For @female-hercules, based on the prompt: âMirabel and Isabela bicker over which of them is Luisaâs favorite sister. Since she's the favorite sister of both of them but they think that there can be only one; which makes them ask herâŚâ
Twisted this a little to avoid the ending being really obvious and overdone. Here you go, hope you enjoy!
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Allâs Fair In Love and Favouritism
âThatâs not the point. History exists so we can take lesson from it, Isabela. See, in 1509ââ
Whatever Mirabel was going to say was completely cut off by Isabela tossing carnation petals her way. Though Isabelaâs usual target was someoneâs mouth, she always aimed for Mirabelâs clothes. The girl would then spend several minutes picking each individual petal out of the embroidery, which brought an abrupt end to the would-be history lesson.
Isabela nodded, fully satisfied with herself.
Camilo snickered at the exchange, his mouth full of papaya, quickly swallowing as he caught sight of Dolores suddenly appearing through the doorway. The same way she always does when she hears something interesting and just canât help but get involved.
âWhat are they arguing about?â She whispered.
âFavourite siblings or something like that. It sounds more like a school lesson than anything else though.â
As if she was the one with enhanced hearing, Mirabel turned away from her sister and instead to where Dolores had entered the room. To her credit, she had gotten quick with removing those petals.
âI am not arguing,â Mirabel said calmly. âI am merely trying to politely explain to Isabela that favouritism is wrong and should not be encouraged.â
âAnd Iâm telling you how little I care.â Isabela grumbled into her hand.
âAnd theyâve been doing this for almost an hour. I had to refill my bowl twice, just to keep watching,â Camilo explained.
Mirabel sighed. âI didnât want to get involved, Dolores, but someone needed to tell Isabela how she was wrong and you werenât here.â
âThen actually have a fucking argument with me!â Isabela screeched. âI donât want a history lesson on how favouritism affected the royal siblings of France in 13-whatever! That means nothing to me!â
Dolores shook her head, taking a seat beside the significantly calmer of her two cousins.
Admittedly, this was not a regular occurrence.
Isabela trying to start an argument? Oh no, that was common in La Casa Madrigal: she liked causing drama. But Mirabel getting involved? Not so much. The younger typically resigned to not voicing an opinion unless if it was something she knew tons about or cared deeply for - or could turn into a free history lesson.
Mirabel had retreated back to her book for the time being, while Camilo had offered Isabela his bowl of papayas as an invitation to calm down.
âWhich one of your sisters do you like more then?â Dolores asked Isabela pointedly.
âNeither. I hate them both equally.â Isabela replied. Dolores raised an eyebrow.
âLuisaâs her favourite,â Camilo piped up. âShe just doesnât wanna admit it.â
âNo! She was the favourite.â Isabela corrected. âBut she threatened to kill my corpse flower this morning, so now sheâs back on the loser side with SeĂąorita Sabelotodo.â
âI see⌠and Mirabel, who is your favourite?â Dolores questioned.
âI no longer want to be part of this discussion.â Came the tiny reply from behind the pages. Then with a sigh, she gives in. âI love both my sisters - they are their own unique, individuals, who should not be compared to one another because we simply share parentage. Regardless, favouritism should not be encouraged. It negatively impacts theââ
âYeah, thank you, sis,â Isabela said, cutting her younger sister off. She turned back to Dolores. âSee what I have to deal with? Itâs like living with a school teacher!â
Dolores rubbed her temple, holding a hand out to stop Isabela from ranting. âWait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You donât have a favourite currently and Mirabel is against favouritism so she doesnât have one, then what on Earth are you two arguing about?â
âNothing at the minute becauseââ
âYes, yes, Mirabel has no backbone. I know, Isa. So what were you discussing? If itâs right to have favourite siblings?â
âAnd it is!â Isabela healed, just as Mirabel said, âIt is not acceptable.â
With a huff, Isabela relented. âBack me up on this, primita. You have a favourite, right? Though you have way better options than I do. Who is your favourite brother?â
âAntonio.â
âEh⌠Thatâs fair.â
âHEY!â Camilo exclaimed.
âThis is what I mean,â Mirabel muttered. âIt negativelyââ
âNobody asked you, textbook.â Camilo snapped, before turning his attention back to the older two.
The peaceful atmosphere of the morning had definitely been broken now.
