#they are discussing work and Bruno is getting concerned about Mirabel | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tresmadrigalsibs · 2 years

Text

“Our own Casita” Au

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#encanto #encanto au #encanto bruno #bruno madrigal #encanto original character #mirabel madrigal #camilo madrigal #encanto camilo #encanto isabela #encanto luisa #encanto pepa #encanto julieta #agustin encanto #encanto felix #felix madrigal #agustin madrigal

131 notes · View notes

glitternightingale · 2 years

Note

Yeah so I'm also here post-animation process video drop and your brilliant break-down about Bruno's belly. Hi! I’m not on Tumblr and hope you mind a long ask in lieu of reblogging/adding to your OP.

The confirmation has been validating, is one big thing. But is it weird that with regard to the three whats/whys in your break-down (artistic choice, chub, malnutrition), I was like “ah but couldn’t it be a little, or be some combo, of all three?" - said with an intonation à la Mirabel’s "and I think it's all because of me?" I think I'm a bit of the mind that his belly is round (and "disproportionate") more due to malnutrition than from having actual healthy adipose, based on its shape? and stuff, but that's probably me reading way too into things.

There's this other part of me that's also like, what are the chances that someone like Jared Bush, who does answer questions about the canon on his Twitter, would further confirm… or maybe not confirm per se, but shed a lil insight into some of the choices?

And and: have you been able to compare the 1st and final passes at the chase scene animation? I’m no artist, but I feel like I noticed a few differences between the two Brunos (using side-by-side screen grabs bc I am 100% Like That). Ex. when he’s running toward the camera and goes to leap for the pipe: in the 1st test his stomach actually looks larger than it does in the final test; and, in the final his chest/rib cage/sternum area... and kind of his whole frame tbh... look smaller and more... shrunken/visible. Which I’m sure makes sense since it’s the final version and stuff like the muscle rigging(?) gets tweaked, but I just found the changes interesting in light of your post, the discussion, and because process stuff is cool.

This is all over the place, sorry! Last thing I swear: I love your fic, WAACH - and your art! More and more with each chapter. Always so happy seeing a telltale alliterative title in an email from AO3 :)

Oh, it could definitely be all three! I actually only broke it up into sections to structure my mess of thoughts on the matter. Well, then I forgot to point out exactly that. 😅

Here's the link to the referred post: Bruno's Belly: Artistic Choice? Chub? Malnutrition?

Bruno's Belly (2): Artistic Choice? Chub? Malnutrition?

When I wrote the first little meta about this topic, I was also really thrown off by the frames you mentioned:

(I tried my best to keep them comparable, but the more rendered version is from a slightly different, more dynamic perspective.)

And then we have this, where his belly disappears completely:

I know nothing about professional 3D animation, but this difference really strikes me. It doesn't seem to serve the purpose of exaggerating the action (like stretch and squash, for example), so where -- and why -- did it go?

Please, if anyone who reads this is brave enough, ask Jared Bush on Twitter! I need a concrete explanation. 😭

I once came upon a post where people were discussing the notion that these two Brunos aren't even the same model in the final version of the movie (correct me if I remember it wrong):

At least there's continuity where Bruno's wrists and ankles are concerned and that is that they are skinny all the time:

Here's my humble opinion on the matter in general:

I absolutely agree with your take, anon, and I think that it makes too much sense for it to not be canon. I believe Bruno is malnourished (as mentioned in my latest part of WAACH) in both meanings of the word. My fic works with the implications that Bruno had too little food (and that it wasn't of great nutritional value), as well as a diet with little variety.

Extra:

I'm so glad you enjoy my fic! I'm always really scared that I'll ruin it with my updates and that everyone who keeps up with it will be disappointed. BUT! The next installment will be called "Building The Base" and you can already guess from the first letters who it'll focus on. 😉

#asks #encanto meta #my writing #my meta #bruno madrigal #and his mystery stomach #encanto

64 notes · View notes

bruno-madrigal-writings · 2 years

Note

If it’s okay can I get some fluff about Bruno becoming both physically and mentally healthier once he’s out of the wall thanks to his fam’s efforts he gains a healthy amount of weight and even some muscle, his skin returns to its natural tone, his eye bags start to receded, and is of course his everything is much cleaner and starts to feel better about himself and starts to become less timid letting others finally see how radiant of a person he truly is inside and out and dispelling the rumors

Someone else also asked for triplet wholesomeness, and whats more wholesome than helping your brother recover? So I combined the two.

It may be a bit rambly, but hopefully there’s some good moments in there.

STEPS TO HIS HEALTHIEST SELF

Words: 2.5k

Read on AO3

One of the first things anyone in the family noticed after Bruno returned to them after ten long years of absence was, to put it kindly, how terrible he looked.

He had always seemed to have bags under his eyes since he was a teenager, but now they were far worse. The bruising was so dark and the bags were so heavy they seemed to drag at his eyes. His skin, once a warm brown, had gone pale after all his time without sunlight, now very nearly gray. His cheeks and eyes were sunken in and his whole person seemed to be unkempt. His hair no longer held the sheen or bounce it once had, now hanging in limp knots from his head. His clothes looked like they were close to falling apart on his body, ruana once new and clean now ragged and stained. It hid his body well, but when his sisters hugged him they could feel how thin he was, dangerously so. He had always been rather small, but never before could they feel his bones shift under his skin.

It took only a second, perhaps less, during that hug for Pepa and Julieta to decide that something had to be done. With a shared glance they became a united front on this matter.

They would not rest until their little brother was healthier than he had ever been.

