family and the magic so they don't really question it, and the slowed aging is waved off by Alma, who says it must be the magic's way of protecting the grandkids.

I’M RICKIN WIT IT⁉️⁉️

Honestly I am. Only thing that I would change is Alma. She was born a vampire (a LONG) time ago. She was just good at hiding it. EVERYTHING ELSE IS SO RAD THO 🗣️🗣️ honestly Alma saying the magic is what’s keeping the kids from aging is so real.

I imagine Guzman probably has to help Alma cope though. I mean it was clear Alma didn't wanna do it, and even with convincing. She was still pretty catatonic after the fact. But Alma slow gets over it (over it is a strong assumption though). After all, she's not the only one who had to resort to that. Mariano and a number of other kids at the time had to be turned, and a lot of families didn't want to subject their kid to that life, but had to for their safety.

And the argument before hand. Would make sense. How it escalated so fast is baffling, but stuff adds up over the years ig 😭 still sad asf tho. W for the memorial at least (┳Д┳)

Alma whenever anyone asks her about what happened those two nights:

[achitka]

Day Twelve: Nerves

Oh my goodness...sometimes you just gotta think outside the honey pot.

Day Twelve: Nerves

Julieta handed off a cookie to the small child in front of her. They took a bite, and the scrapes and cuts they’d acquired while playing healed without a trace of them ever being there. The little one looked up at her, smiled and shouted, “Mamá! No more ouchie!”

“That’s right mi vida, no need to shout. Now please thank the Señora.”

“Thank you!” he said just as loudly.

His mother sighed as she took his hand. “Come along, Mariano. Time enough to take a bath before I make supper for your Papí.”

Mariano waved to her, and Julieta waved back. She turned and took a step back. “Aye, Agustín, you trying to give me a heart attack?” He only shook his head, since his face was very swollen at the moment, and he couldn’t actually talk. “Can you open your mouth at all?”

He shrugged, and Julieta felt just a tad nervous. Her husband’s encounters with the bees were getting worse with each incident, and she couldn't heal him if he wasn’t able to eat. “Come on then,” she said as packed the last of her things. “Let’s get you home.”

Since her husband insisted on carrying most of what she had, Julieta pushed aside her worry and thought about how to get him what he needed. She had him sit on the patio and Julieta came upon an idea and after dropping off some things. She made some tea, then opened a cabinet and pulled out some honey and a spoon. She poured him a cup and added a dollop of honey and lemon to it. She forgot to bring a plate, so put the spoon in her mouth to hold it. He watched her every move and seemed to be smiling. It was hard to tell, though. She raised the cup, and he tried to drink some of it, but that was just not working. Julieta took the spoon out of her mouth and set it on the table. She licked her lip and decided on plan B.

Plan B was a total win as she pulled back and said, “Are you okay now?”

Agustín cleared his throat and said, “No, I’ve never been worse. Maybe you should try again?”

So she did.

[imnotadogiswear]

Spin on the Tainted Miracle AU where Mirabel never goes for the candle. She’s still exiled to the barn, but her reputation isn’t as bad and she has several new advantages. Sensing that it’s future keeper is in trouble and given that she never attacked it, the candle secretly gives Mirabel control over all the gifts for safekeeping. When Mirabel discovers this, she decides to take a subtler approach in her revenge. What will she do to undermine the family’s reputation? What will the Madrigals do?

[magicalmadrigals]

Idk what is funnier to me. Alma’s face or the fact that Señora Guzman has literally ZERO reaction to being spat all over while Mariano is having a midlife crisis 😂

[wikluk]

Play the part?? Slight twist on the movie, Mira finds out about Isabela's problems sooner, and, being Mira, she wants to help??

Going by your preemie!Mira hc, when she's sick, she's sick. So she knows in turn how to act sick and make in convincing. She does so, so all attention will be on her and Isa can go destroy her perfect image for an hour or two :D

play the part: [character] pretends to be sick – Mirabel (+ Isabela)

the secrets that you keep are ever ready

Mirabel couldn't believe it.

Her sister, her older sister, Señorita Perfecta Isabela, had a secret. She didn’t want to get married. She didn’t want to marry Mariano, yet she never told anything. Not Abuela, not their parents, not even Luisa.