Camilo was throwing wild accusations and insults at Dolores, who kept her hands firmly over her ears. While Isabela persisted in a new point of how annoying younger siblings were.
âJust get over it, Camilo, youâre not my favourite sibling. Why is that so surprising to you? All you do is find new ways to aggravate me.â Dolores said, eventually getting a word in edge ways. Then, clamping a hand over Isabelaâs mouth for a moment, added, âAnd you arenât right either. Thereâs nothing wrong with younger siblings.â
âWell, I know thereâs nothing wrong with all younger siblings, but my sisters are the worst. I canât pick one as a favourite because they are both so annoying. Lucky that they get to pick me as the favourite.â Isabela grumbled.
âYou think you are the favourite sister of her?â
âDonât be stupid, primita. Obviously I amââ
Isabela faltered for a moment. Dolores was grinning at her, that same mischievous smirk that complimented Camilo and Antonio when they were pranking people, but with all the not-so-subtle smugness of their mother.
Even Camilo had gone quiet, hiding his mouth behind his hands.
âI donât have favourites for anything, except fabric and books. Nobody should have favourite people,â Mirabel answered, when Isabela turned expectantly to her.
She couldnât argue with that, as a child Mirabelâs answer to which of her older sisters she preferred was always a claim of simply not having a favourite or liking them both equally. Even when Isabela was such a bitch to her in the past. Not that she could argue with Mirabel point blank.
So if Dolores hadnât meant MirabelâŚ
âLUISA!â
When there was no reply from the next room, Isabela simply got up.
âThis will be fun,â Dolores muttered, sharing a glance with Camilo, who snickered.
Mirabel gave an exasperated sigh. She hastily put her book down, sprinting after her sister. âIsa, Mama has told you countless times, you are not to be in the kitchen when Luisa is cooking. You cannot go in.â
âI can and will. Iâm the eldest, I can do whatever I want.â Isabela retorted.
âThe order of our birthdays is hardly an excuse for you to break the rules. Couldnât you, just this one time, do the right thing? Itâs just that.. maybe this is a not-so great idea and you shouldnât bother Luisa with unnecessary questions. Why donât we take a walk? It is a nice dayââ
Isabela stopped walking, allowing the younger to catch up.
âJust spit it out, Mirabel.â
âFavouritism is wrong and can have consequences for both parties,â Mirabel eventually said. Realising where this was going, Isabela started walking again. âWait, Isa! I promise I wonât use examples from history this time.â
Begrudgingly, Isabela took a step back, but didnât turn back around. Mirabel took it as permission to continue.
âWe are evidence of the consequences of favouritism, no? From Abuela? And that hurt us. Therefore, I think thatâŚâ she paused to take a deep breath, âIt would be for the best if you let this go before things get out of hand.â
The older hummed, seemingly considering the idea. âYouâre not wrong⌠but you arenât great in an argument, so Iâm not totally convinced. Besides, Iâm competitive and now I need to prove Dolores wrong, soâŚâ She continued walking into the kitchen.
Just as she expected, Luisa was still in the kitchen trying out some new recipe of brazo de reina that TĂo FĂŠlix had insisted she try. The others had been watching earlier and even offered to help, but⌠Luisa tends to get insanely aggressive in the kitchen. Itâs safer to wait until sheâs finished cooking than to engage in conversation.
Bit this canât wait. Besides, she can take Luisa.
âLuisa, my very dear hermana, how goes the new recipe?â Isabela asked.
Luisa snarled, not looking up from the bowl. âLeave before I break your arm like a rose stem.â
âAlways fun chatting to you while you cook,â Isabela commented. Casita cleared a space for her on the counter and she hopped up to be closer to her sister. âI have a question.â
âShould you leave Colombia? Yes, brilliant idea. Iâll help clear out your cacti.â
âCome on, I havenât even touched the bowl this time!â
Nobody had forgotten when Luisa was making cholado a couple of months ago and Isabela dared to touch the outside of the bowl to see how her sister would react. They were both banned from the kitchen for the next week by their mother.
The younger didnât give a response. Just an annoyed grunt.
Taking the silence as tolerance, Isabela said, âIt wonât take long. I just need your answer to prove Dolores wrong and then Iâll go.â
âYou have a minute. What is it?â Luisa inquired, looking up at her sister for the first time since she entered the kitchen.