After Casita fell, the town was more than happy to step up and help house the family. Despite their generosity, there was no house in the town with enough room for all of them, which meant they had to split up. In the shuffle of figuring out who would go where, Pepa and Julieta made sure Bruno ended up in the same building as one of them. He ended up sharing a house with Julieta, Augustine, and Mirabel, which Julieta was delighted by. She could keep an eye on him, making sure he took care of himself even when it got late.

The first steps were the easiest, ones Bruno was more than happy to take himself.

Before his disappearance, he had always had impeccable hygiene, something he immediately returned to. At the end of every day after working on rebuilding their home, he would shower and clean himself up, doing his best to maintain his hair in some sort of way. Julieta made sure he had everything he would need, though she did need to consult Félix to make sure she got the right hair products. It was worth it to see the delighted look on his face when she was able to give them to him. It wasn’t more than a week or two before the bounce and softness returned to his curls, now trimmed so it didn’t reach past his chin.

Julieta and Pepa worked together to make sure he was properly fed.

He had clearly not been eating enough in those walls, but he was not quite so willing to discuss it with them. It took a bit to drag out of him how much he had managed to get for himself, but with Pepa’s stern words and a concerned and caring look from Julieta, they managed. He said he would collect food at night, when everyone else had gone to bed. He grabbed whatever leftovers he thought he could get away with, often stretching one meal to last a day or more.

Well, they were clearly having none of that. Pepa had wanted to stuff his face with as much food as possible, wanted to make sure his plate was loaded every mealtime. Julieta was avidly against it.

“He wouldn’t be able to eat it all! He’d just end up getting sick.”

Pepa huffed, sitting back and brushing the dirt off her hands onto her skirts. They were working on sifting through the rubble, hoping to at least get some of it moved off the foundation by the end of the first day. That left time for the sisters to talk, just the two of them, and plan.

“Then what would you suggest? He clearly needs to eat more!”

Julieta sighed.

“I know, I know, but it might be best if he takes it slowly at first.”

“Uh, do I have a say in this?”

They both turned to the voice, Bruno jumping slightly at the sudden attention on himself. They shared a glance with each other before turning back to him with matching smirks.

“No.” They said in unison and Bruno scowled, but there was no heat behind it, the corners of his mouth trying not to twitch in a smile.

He really missed them.

They went with Julieta’s plan. After a few weeks he was eating normal again like everyone else, and he had only gotten sick a few times in the process.

Pepa was the one to make sure he got new clothes within the day. It took no time for her to collect everything she thought he would like, most of which were brightly colored button up shirts. She remembered that, despite constantly hiding under his ruana, he had liked wearing bright colors. She knew she made the right choice when he lit up, thanking her with that smile of his, that toothy, goofy grin she had missed so much but could never admit to herself. She smirked when she saw the old tattered clothes in the trash later that day.

Despite not being a part of the sisters' plans, Alma was the one to replace his ruana. She saw it as her responsibility, having personally made every one of his old ones as he grew up. She remembered the day she had given him his last one all those years again. It had been only a week or so before Mirabel’s gift ceremony, that fateful night when everything had gone wrong. She had handed it to him just after lunch, telling him it was time to switch out the old one for something new. He nodded and mumbled a thank you before taking it and moving on with his day. The whole thing was treated more like a transaction than anything else, just something that needed to be done.

When she presented the new ruana to Bruno this time, it was very different. It held far more importance for the both of them. Bruno stared at the fabric with big eyes, glancing to his mother and back before gently, ever so gently, taking it from her. He felt the soft, warm fabric in his hands, taking a moment to admire the shade of green, a few shades brighter than the old one, and the carefully embroidered hourglass pattern that ran down the sides. She had taken her time with this one, he realized. The last one had no embroidery, just the flat pattern printed on rough fabric. It was faster to make that way. Embroidery took time. Lots of time.

When he looked up at her again it was with tears in his eyes.

“Gracias, Mamá. Es - es perfecto.”

He gave her a watery smile, one that broke her heart.

“Lo siento, mi hijo.” She couldn’t help but say, cupping his face in her hands. At her words, the tears fell down his face and he broke, letting himself fall into his mother’s arms.

This was all he ever wanted. All those years, not just the ones in the walls but long before that, all those hard days, the hate thrown at him by the town only to return home and be told he wasn’t trying hard enough, he wasn’t enough. But now …

Perhaps that was the beginning of the hardest step.

After he had come back to them he had been … different. Quieter, more jumpy, hardly the loud, rambunctious man they once knew. But, under their watchful gazes, they could see him returning, bit by bit.

Bruno’s mental health hadn’t exactly been the best, and that was before he spent ten years in isolation. They weren’t really sure what they could do about that. Nothing they had done before he disappeared had seemed to help. What could they do now?

It was a discussion the two had often as the weeks passed, weeks of feeling unsure and helpless, just wanting to see their dear brother heal. While they searched for an answer, the best they could do was be there for him, just as the rest of the family did.

And maybe, in some way, that was enough. They couldn’t help but notice that, by the time Casita was nearly done being built, he seemed to be doing better. He looked healthier, at least. His face was filled in, complexion less pale, over all cleaner. Even the bags under his eyes had lessened considerably, though they were still there, always there. These changes aren’t what kept the sisters up at night, however, it was the change in his behavior.

It was easier to see when he interacted with the kids. He loved telling them stories, once they had managed to convince him to do so. The oldest three girls still remembered the stories he used to tell before he left, when they were just little, and they were the ones to encourage him to tell them again. His first stories were a bit bland, told while Bruno kept his hands busy with another task, taking his mind away from his audience in an attempt to quell the anxiety. It wasn’t long, however, before he found himself getting more into the stories, speaking in different voices for each character, motioning wildly with his hands.