Mirabel wondered if Dolores knew; after all, Dolores knew everything. 

But the youngest Madrigal sister couldn’t believe she found out about it only because the rats told Antonio, and Antonio told her, and she swore him to keep it a secret, and she planned or doing something. 

Maybe if she rescued Isabela from that awful situation she was in, their relationship would get better. Maybe it would help the Miracle, maybe it would save the magic.

Then her Papi found her in the nursery and saw the vision, and she was that close to telling him everything, but Abuela announced the dinner was ready and it meant the Guzmáns were there and there was no time.

So Mirabel decided to improvise. Always of weaker health and with a tendency to get sick quickly and easily, often pretty bad, Mirabel knew how to act when the need was. Sometimes, when she didn’t want to go to school, she’d pretend she was sick, and she felt bad for worrying her mamá so, but being born prematurely had some benefits.

As they sat down at the table, Dolores was staring at her, and Mirabel was staring back. Well, it was awkward, and as Dolores was close to breaking, Mirabel knew, she had no more time. 

She coughed.

Dolores blinked, and Camilo looked at her as well, one eyebrow raised. 

Mirabel grabbed the glass with juice and took a sip, immediately afterwards bursting into a fit of coughs. 

Now, people were looking her way, and Dolores tilted her head, still staring. 

“Are you alright, Mirabel?” Mariano asked.

It made Isabela turn her head as well. “Yes, are you alright?” she asked, though there was suspicion clear in her dark, barely narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, of course–” Mirabel wheezed, putting her hand on her chest. “It’s just–” she coughed deeply, to the point it sounded almost like a whistle. “Just a cough!”

Mamá looked at her with both eyebrows pinched together in concern. “Are you sick?”

“No, no,” Mirabel waved her hand absentmindedly. “It’s just... Something in the air...”

“Your eyes are glossy,” Dolores squeaked out quietly, the grip she had on her wine glass losening a little. 

“Yeah? I don’t feel anything...”

She started thinking about the most embarrassing things she had ever witnessed in her life. She remembered tripping over her own feet and diving head-first into the fountain in front of the villagers. She remembered walking in on her completely naked tía Pepa in the bathroom. She remembered walking in on her parents doing... Stuff... When she was twelve–

And she knew her face got dark as a beetroot.

“Mi amor, you’re flushed,” her papá touched her forehead with the back of his hand. “Ay, you’re so warm!”

Mamá was by her side in a few seconds. “Ay mi vida, not this again,” she said, cupping her face with a worried frown on her face. “I think you’re running a fever!”

Mirabel shook her head, sniffling for a better effect. “That’s nonsense, mamá, I’m–” she burst into another fit of very convincing coughs. “I’m fine!”

“No, you’re not,” her mamá said firmly. 

“I am! Oh, come on, I don’t wanna ruin Isabela’s perfect proposal dinner–”

Mirabel was almost sure she could hear Isabela gritting her teeth on her right.

Dolores squeaked again, her gaze flickering between Isabela and Mirabel, her eyebrows raised in confusion. 

Mirabel was actually shocked when she felt a hand gripping her forearm. She moved her head to stare at Isabela who pursed her lips at her before turning her head towards the matriarch.

“Abuela, I think I should take Mirabel to my room,” she said in a calm, velvety tone, though her fingers dig into Mirabel’s arm. “She needs her rest.”

Before Abuela could answer, Mariano supported her on that. “Oh yes, the family member’s health should always come first!” he said, giving Isabela a dreamy, soft smile. “You’re such a good hermana, Isabela.”

Isabela smiled at him, patting Mirabel’s hand. “She’s the baby,” she said in a sweet tone, making Mirabel scowl. “It’s my duty as her older sister to take care of my youngest hermanita.”

Señora Guzmán gushed at it. “Oh, it’s amazing to see how close and caring all the Madrigals are!” she exclaimed and clapped her hands. “I’m sure we can postpone this dinner to when Mirabel is healthy and can take a part in this beautiful event, right, Alma?”

Abuela blinked, moving her gaze from both sisters to her friend. “Oh, of course, Andrea! One week won’t make that big of a difference, will it?”