âWho is your favourite sisââ
âMirabel.â
Isabela choked on her words.
âY-you didnât even let me finish,â she mumbled.
âDonât need to hear it,â Luisa shrugged. âItâs a stupid question, I donât really hide it. Honestly, for someone who claims to be such a know-it-all and doesnât know that⌠anyways, have fun proving Dolores wrong. Now, get the hell out of my kitchen.â
âI canât.â
âWhy?â
âBecause you proved her right.â
Luisa froze. Unblinking. Then, of all the possible reactions in the world, burst into hysterical laughter. âWait, you thought you were my favourite sister? Thatâs hilarious, Bela!â
As Luisa kept laughing and teasing, Isabelaâs mind was still processing. However, that small petty part of her didnât just want to walk away without having the last laugh.
She was the eldest sister. She was the one in charge. And she really wasnât going to have Luisa treat her like this. And she couldnât really go back to Dolores with nothing to show for herself - Dolores wonât let her live it down.
If only there was someone who would tell Luisa off for playing favourites and not picking Isabela, instead picking that little, doe-eyed owlâ
Bingo.
Without another word, Isabela dropped off the counter and left the kitchen. Luisaâs cackling still echoing along the corridors. She was promptly greeted with Camilo and Doloresâ giggling when she returned the room, but she tried her best to look unaffected.
âSis!â
âOh no, what have you done? Itâs only been two minutes since you went into the kitchen.â Mirabel paled, lowering her book.
Isabela shook her head. âNot me this time. Luisa. She has done the most awful thing.â
âOh God, is Casita broken?â
âWhat? No, Casitaâs not broken, itâs okay,â Isabela said, taking Mirabelâs hand into her own. And then as dramatically as she could, she continued, âLuisa was just telling me about her favourite sisters. And how she thought Queen thingy of wherever was totally right to have favourites and ruin her childrenâs futures, setting them on the path of war. All because Hercules once said favouritism was good or something⌠I stopped listening, it was so unbearable.â
Any anxious thoughts left Mirabel instantly.
âI told her she shouldnât take moral advice from Greek mythology,â Mirabel complained.
She retracted her hand and was instantly on her feet, gracefully storming towards the kitchen. Isabela smiled as she passed her cousins, gleefully following Mirabel out.
Now, if Isabela needed any proof that Luisa had a favourite, her reaction to Mirabel entering the kitchen was proof enough.
âHermanita, come here, I havenât seen you all day!â Luisa set down the bowl, holding out open arms. âWhy donât you come and read in here? I can clear a space for you and you could read to me while I finish up. Then we could have the first slice.â
Yeah, no. That was a completely different person to the one who had greeted Isabela less than five minutes ago.
âOh, and why are you back here?â Luisa then asked, catching Isabelaâs wide eyes.
Isabela waved her off. âNo reason. Just act like Iâm not even here.â
âI was going to do that anyways,â Luisa said. She turned her focus back to Mirabel, who was now on the other side of the counter and eying the mess in disgust. âWould you like a strawberry, Mirabel? I have got a few spare.â
âNo, thank you. I need to talk to you.â
Luisa nodded. âGo on. Iâm listening.â
âIâŚâ Mirabel took a breath. âI think it is completely unacceptable for anyone to have favourite people, especially in terms of children and siblings. And, well, Isabela told me you have a favourite sisterââ
âYes, you.â
âYes, me. Regardless, it can negativelyâŚâ Mirabel trailed off.
Isabela who had been sat, holding back laughter, waiting for just the right moment to let it out, turned around. Mirabelâs expression was unreadable, as though her impressively big brain had lost its train of thought and she couldnât quite remember what exactly it was she was here for.
âMe?â Mirabel whispered, though Isabela was too far to hear.
Luisa nodded, seemingly just as unsure of where this was going as Isabela.
There was nothing for a moment.
Then a single tear rolled down Mirabelâs cheek. âI have never been anyoneâs favourite anything before.â
Mirabel slowly broke down, crying a mix of both saddens and happiness. Luisa practically tore the dirty apron off herself, so that she could hug Mirabel without the latter getting worried about flour in her embroidery.
âWhoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute,â Isabela exclaimed. âI get made to sit through a history lesson because I have a favourite sister, but Luisa just gets pass? That is not fair! That is biased! That is favouritism! That isâŚâ Casita might as well have smacked Isabela in the face. âNo. Fucking. Way. Luisa is your favourite.â
It felt like forever before someone spoke again.
Realistically, it couldn't have been that long because Mirabel was very quickly back peddling. âOnly by a little, like a needle-sized difference. It doesnât even count,â she hiccuped.
âWhat do you expect, Bela? You treated her like dirt under your foot for the past fifteen years.â Luisa scoffed, clearly enjoying this. âIâd be concerned if she didnât naturally have a bias to me.â
Isabela couldnât really argue with that.
âFine,â she said, slipping off the counter. âWe do this again in fifteen years, and then weâll see whoâs the favourite of who.â
âDeal!â Luisa grinned.
âOr maybe we could just enjoy each otherâs company without playing favourites and getting competitive?â Mirabel said, but the other two werenât paying attention.
When Isabela finally returned to the room, she expected a very smug Dolores and Camilo waiting. However, for better or worse, there was no sign of Camilo and Dolores was flicking through Mirabelâs book curiously.
âWhereâs Camilo?â Isabela asked.
âHe left to ask Antonio and our parents about their favourite siblings,â Dolores replied. Then she tilted her head, âMama, TĂa Julieta and TĂo Bruno arenât taking it well.â
She groaned, flopping down beside her cousin. âI guess you heard what happened?â
âI always do.â
âUgh⌠I told you. Younger siblings are just the worst. I hate all of them. They are all just pests.â
âYou better not mean that.â
âWhy?â She spat.
Dolores scoffed. âBecause, for some reason that I will never understand or forgive, God decided that you should be twenty-four days older than me.â
âWait,â Isabela said. âYou think youâre my favourite sister?â
âI consider you to be mine. You and Mirabel never limited the discussion to biological siblings only.â
Isabela sat baffled for a moment. Why hadnât she thought of that? She was touched by the sentiment and it was true - their relationship had been on a downward spiral because of the whole Mariano thing, but time had naturally healed it. And now, they were as close as they were before either had siblings, they had just never said it out loud before.
She pulled Dolores into a hug, which Dolores gratefully returned.
âYouâre mine too,â Isabela smiled. Then added, mischievously, âNow, how should we go about proving weâve got a better sister bond than Luisa and Mirabel?â
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Little Encanto Details (From The Books, Not The Movie)
Note: I donât know if the two books I read are considered entirely canon, so take all of this with a grain of salt. I read the Encanto Deluxe Junior Novel and Encanto: A Tale of Three Sisters to find these little things. (Now has a part 2 here!)
⢠Brunoâs room has a picture/sculpture of him with the eyes scratched out.
⢠SeĂąora GuzmĂĄn is Marianoâs abuela, not his mother, and she has a reputation for being very proper.
⢠Isabela actually broke Marianoâs nose during the proposal.
⢠Bruno carries a gilded case of matches in his ruana (and the book actually called it a ruana!)
⢠Iâm slightly unclear on this one, but the junior novelization seems to imply that Brunoâs gift can be physically painful for him to use.
⢠Pedro was a shopkeeper when he met Alma.
⢠Pedro could sew.
⢠The candle is Pedro and Almaâs wedding candle.
⢠Dolores ends up marrying Mariano.
⢠Mirabel eventually gets a door, which the whole family has decorated with something that reflects them.
⢠Mirabel owns and can play an accordion.
⢠The horsemen were apparently bandits.
⢠Isabela secretly wishes that her gift was more useful.
⢠Mariano often sent presents- chocolates, trinkets, and bouquets of flowers- to Isabela before he proposed.
⢠Pepa sometimes worries about the fact that Antonio doesnât talk very much.
⢠Everyone loves Luisaâs hugs.
⢠Isabela made Luisa a flower crown to wear when she had her Gift ceremony.
⢠Antonio used to hate baths.
⢠Antonio has a river dolphin in his room.
⢠The candle never melts or drips, as well as never going out.
⢠Isabela doesnât like messy foods, in case she spills them on her dress.
⢠Abuelaâs room is very basic, not like the magical ones.
⢠Luisaâs room has weights, pulleys, ropes, and bars in it.
⢠Luisa likes hummingbirds.