He came alive with each story, eyes sparkling just like they used to when the triplets were just children, with no worries in the world, happy to tell stories and play late into the night. When there was no worry about being useful or what their gifts could do for others.

One day, Antonio had brought some of his friends to his tio, begging for him to tell them a story. He shied away, at first, uncertain, but who could say no to those big brown eyes? So he told his story and, for a moment, he could forget the other people surrounding them as they worked on the house, could forget he didn’t know these children that looked up at him with eager smiles.

Pepa believed that was really the turning point for how the town itself saw her hermanito. Because as he told his story to his eager audience, he wasn’t some villain, spouting ill omens about injured cattle or dying pets. In that moment, they saw a part of who he really was, an entertainer, a storyteller, a bit of a jokester that had the children laughing often and even drawing a few chuckles out of the adults that listened.

And it was always easier to interact with others when they were kind, not vindictive and cruel.

Julieta could tell it had shocked Bruno, the first time someone had spoken a kind word to him. He stared at them with those wide, uncertain eyes, as if he expected it to be some sort of trick. Eventually, though, he realized no such trick was coming and, hesitantly, he talked with them. Others working around them joined in the conversation as well and it wasn’t long before the atmosphere had changed, everyone talking happily and laughing. And Bruno still wasn’t as loud or adamant as she knew him to really be, still spoke softly and dared not raise his voice, but he was smiling.

He was making progress and everyone could see it. It would take some time, still, before he finally returned to his true self, but there was enough progress to delight his family, especially his sisters.

And then Casita was finished and the magic returned.

The party that ensued was remarkable, perhaps the best since Encanto. Or, perhaps, that was just in the family's eyes. There was laughter and music and dancing that didn’t stop until late into the night, and more than that there was overwhelming love given from every member of the family.

It wasn’t until well after the party, well after everyone else had left and the rest of the family had gone to their new rooms, that the triplets sat in the kitchen, around the small wooden table, in silence. They all had things to ponder, thoughts occupying their minds.

“... I should … I should probably go to my room …” Bruno mumbled, drawing his sister's attention. His fingers picked at the grain of the table, staring intently at nothing, not looking at all like he wanted to go to his room. Pepa winced, remembering the stairs that had been his last room. They hadn’t always been there. When they were small, just turned five and unaware of the difficulties that awaited them, there had been no stairs. The sand had been there, the cliffs had been there, the cave had been there, and of course his actual room, hidden away. The stairs didn’t come until he had gotten older, until he had become more and more distant from not just the town but his own family. The thought twisted her heart painfully.

No one wanted to see those stairs, and not just because it was a bit of a climb.

“Would you like us to go with you?” Julieta offered. They all knew he wasn’t about to say no. So, they went to the door together.

Julieta was more concerned about what having his gift back would do for his recovery. He had been doing so well and she was worried that the return of the gift, the one thing that had ruined him, had forced him away from his family, that she knew he had blamed for all his troubles, would ruin his progress. If not that, then set him back. How would the town react? How would he handle it? Would he isolate himself again?

The silence weighed heavy on them.

It had changed location. It wasn’t around the corner in some dark nook far away from everyone else. Now it was in the middle of everyone’s doors, nestled between their mothers and Pepa’s, the wood swimming with golden magic, ready to be opened once more.

He hesitated, hands gripping each other as he struggled to gather his courage. But he had his sisters by his side, there to support him no matter what. His sisters who had missed him so terribly when he left, who had never once stopped loving him, even if he couldn’t always see it. They all did.

They put a steadying hand on each of his shoulders, each giving him an encouraging smile. He gave a small smile back, feeling the anxiety wash away under their warm, loving gazes.

They had done so much for him. Everything was different now and he knew he had them to thank for a lot of it. They had tried so hard to support him, to build him up into his best self after he had been so broken and lost.

In the end, it didn’t matter what lay behind the door. What mattered was that it was there, that he was a part of this family, and that it glowed with the magic of his family's love for him. Whatever they still had to face, they would face it together. Nothing could tear him away from his family. Not again.

He stepped forward.

#bruno madrigal #encanto #bruno encanto #madrigal #madrigals #pepa madrigal #julieta madrigal #triplet bonding #bruno recovers

94 notes · View notes

hlootooart · 2 years

Text

My Encanto Headcanons Pt. 1

Some headcanons to post while I work on my fic

Camilo

Camilo is a total sweetheart under that “lil sh*t” guise.

A total crybaby in his early years.

Growing up, he and Mirabel had a totally cutesy relationship with him being the more wholesome one, and Mirabel a bit more of a troublemaker.

Mirabel is his favorite relative but would never admit it out loud (Dolores knows though).

It took Pepa and Felix a while to convince him Mirabel was his cousin not his sister when they were little.

They were nicknamed “The Twins” growing up.

After her failed gift ceremony, he stayed in the nursery with her until she felt better.

He feels a little guilty to have a gift right before Mirabel didn’t.

Camilo’s face in the movie isn’t his birth one. (This was actually discussed with Jared Bush on Twitter in a deleted concept for the climax when everyone’s powers stopped working.)

When he saw how popular he was with his reconstructed face, he wore that for the public, and eventually around the house.

He only shows his true face to his parents and Mirabel (the people he’s closest with). But he’s also shown it to the rest of the family obviously.

His parents, especially Pepa, are concerned about this.They fear he won’t remember his original face and get stuck that way. Even they’re starting to forget...which is BAD.

When he gets in trouble with his dad, depending on what happened, he’ll try to make him laugh to get out of it. But sometimes it backfires.