“Of course not,” señora Guzmán said with a breathy laugh. “Love is very patient, isn’t it?”

It brought some chuckles from all the married (or formerly married, in Abuela’s case) Madrigals. 

“Claro,” Abuela said with a smile, then looked at Mirabel, Isabela and mamá. “Julieta, Isabela, take Mirabel upstairs, por favor.”

And that was how all three of them found themselves in Isabela’s room, in her room full of flowers from the bottom to the top, so pink, and purple, and violet, and perfect, it was almost sickening.

Even mamá, to Mirabel’s smirk, looked a little overwhelmed by all the pastels as she glanced around. 

Soon after Mirabel was placed on the bed Isabela created for her, and mamá left them, with a promise that she would return shortly with some medication for Mirabel, to make her feel better.

She barely closed the door, when Isabela put both hands on her hips with a scowl. “What was that?!”

Mirabel smiled innocently. “What was what?” she asked, coughing weakly. “I have no–”

“You’re not sick!” Isabela accused her. “Even you wouldn’t be able to get sick this quick!”

“You know I always was prone to sicknesses!”

Isabela’s gaze hardened as she tapped her foot impatiently.

Mirabel rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m not,” she said, sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest. “But I think you should be grateful because I just saved your ass!”

“Grateful?! For what? For ruining my life?!”

“I didn’t ruin your life!”

“You did! Mariano was going to propose to me, and Abuela was happy, and the familia was happy, everyone was happy but–”

“–you weren’t happy. You’re not happy.”

“What–”

“I know you don’t wanna marry this big dumb hunk.”

Isabela blinked rapidly, her eyes going wide. “What?”

“That!” Mirabel growled in frustration. “Antonio told me because his rats told him that they had heard you ranting to yourself last night about how you didn’t want to get married.”

“I–”

“You don’t love him, do you?”

Isabela was silent.

“You don’t even like him.”

Isabela shook her head. “I do like him. We’ve been friends since we were kids but...”

“You don’t wanna to be his wife.”

Isabela avoided her gaze. “No, I don’t.”

Mirabel shifted to the edge of the bed and jumped out of it, walking closer to her sister. “Then why did you agree to court him?”

Her older sister sighed. “It was Abuela’s idea and I...”

Mirabel felt enlightened all of a sudden. “You wanted to make Abuela proud.”

Isabela nodded.

Mirabel fell on her back on the mattress. “Wow,” she muttered, staring at the ceiling. “Who would think we had so much in common?”

“Oh, do we?”

“Yeah... We’ve always done everything to make Abuela proud.”

“Yeah...” Isabela agreed, and her tone suddenly got so soft, so friendly. “Yeah, I guess we have much in common.”

Before Mirabel could answer, half of their family burst through the door. Mamá and papá hurried her way with Luisa hot on their heels. 

“Mirabel? Why aren’t you under the covers?”

Isabela groaned. “She’s not sick, mamá.”

“She’s not–” mamá repeated, clearly confused. “Please, someone tell me what’s going on because I think I don’t understand...”

Isabela opened her mouth to answer but Mirabel threw her arms in the air and looked at her parents with the most annoyed expression. "I pretended to be sick and I did it for her!”

“Mirabel don’t–”

Papá looked between them. “For her? Whatever you mean?”

Mirabel took a deep breath. “Isa doesn't want to marry Mariano."

The hell broke loose.

[dragoneyes618]

I want to know more about Mariano's family.

The only family member of his shown is Señora Guzmán. Now, we don't know if this is his mother or his grandmother. The script refers to her as "Abuela."

Really I think it could be either way. She's certainly old enough to be his grandmother.

On the other hand, suppose Mariano's mother had him late, like Pepa with Antonio. Two decades or so later and she'd only be about ten years younger than Alma, but with a son approximately the same age as Alma's eldest granddaughters. Dolores' line of "you take care of your mother" would make sense in this context if Mariano's mother was on the elderly side.

But, mother or grandmother, she's the only family member of Mariano's we see. No father or grandfather, no siblings or cousins, nothing.

Mariano was proposing to Isabela. This is an important occasion for both families. The entire Madrigal family is gathered together. Shouldn't all of Mariano's family be here too? 