⢠The townspeople refer to Abuela as âDoĂąa Alma.â
⢠Camilo loves playing football with Casita. (Note: football in Colombia is what Americans call soccer.)
⢠Antonio has a box full of seashells.
⢠Julieta has a favorite hat that has peacock feathers on it.
⢠The fish ladyâs name is SeĂąora Osma. (Maybe Pezmuerto is her last name?) Update: SeĂąora Osma/Ozma is actually the lady who asked Luisa to reroute the river. The fish lady is SeĂąora Pezmuerto.
⢠Camilo often shows up at meals as someone besides himself.
⢠Brunoâs ruana is three sizes too big.
⢠Antonio used to have nightmares, and Mirabel would sit on the edge of his bed and put her hand on his arm to calm him down.
⢠Antonio can be a tiny bit scary- Bruno asks in Antonioâs room if the jaguar is going to eat him, and Antonioâs reply is a shrug and ânot today.â
⢠Bruno doesnât wash his underwear. (Update: this has been confirmed to be a joke.)
⢠Antonio likes to catch and release butterflies.
⢠Isabela thinks Mirabel is AgustĂnâs favorite.
⢠FĂŠlix can get fed up with Camiloâs shapeshifting into him- heâs described as looking âready to box Camiloâs earsâ in one scene.
⢠Isabelaâs room has fireflies in it.
⢠Isabela doesnât like to have anything in her room out of order.
⢠Luisa is afraid of the dark.
⢠Abuela used to call Pedro âPedrito.â
⢠Camilo doesnât like it when Pepa and FĂŠlix get mushy in front of him.
⢠Antonio pretends to feed the stuffed jaguar Mirabel gave him.
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Little Encanto Details From The Books, Part 2!
I was blown away by the response to my first post about this! (Read the first part here!) I went back through the two books and wrote down every tiny thing I could find. I think I wonât have any more until Disney releases a new book about Encanto, which hopefully theyâll do soon!
⢠Pepa and AgustĂn call Mirabel âMira.â
⢠Bruno, if not the rest of the family, is Catholic (he crosses himself when meeting Antonioâs jaguar.)
⢠Abuela is considered the heart of the Encanto.
⢠Casita grows and expands to fit all the family members.
⢠AgustĂn and FĂŠlix are very close and are constantly talking.
⢠Isabela sometimes thinks it would be nice if she didnât have a gift.
⢠While theyâre both twenty-two, Isabela is older than Dolores.
⢠Antonio snores.
⢠The last time Abuela hugged Mirabel was before her failed Gift ceremony.
⢠The roof is Mirabelâs favorite spot in Casita.
⢠Casita likes being touched.
⢠AgustĂn is a pianist.
⢠Isabela always carries a handkerchief.
⢠After Luisa got her gift, she spent the rest of the night doing tricks with it for the townspeople.
⢠Luisa doesnât care what she wears as long as itâs comfortable.
⢠Isabela drinks cafÊ con leche.
⢠Luisaâs ears turn red when sheâs embarrassed.
⢠The man who told Luisa that the donkeys got out is named SeĂąor Rendon, and heâs described as âsometimes careless.â
⢠Three other townspeople are named Seùora Ruiz, Seùora Flores, and Seùora Uriarte.
⢠Luisa never took naps before the events of the movie, believing that ânighttime is for sleeping, daytime is for getting things done.â
⢠Casita is very gentle when playing with the younger Madrigals.
⢠Isabela never gets in trouble.
⢠Isabela thinks Mirabel and Camilo are too old for toys.
⢠Abuela and SeĂąora GuzmĂĄn have a somewhat tense relationship- described as a âbattle of politeness.â
⢠Mirabelâs palms sweat when sheâs worried.
⢠Luisa loves bright colors.
⢠Mirabel sneezes around things like sand or dust. Or salt.
⢠FÊlix rarely worries about anything.
⢠Isabela has a pond in her room filled with water lilies.
⢠Camilo and Pepa are both able to pick up and carry Antonio. Antonio especially likes to ride on Pepaâs shoulders.
⢠Isabela never wears her shoes on her bed.
⢠Luisa has panic attacks.
⢠While Isabela doesnât love Mariano, she does hope to marry someday.
⢠Abuela secretly thinks Mirabel is a lot like Pedro was.
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