He’s the most respectful to his mom. Not only because of her powers, but because he genuinely doesn’t want to see her upset.

He will gag if he sees his parents being lovey-dovey.

He frequently annoys Dolores as little brothers do, but when things are genuinely bad or uncomfortable for her, he’ll try to cheer her up.

He’ll even let her talk it out if she feels like it. Though he blanks out a bit.

He totally uses his gift for Bruno’s telenovella plots. A literal one-person show. He’ll even get Mirabel and Dolores in on it if he can.

His favorite stories involve lots of action with his drama.

He rambles when he’s nervous.

He’s terrified of clowns.

Felix

Felix was a bit slimmer than he was in the movie back then.

He fancied himself a stud (and he was) but was still a respectable dude.

He and Agustín met in their late teens/early 20s when the latter’s family first arrived. They became fast friends.

Their first encounter involved Felix helping Agustín outrun an angry donkey and it’s owner, only to run into a hive of bees. Agustín was slightly traumatized but Felix couldn’t stop laughing.

Their relationship can be summed up as “Agustín gets into trouble/hurt, Felix helps him out while laughing”.

Felix has always been laid back. He’s the sort of guy who could put out a house fire while jamming to music.

He was a bit of a practical joker back in the day. Nothing super elaborate or harmful, just enough to get a chuckle out of people.

He even managed to get Alma laugh a little bit.

He fell in love with Pepa during one of storms.

He decided to marry her after seeing her smile and hearing her laugh.

He’s a bit of a cheapskate, always wanting to get the lowest price on something. He’s a pretty good haggler as a result.

He likes to fix things himself. They end up looking weird and low-budget, but somehow still work.

Bruno

Bruno is fit as hell and always was. We’ve seen him parkour and not to mention dance surprisingly well in the movie.

My dude had plenty of experience from outrunning bullies or avoiding people in general.

When Bruno was still the golden child, he was a tiny bit more of an extrovert, just a little. He’d even dance in public on some rare occasions.

He’s also pretty durable. After all, HE BROKE THROUGH A SOLID WALL WITH ONLY A BUCKET ON HIS HEAD. AND HE WAS TOTALLY FINE.

This guy could be a threat if he seriously wanted to.

He has odd sleeping habits and crashes in the weirdest places/positions.

While he didn’t tag along per se with Felix and Agustín, they were still pretty close.

Though one of the reasons why he didn’t was because of an “incident” they dragged him into.

He still refuses to talk about it, but apparently it was the funniest thing Felix had ever been a part of and Agustín can’t apologize enough.

Every rat has a name. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

You can tell which are his favorites by how long their names are.

Only certain ones can be stars in his shows. He likes to use “cameos” and “surprise appearances” of certain ones.

Dolores’ favorite is Señora Valentina Lucretia Rosalina Menéndez.

Autographs include their pawprints with their names scribbled next to them.

Bruno does more kid-friendly shows for Antonio, but his gift makes things confusing as the rats say different things than Bruno.

He’s a legitimately good writer and storyteller. His acting not so much.

Julieta

Julieta’s healing powers work via intentions (as Jared Bush hinted at) but she also has to have a little bit of knowledge of what’s really going on. That’s why internal things tend to be tricky. Someone could have chest pains, and she may only heal a symptom of a bigger issue.

Her power can also be overridden by the patient’s. If they find they don’t want to be treated (which begs the question why they’d see her) then the gift won’t work. Her power is very much rooted in love and care, so it can’t be forced if the receiver doesn’t reciprocate.

Julieta also can’t heal what’s already lost (just like you can’t in real life). Amputated limb? Sorry buddy, that’s gone for good. But she can heal whatever damage or pain it’s causing.

She has the most patience of anyone in the family.

Julieta tends to be a workaholic due to the nature of her gift.

She denies her own well-being a lot and gets stressed out at times.

When stressed, her gift doesn’t work as well and would require more food than usual.

She blames herself at times, when her gift hits a boundary it can’t cross, or if she doesn’t reach a patient in time.

Being the oldest and most mature of the triplets had unique pressures of it’s own growing up, which only was made worse when she got her gift.

She likes to sit and have tea with Luisa on the rare times she’s not busy. She hopes it’ll relax her.

She feels a bit distant from Isabela which makes her upset.

She can relate to her a lot.

Agustín

Since Agustín’s family is from the city (Bogotá apparently) he makes references to a lot of things that the people of the Encanto probably wouldn’t understand. Like certain types of technology and famous people. Luisa in particular loves to hear about it. Isabela does too and sometimes fantasizes about leaving the Encanto to go see it.

He’s very concerned about Julieta’s well-being, especially after a long day of work. He offers to help in anyway he can to reduce her stress.

He offers her plenty of emotional support and a listening ear so she let out her pent up emotions.

He’s concerned about all his kids’ welfare, but admittedly Mirabel’s more due to her treatment of not having powers.

He loves his daughters and dotes on them excessively. He totally spoiled them when they were younger, much to Julieta’s dismay.

When Isabela was born he held on to her for like an hour straight.

He totally has embarrassing stories on all his kids.

He was a partial stay-at-home husband when Julieta was out healing in the beginning of their marriage.

Things became more balanced after Isabela was born.

He has many silly nicknames for his daughters, Isabela having the most

His favorites include: Sra. Gruñona, Muerda Mucha, Princesita, and Mi Queridísima Amorcita. She hates them to no end.

Luisa loves hers though. Her favorites are Lulu and Muñequita.

Some days he looks at Mirabel and think, "Wow, she’s my daughter.”

Other days he thinks, “Wow. She is my daughter.”

He insists he’s a handyman, but often leaves things worse than they started with.