Even if not his whole family, surely at least both of Mariano's parents should be here with him, not just his mother. Unless, of course, his father is dead - perhaps Alma sympathized with and saw herself in Señora Guzmán.

If she's his grandmother, however, than both of his parents are absent from their son's proposal, which might suggest that they're both dead. Why else wouldn't they have come? Except we know his mother, at least, has to be alive, thanks to Dolores. Maybe she's ill or something, and his father died too.

But how likely is it for both of his parents to have died of something besides old age - which, given his grandmother, clearly they didn't - in a town with Julieta Madrigal living in it?

There's also the line of "the union between the Guzmáns and the Madrigals," which suggests that the Guzmáns, like the Madrigals, are a family of some prominence in the village. 

[icecry]

『She's got a bit if history...』 Some colored panels from the flashback in Chapter 3 of Thief and the Prophet. I'm BEYOND excited for these pages. I just love the tone and atmosphere!

Merry Christmas Eve✨

[sokkas-first-fangirl]

“Isa, mi vida,” she said. “After school, will you let Mirabel join you for your chores?” Her smile was indulgent, so happy and proud. Isabela would do anything to keep that smile.

Besides, Mirabel tailing her wouldn’t exactly be hard work. At most, she’d just insistently ask questions, like usual.

“Sí, Abuela,” she said.

“Gracias, amor,” Abuela said. She squeezed Isabela’s hand. “I think you are the best suited to help her.”

“Help her, Abuela?”

“With her Gift. Flowers and light- it couldn’t be more perfect.”

There was that word again. One little word with so much weight.

🌸✨

Isabela and Mirabel: the two princesses of the Encanto. Alma's perfect girls. But perfection is a shallow façade; there's always cracks waiting to emerge.

What do you do when a Miracle starts to fade? What do you do when you're not sure who you are as an individual?

Mirabel's about to find out and everyone's getting dragged along for the ride whether they like it or not.

(OR: Mirabel has a Gift. This doesn't fix anything.)

[my-gunpowder]

Gore and Lita Guzman

Jose’s parents

[futurstic-divineawakened]

Encanto: A male friend of Mirabel help saves the Miracle 6 (Part 2)

* Mirabel needed everyone out

* If the cracks keep showing up it would ruin Isabela’s engagement

* And Abuela wanted it to be perfect

* Mirabel didn’t know how she would keep the cracks from spreading while keeping the engagement in track

* She knew that Mateo was on her side, and now Antonio too. It was a small team, but they will be able to do it

* Mirabel keep a calm face but it wasn��t perfect as Isabela gave her a look as if she was acting suspicious

* Mirabel gave her a look back

* All this attention Isabela gave her these past two days was unusual

* Mateo was talking to Antonio about starting a new project.

* “Well you know we need it for the house. Papa needs it for the cracks”

* Antonio realize that he was talking about Casita and was listening very hard

* It was cute to Felix how serious Antonio looks howeve it it looks to cute to be serious,

* “So we first need to find the cracks..”

* “Cracks?” Alma said out loud looking at Mateo and Antonio.

* She looks at them and with a quickly harden look at Mirabel.

* Mirabel was drinking her juice looking at Isabela but she didn’t know why her Abuela was looking at her like that.

* Mateo gave a look toward Mirabel and then answer yes

* “There are cracks in my house.” He said it slowly as everyone was looking at him. “We found them this morning and I was telling Antonio how tomorrow we will have spackle to fix it.?” Mateo end it in a question looking extremely confuse

* Mirabel turns to Mateo and mention how she saw one inside.

* “Inside?!” Luisa mutter to herself as she looks at Isabela. Dolores gave Luisa an look.

* Mateo continue “I was telling Antonio that I was hoping to find the root of it and then we could work our way to fix the cracks that appear”

* Alma calm down a bit looking out of place.

* “Are you ok Mama?” Julieta asked since her mama look a little pale

* “Of-of course.” Alma put herself back into calm matriarch mode, “I was listening to all the conversations and got distracted” she gave a calm small smile towards Mateo, that he responded too.

* Mateo then turns towards Mirabel and said out loud. “Antonio did he would help with the cracks. He’s on our side with your idea”

* Mirabel knew the hidden message that Mateo was giving her.

* “Of course he would be on my side, I knew that finding a solution doesn’t mean just go out and fixing everything.” Mirabel said giving a smile to Antonio

* Antonio responded with a smile and said he’ll help tomorrow.

* For Mirabel it was hope that her familia would see the cracks, even if it was just Antonio she could convince the rest.

* Camilo was remarkably silent throughout the dinner looking back and forth between the trio.

* Felix gave Camilo a nudge as if to question him.

* Camilo mutter to Felix “I’m just making sure he’s good for her.”

* Felix gave a nod in understanding “Me too” remembering his conversation with Pepa

* “I know he’s a good friend but being a friend and being a lover is different. You and Mami taught me that”

* Felix kept nodding not in anyway upset with Camilo’s thought process “Si, that means if it comes down to it, you can be there for Mirabel in a way we can’t. Your Mami said to give him a chance.”

* Camilo nodded but still kept watch

* Dolores gave a look at Camilo and Felix

* She saw something similar the family all thought. Mirabel can’t handle herself. One side who thought she shouldn’t be dating

* And another side who thought he wasn’t good enough. Dolores was interested in seeing what would happen

* Mariano turn to Isabela .

* The animals come

* Mirabel hits her head

* Mateo then turn to Mirabel “You still forgot to get your utensil.” Mateo went under and fail to get both pieces

* Antonio call his capybara to get the pieces away trying to get it done quickly

* With the capybara underneath the table, Pepa was looking at Antonio questionly

* Luisa’s breakdown

* Mirabel suggestion to Mariano

* Mirabel then said Mateo could play the guitar

* Mateo choke on his drink as he was put in the center of attention again.

* He agree and Mirabel went and got the guitar quickly.

* The cracks spread

* “What was that sound?” Agustin said as Mateo quickly standup stretching

* “I didn’t expect to play for you Mariano, consider it an early present” quickly changing the subject

* As he saw the cracks under the table spread

* “What’s the problem Mateo?” Isabela ask looking at Mateo noticing his eyes widen

* “I just don’t know what I should play?” He kept it casual noticing how hard Isabela was staring at him. Longer than she ever did

* Mariano took his joke in stride and laugh “Well you and Mirabel are such musical prodigies. I always see you two playing and dancing you guys surely are the life of an party”

* Mateo felt the looks of the older Madrigals looking at him with more interest making him feel as if a simple sweat drop would be notice

* Mirabel came back with the guitar noticing the creaks and quickly pass the guitar

* Mateo starts to play hoping it couldn’t get worse…

* Everything falls apart

* The vision is shown

* Mariano leaves with Senora Guzman

* Dolores then yelled before Mirabel and Mateo not realizing the grandchildren heard

* “You hide not only the vision but the baby?!”

* As if a snap went through the older grandchildren

* “WHAT?” Luisa and Isabela said as Isabela’s gift went wild growing all around making almost an jungle

* Camilo was silent.. too silent. All of Mirabel and Mateo’s instincts told them to run

* Camilo slowly shifted into multiple people until it stayed with his normal form. He look up, Camilo’s green eyes were gone, in place were bright red

* Camilo leaped as Isabela’s plants reacted and still grew in the area

* Mirabel grab Mateo and pull him back just in time as Camilo looks as if he was going for the kill

* Mirabel then notice a rat who had a piece of the vision. Dragging Mateo along before her hermanas and primo kill him.

* The rat went through a hole behind the painting and Mirabel open it.

* Looking at Mateo she went in along with him sighing as she brings him to places he would never go.

* What they saw wasn’t what they expected. A man with rats on his back holding a piece of the vision looking at them menacingly.

* “Where did you get this piece?”

We finally meet Bruno, I’m sorry it took so long, real life has been tko-ing me. But expect to see Bruno! I’m honestly excited for Mateo and Bruno’s interactions. Seriously the relationship is Mateo while younger is the older brother.

I will be uploading the Isabela POV as well!

[lovely-blue-food]

Mirabel The Vampire Slayer Part 2

After Mirabels failed gift ceremony Alma didn’t really know what it meant for Mirabel for not getting a gift, unlike the rest of the family that was born into the Madrigal line, not knowing that Mirabels destiny is to become the next Vampire Slayer.