#encanto headcanons #encanto #familia madrigal #ramblings

72 notes · View notes

avatarvyakara · 2 years

Text

More of Antonio—this time featuring Tío Bruno, Pico the Toucan, Chispe the Capybara, and Quique the Rat.

114. Tutor

(nm) tutor, guardian (person responsible for another)

“It’s good to see Antonio spending a bit more time with Bruno,” says Tía Julieta, and Mamá hums noncommittally (which based on what the donkeys say means something like reluctant and vague and cautious, words which Luisa might not have needed to look up but Antonio really, really did).

Antonio has wondered for a while what he could do with his gift outside of the little chores he has to do around the encanto. Herding donkeys with Luisa, talking to the local cotton rats to try and persuade them to leave the crops alone or at least only take from a specific portion set aside for them, starting to discuss some kind of truce with the scared young spectacled bear living up on La Esmeralda...it’s all important work, but it’s not really something that’s going to keep him very busy. Besides, if the gift fails again (please don’t ever let it fail again, Mirabel doesn’t lie but he knows that the next time Casita falls, if it falls, it would be his fault), then he wouldn’t be able to do this stuff.

Or...maybe he would.

Tío Bruno is quite patient, even with Antonio being a bit of a slow learner. They’ve already gone through Hearing, which Antonio has no problem with, but now there’s Speaking and that’s a little trickier. Antonio’s not entirely sure if he can do that—

“Of course you can!” insists Tío Bruno, and then immediately shrinks back. “But, but, but, if you don’t want to then that’s okay too, we don’t have to do that right now—”

“No, no, it’s okay! Just a little, you know, nervous,” says Antonio. “What if I say something that makes my friends upset?”

He doesn’t want to say something that hurts them.

Absolutely impossible, dear boy, says Pico, who’s tagging along with him today. The Toucan puts his head to one side and looks at him with soft eyes. It’s as your uncle said to you before—we can already Hear what’s on your mind, much as you can Hear what’s in ours. And there is nothing in your mind that would in the least stop us from loving you, if only we can Hear you. All this training would do is permit you to direct a measure of control over your thoughts, to polish them and make them say what you want them to say.

“I guess...but I’m still nervous.”

“You’re halfway there already, conejito,” says Tío Bruno encouragingly. “It normally takes months to establish enough of a link with one Animal to Hear them properly. Weeks, maybe, if you’re around them all the time, but still a long time. And your Gift means you can already do that, so, well, you’re already, y’know, halfway there.”

Chispe the Capybara, also tagging along, looks fondly at Antonio.

Eh.

And that says it all, really.

(Actually, it does, Antonio realizes. Because when Chispe says Eh, a hundred different emotions and memories explode in Antonio’s mind like lightning from a storm. Sentiments like Capability and Affection and Continuation, thoughts of living in the rainforest and then under the protection of the Madrigals, gratitude at having a new home and a new friend—new friends—and mild concern about none of the Animals having aged a day since they came back all those months ago. It’s all in there.)

“But it’s so much!”

“That’s why we start with the easy stuff,” says Tío Bruno. “One nice easy word. Like Hello! Hello’s a great place to start.”

Reminder-that-the-Sad-Man-should-mention-associating-the-Word-with-the-most-powerful-memory-first, says Quique the Rat, sitting on Tío Bruno’s shoulder.

“I was getting to that. Okay, Antonio. Now, do you want us to Say ‘hello’ first, or do you want to try it out yourself?”

Antonio concentrates.

(In a lot of ways, he’s quite like his mother—except when he needs help, he’s not afraid to ask for it.

But he doesn’t right now.)

He pictures a scene in his head—that first night, Mirabel walking him up the stairs, touching the Door, Pico landing on his arm, everyone rushing in, a new life beginning, and all those new minds, those new thoughts—

HELLO! he Shouts happily at the top of his mind.

Quique bursts into applause.

“Yes! That was perfect!” crows Tío Bruno.

Bravo, my boy, bravo! says Pico, nuzzling him happily.

Ooh.

Antonio remembers this lesson for the rest of his life.

(It doesn’t occur to him to ask, until much, much later, how his tío was able to Hear him like he could hear Quique.)

#encanto #encanto 2021 #disney’s encanto #antonio madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #bruno madrigal #bruno’s rats #chispe the capybara #pico the toucan #Antonio’s animals #fanfic #one shot collection #tiles on the roof #some connection to another story #lingering in the golden gleam #tangled the series

21 notes · View notes

lilyclawthorne · 2 years

Text

No Clouds Allowed In The Sky, Ch. 5

“Clear skies” had been her life’s motto, it was the only thing she had at times to keep the lid on her emotions, and keep the weather outside from becoming disastrous. Totally an effective solution to her problem with no foreseeable issues, right?

——————————————

5 times Pepa’s emotions were outside of her control + 1 time she can finally let them out

Ch. 4 Ao3 Link

Word Count: 2157

A/N: I’ve only read this over once so sorry if there’s any mistakes, or if anything flows awkwardly. I wanted to get this out already now that I finished writing it. I’m also not too sure how I feel about it? I kinda think Pepa feels less involved in this chapter somehow? It still discusses an incident and how it impacted her and her weather, but I think I wanted her to feel to feel just slightly less present in the whole chapter as a reflection of her own emotions by the end of it.

5. Age 40

Casita was quiet. It was a stark contrast to the noise and celebration that had been occurring only a night prior. The silence accompanied a feeling of dread, which served as a reminder, almost mockingly so, of how quickly everything can fall apart. The night before, everyone had been so happy. It was supposed to have been a good night. It should have been.

But what started as a celebration of the youngest Madrigal child receiving her gift, an event that should’ve lasted long into the night, came to an early end as everything went disastrously wrong. The whole town watching as Mirabel slowly broke into tears and was rushed back to the nursery by Julieta, while Agustín did his best to placate their other two daughters, who were no doubt concerned and full of questions about why their little sister’s ceremony didn’t work. Julieta was determined not to leave her daughter’s side, not at least until the girl was calm enough to fall asleep, and if that meant sleeping by her side all night, then so be it.

She hadn’t left until early the next morning, when she woke to a seemingly muffled cry and the distinctive sound of thunder, and then the sound of gentle knocking on the nursery door. Julieta had been concerned at the noise, but frankly hadn’t been in any mood to leave her daughter.

“ Pepa, what could be so import- “ Julieta began in a hushed whisper before stopping as she noticed the horrified look on her sister’s face, slightly amazed that the cloud above Pepa’s head didn’t match the severity of the emotions her face was conveying. She wondered if that was intentional, meant to keep Mirabel from waking up. After checking in on the girl, sure that she was still tired enough to stay asleep for a little while longer, Julieta stepped outside of the nursery, “What’s wrong?”

“I-it’s,” Pepa took a deep breath, “It’s Bruno’s door.”

Julieta gave her sister a confused but concerned look. Before she could question further, she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled over towards their brother’s tower. She had to stop herself from letting out a loud gasp as she took in the sight before her. Both sisters held on to each other as they stared up at the door which was no longer glowing as it had been before they all went to sleep.

“P-pepa, what does that mean?”

“Why would I know?!”

“Should we get Mamá?” The look Pepa gave her was enough to answer her question, “Should we go inside? Maybe he’s in there?”

Pepa hesitated, but eventually nodded her head once she heard the familiar sound of Casita's tiles, as though they were encouraging them. After Julieta quickly chose to wake up Agustín and ask him to stay by Mirabel, the two women made their way up the stairs, not letting go of one another as they pushed the door open. Finding no immediate presence of Bruno, they continued on further, knowing it was likely they’d have to make it all the way to the top of the cliff, either to ease their fears or confirm their worst suspicions.

There had been a time when they were kids, Pepa could easily create a small tornado that could bring them all the way to the top, but somewhere over the years she would no longer dare to do such a thing. So they started their trek upwards, pushing forward despite how much they could feel their age had caught up with them. When one got tired the other pulled the other along to make sure they could keep going, just hopeful they could get up and back in time before others began to wake up and notice the door as well.

As they finally made their way up the last few steps, they were met with another shocking sight. Instead of walking towards their brother’s vision cave, they could see the bridge that would lead them there was no longer intact. The sisters shared another look of concern, and then downwards off the edge.

“You don’t think?” Pepa asked, leaving it open-ended. She didn’t want to consider out loud the possibility of Bruno plummeting off the side of his cliff.

“ No . No, I think we would’ve noticed something down there. He’s clearly not here,” Julieta told her, unsure whether she was trying more to convince herself or her sister that he was still okay.

After accepting the fact that if he were around, it wouldn’t be here, the two made their way back down the stairs. They tried to quietly leave the room and return to the house, but were met by the sight of their own mother arguing with Agustín. It was clear she had noticed the door, and it sounded like he was keeping her from going up there herself.

At the sight of her daughters, she quickly turned her attention to them, loudly whispering, “What is going on?!”

They hesitated, and then like usual, Julieta spoke, “We don’t know Mamá. He’s not in there.”

“Well, whatever it is he’s done, we can’t let it stop us from going about our day. He’s bound to turn up at some point,” she told the two of them, but didn’t sound so sure. Pepa and Julieta shared a look that suggested they weren’t so sure either, but ultimately knew better than to question their mother.

Except they should have.

The day passed by and there was no sight of Bruno. The next morning came around and he wasn’t at breakfast. A drizzle had begun that gave way to a bout of rain that had an end seemingly nowhere in sight. The children began to catch on and started to ask, but each mention of their tío’s name sent another wave of fear and discomfort into the sisters. Each mention seemed to make their Abuela angrier as well. No one knew what to say or to do when little Mirabel asked if it had to do with her and her ceremony, as she was practically in tears at the possibility. She spent almost the whole afternoon by her mother’s side, Julieta attempting to occupy her mind by giving her tasks to help with in the kitchen instead.

After dinner, and once the kids were all put to bed, or at least left in their bedrooms, Alma requested to speak to her daughters again. They looked at their Mamá, hopeful she would have good news, but their faces fell when they heard what she had to stay instead.

“The night of Mirabel’s ceremony, I asked your hermano to look and see what it meant for our future. No one has seen him since,” she began. “Clearly, whatever he saw, he has decided it is more important to leave for himself instead of sharing it with the family so we can handle it together.”

Pepa thundered at that, “Mamá! How could you say such a thing?! We don’t even know-“ She was silenced as the woman held a hand up. Pepa didn’t want to express her annoyance, but the sound of more thunder betrayed her.

“We have never seen a door go dark, but I believe it’s safe to assume he has no intentions of coming back-“

Before she could continue, all three could hear a small gasp nearby. A flash of white and blue seen by the doorway told Julieta it was one of her own daughters, and she left to investigate once her mother told her that she had better handle that. Stepping outside of the room, she could see her daughter halfway up the staircase.

“Luisa.”

The girl froze, realizing she had been caught eavesdropping.

“I’m sorry Mami! I didn’t hear anything, I-I just wanted to get some water and heard talking…” she trailed off after trying to defend herself.

Julieta cocked an eyebrow, “So where’s that water then?”