Because of that she thinks that Isabela her favorite is going to be the next Vampire Slayer and she doesn’t want that for her favorite granddaughter (remember that she’s not a real Watcher and doesn’t know how to spot a potential slayer or a real Vampire Slayer, doesn’t do her research because she’s prideful and doesn’t really know how magic works) to go through all of that but can’t stop destiny.

Alma has someone else to train Isabela to teach her how to fight vampires and demons that plague the earth because she’s old and can’t move like she used too, as long as she’s supervising them both so that Isabela won’t get hurt that much after Alma tells Isabela her “destiny” to become the next Vampire Slayer.

Alma doesn’t tell Isabela that she’ll also be looking for a betrothal for her so that she can retire early, because as her grandmother and “Watcher” she only wants Isabela to live a perfect life that she designed for her favorite granddaughter.

She talks to Senora Guzman about how Isabela is the next Vampire Slayer as a fellow “Watcher” but Mrs.Guzman shuts that down very quickly, because unlike Alma she’s the real deal of a Watcher for a Slayer to train and teach her son the family business even if he wants to be more involved on the field, (she’s not going to out Mirabel as a potential slayer because a slayers identity and safety comes first) and that Isabela can’t be the next Vampire Slayer because of the magic that she’s got.

Alma not liking to be wrong tells her otherwise and storms off not going to be bothering her for an arrange marriage between Mariano and Isabela thinking that Mrs.Guzman has made a huge mistake.

Senora Guzman reports that she’s teaching Mariano on how to be a Watcher and that Mirabel Madrigal is a potential slayer who she’s training, as she’s writing that she also decides to tell them what Alma Madrigal has told her about Isabela to them and that it would most likely be best to not contact Alma for the time being as she’s not a Watcher and that she’ll give them updated reports about the Miracle that Pedro gave to his wife, along with that Bruno Madrigal has gone missing as Senora make a requests that someone finds him as his sisters, brother-in-laws, and his nieces and nephew are grieving for their lost relative.

All Senora can do is give her report to a bird so that the sensitive information about the slayer to be, a Watcher in training, and the Miracle can be kept a secret from the outside world and bad people who would want to abuse this power, the Miracle is already dying because of Alma.

Magic can’t always protect them all if not handled correctly, because magic is magic there’s always a price. A con as other beings of magic and demons can get threw the magical boarders easily, to cause chaos and death that only the Vampire Slayer can fight against.

Death is a Slayers gift and when the time comes for a Slayer to die they accept it with open arms, because they are exhausted and ready as the essence of the demon enters another young girl to fight as her calling.

[justanisabelakinnie]

For Encanto ask game

2, 4, 10, 11,

2. That’s an interesting question, I suppose…blackberry, guava, banana, papaya, mango, and passion fruit. As for vegetables, carrot, potato, cauliflower, bell pepper, and broccoli. I’ve always wanted to have broccoli-flavored ice cream so I guess Encanto is just the place. 4. I wish writers, specifically Encanto writers, knew these five things: 1) that there are other characters in the movie whose names aren’t “Camilo” and “Bruno” and that it won’t hurt to write about them, I promise! 2) that we won’t be as mad at them for not updating in a while as they are led to believe, we understand why they have lives too, especially since some of us are writers ourselves, 3) that you can write about Camilo and Bruno without sexualizing them(and shipping them with each other/Mariano/other members of their family is fucking gross), 4) to please describe Dolores’ hair/styles properly(she doesn’t wear a bandana, for instance, you just look stupid) as a Black girl reading fics that don’t is a MAJOR dealbreaker, I’ve said so here. And 5) Sra. Guzman is Mariano’s grandmother. NOT his mother!

10. Owww! I stubbed my toe! Y’know, I had a vision this would happen. You know, ‘cause I’m Bruno I have visions and all that. This is probably karma for that time I kicked Pepa in the shins when we were kids…yeah, sorry Pepa. 11. This one. After all, “my primo Camilo won’t stop until he makes you smile today!” Lmao. Or this one. Saw it in an edit and now I imagine Camilo having a girlfriend and singing this song lol either way I can’t not associate this song with Camilo. I hope that doesn’t make me a Camilo simp. 🥴