Luisa’s face grew even guiltier at her mother’s words. The girl never did anything wrong, and the mere thought of getting in trouble brought tears into her eyes. Julieta rushed forward and picked the girl upwards.

“Oh, don’t cry, mi fuerza. Está bien. I know you’re worried, but just let us adults handle it okay? No need to mention it to anyone. Why don’t I bring you back to bed?”

Luisa nodded, and calmed down as her own mother carried her back to her room, tucking her into bed and giving her a kiss on the forehead. Julieta left, closing the door quietly. She expected to head back downstairs, but was instead met with the sight of her sister storming off towards her own bedroom with tears rolling down her face. Julieta watched as her own mother rolled her eyes at Pepa’s reaction and the rain that began to grow harder. Instead of speaking with her Mamá, she opted to go after her sister. Cleaning up after disaster was more her forte anyways.

“Pepa,” she knocked at the door, “May I please come in?”

For a minute, all she could hear was the sounds of her sister’s sobs, until finally the door opened and Julieta was met with the sight of a very concerned Félix.

“Would you mind giving us a moment?” she asked.

He hesitated, looking back at his wife sitting on their bed. He was met with wide teary eyes, and a small nod of the woman’s head. He relented, a small part of him understanding that it would not just be a moment. As the door shut, Julieta quickly rushed to her sister’s side, and Pepa practically collapsed into her arms, crying into the woman’s dress. It was not an unfamiliar position for either sister; Julieta could remember a countless number of times when she sat in this very same room holding onto Pepa just like this.

“Why?? Why would he leave us?” She cried.

“We don’t know for sure if he did,” Julieta tried to reassure.

“What if it’s my fault??”

The question made Julieta look at her sister incredulously, “That’s ridiculous, why on Earth would you think that??”

Pepa hesitated, she didn’t want to seem like a bad sister, “I yelled at him the other day. He scared Camilo in the middle of the night and I got angry with him, just like I always do!! And I was still mad when he left!!”

“I’m sure he knows you didn’t mean anything by-“

“I never mean anything by it!! I just, I can’t be mad ever, so then when I am mad, I get SO mad. And he’s just so easy to get mad at for the dumbest of things!!”

“Yeah, a hermanito can make an easy target. But he knows that you and your explosive temper never mean anything by it. Every time you get mad at it you show up at his room crying a few days later asking to be forgiven.”

“But he left! He left before I could! What if he really thinks that this is the time I truly hate him!! He’ll never know how much I love him!!”

“Pepa, I’m gonna need you to look at me okay? Can you do that? Can you see me?” Pepa looked up at Julieta, vision blurry from crying but still managing to stare her in the eyes,”Great. I’m going to need you to take a deep breath with me okay? Just breathe with me.”

Julieta always knew when her sister was spiraling, knew when they needed to stop so they could take a moment and prevent a full blown panic attack. Pepa nodded her head and listened to her, spending the next few minutes in silence as they two just took deep breaths together. Her breathing slowed, but the tears still flowed from Pepa’s eyes as her sister began to speak again.

“All we can know is that he’s not here right now. We don’t know why and it does us no good to speculate, but it likely has more to do with what Mamá asked him to see, not anything you may have said or done, okay? Just remember that.”

Her sister nodded again, slight sobs still leaving her mouth, but eyes drooping as well as the emotional toll of the day began to catch up to her. Julieta noticed, and shifted their focus to that instead, “Why don’t you try and get more comfortable so you can fall asleep okay?”

Pepa kicked off her shoes, letting them fall wherever on the bedroom floor, and took out her earrings. Julieta herself got to work on undoing her sister's braid and hair band, humming a familiar song softly as she ran her fingers through the other woman’s hair calmly and soothingly. Julieta took a moment to kick off her own shoes and pull the apron she was still wearing off so she could sit comfortably on the bed as well.

Her soft hums gave way to gentle singing, as Pepa finally recognized it as a lullaby her sister would sing to both her and Bruno when they were little and had nightmares. It brought even more tears to her eyes, but combined with the comforting presence of her sister it had her falling asleep in no time. And Julieta doesn’t mean to, she wants to check on her daughter again before the night ends, but her exhaustion catches up with her as well, the sounds of her sister’s rain on Casita’s roof is soothing, and she falls asleep next to her sister like they did when they were little.

Julieta wakes up early the next morning, cursing herself for falling asleep at all. She carefully pulls away from Pepa, slowly so as to not wake her up before heading outside of the room. Despite the rain that continued to pour outside, her sister seems to have slept through the night unbothered, and she’s at least grateful for that. She quietly walks over to the nursery to check on Mirabel, and finds that Félix seemed to have made use of the bed that his son had once occupied only months prior. When she wakes him up to ask him to swap places with her, she learns he took over comforting Mirabel last night so Agustín could also get some sleep, and she thanks him, freeing him from the task so that he could go take care of his wife instead.

The woman knows it’s the early morning, and she knows right about now she would usually be getting up to start breakfast for the family, but she can’t bring herself to leave her daughter. Especially not when the girl seems to scoot closer to her in her sleep the second she gently sits herself down on the edge of the bed.

The girl’s eyes flutter open a bit as she sees Julieta, and sleepily mumbles,“Mamá? I had a bad dream…”

“Shh, it’s okay mi vida, I’m here with you,” Julieta pulls herself together internally so that she could comfort her daughter, laying down fully so the girl could rest in her arms and fall back asleep.

It’s only an hour later when she is woken up by her own mother, who is clearly unhappy. Tells her she needs to speak with her, now . Julieta tells her she’s not leaving Mirabel alone, but Agustín was not far behind and was told to take over by his mother-in-law. The elder woman leads her own daughter back to Pepa’s room. Clearly she needed to talk with both of them again, but was unwilling to bring the other sister anywhere else with her rain cloud.

Pepa’s sitting on the edge of her own bed, fear in her eyes, and when their Mamá sternly tells Julieta to sit next to her sister, she understands that fear as she’s immediately transported back thirty-five years into the past when the woman would bring them up to her own room, sit them down on her own bed, and scold them whenever they were in trouble. It was uncomfortable to say the least. She feels her sister brush her hand against hers, clearly looking for some type of comfort, and she doesn’t hesitate to grab on as their mother begins.

“I know you’re both upset, we’re all upset by the events of the past few days, but it is not an excuse to neglect your responsibilities! Pepa, the crops are already starting to flood, and Julieta, you’ve fallen so far behind on your schedule today. God forbid someone gets seriously injured and you’re not prepared for it!”

Julieta, always the first to try and protect her siblings, spoke first, “Mamá, a lot has happened, you can’t expect any of us to have processed everything so fast.”

“Maybe so, but I don’t expect you all to fall apart so easily either.”

Pepa’s own cloud had been steadily growing the whole time, easily letting the other two know of her true feelings despite not having spoken a word. A flash of lighting cracked at her mother’s words, “W-we’re not falling apart. We lost our hermano. We have a right to be sad.”

“Please, Pepa, not falling apart? Just look at the size of your cloud,” And the cloud in question only got bigger at her comment, “Clearly he didn’t care enough about this family, and if this is the way talking about Bruno will make the two of you act, it’s better off we don’t talk about it at all.”

“But, Mamá that’s not tr-

“ Julieta! Do not argue,” the woman’s sharp voice cut her off, shutting her up instantly, “We should’ve seen this long ago, I mean he even ruined Pepa’s wedding all those years ago. We should have known. We are done talking about this, understood?”

Pepa opened her mouth to speak, to argue, to say anything, especially about the wedding comment. Both of the sisters were adults, they had their own voices that they knew they should be able to use, but neither one could gather the courage to say anything.

“I said, are we understood?”

Julieta didn’t acknowledge it, didn’t look at her mother, but rather at her sister beside her. Pepa’s eyes were shut, taking deep breaths in and out, and there was no doubt in Julieta’s mind that the only thought in her sister’s head was “clear skies” on repeat. She squeezed her hand to help ground the woman, her rain slowed down, and only moments later she opened her eyes and simply nodded her head in agreement.

Their mother seemed pleased at that, clearly eased by the fact that the more argumentative of her daughter’s had agreed with her, and left the sisters on her own. When Julieta turned to speak to Pepa, she met her eyes and saw a deep sadness, a numbness that disturbed her, and before anything could be said, the younger of the two told her she didn’t want to talk about it. They weren’t supposed to anyways.

And Pepa had decided she could do that. She had already become so used to pushing her feelings down for their Mamá, used to pretending she felt something she did not, so what was one more thing to shove down. Besides, if she could ignore it, she could numb it, maybe even change her feelings towards it one day. But for now if she didn’t have to hear it, didn’t have to feel it, then perhaps she could get her weather in control again too.

Julieta stood up, decided not to push at the moment, and took one last concerned glance at her sister before leaving the room. She took one look up at the sky outside. The rain was nothing more than a light mist. There were clouds up above, but none that thundered, just sitting there blocking the sun from breaking through. It was bleak, dreary, unexpressive, unlike her sister, and would stay that way for quite some time

#encanto #encanto fic #encanto fanfic #pepa madrigal #julieta madrigal #alma madrigal

20 notes · View notes

queenoffeelz · 2 years

Text

So I watched Encanto and I have a lot to say about it. So uh....review under the cut? There will be spoilers so if you haven't watched it, plz keep that in mind.

First off, it's not a bad movie. But I don't believe it's an incredibly great movie either. Disney didn't really seem to pull out all the stops like they did with Frozen and Frozen 2. And yes, I know it's not supposed to be those movies....but the quality just isn't the same. This was the first Disney movie in years that I...was bored during. I couldn't stay interested....and that's a problem. It was a very plain story and plot; there just wasn't enough to keep the momentum it grabbed at the beginning. And that shouldn't have been the case, since it was a family full of magical powers and a journey to save those powers.

It's not a bad movie, I'll say again. But to me it just didn't feel Disney Quality.

Secondly...I found that...the majority of the characters, while cute and quirky....weren't very memorable. I don't remember much about Lisa or Pepe (I think i got her name right). The mother of Mirabelle is just....plain forgetable in general. I remember Mirabelle, and Bruno....and that's about it (and Doloris or however you spell her name, I liked her). In fact, the fandom of the movie has given me more to work on with the characters than the source material....and that's just sad.

That leads me to my biggest concern about the movie, in which I really honestly think it sends the wrong message. As I watched this movie, I felt something was very wrong....and I finally realized what it was after watching a few videos. Its that the whole family is toxic. It's a hugely toxic family, and I get that was one of the main issues with the how the story was supposed to resolve itself. Abuela realizes her mistake thanks to Mirabelle and they all move forward....but that doesn't get rid of generations of mental abuse....and that's painfully obvious with how Bruno reacts and interacts with the family. This whole thing sends the message that you can treat your family like dirt, force your ideals on them, and then just say sorry and move on like nothing ever happened.....and it doesn't work that way.

BY THE WAY HEY LETS TALK ABOUT BRUNO--

Okay jokes aside, Bruno is by far one of the most memorable characters of the movie, and he has such little screen time. (more than the rest of the family but still very little). I don't like how they portrayed Bruno. It was Disney's attempt at making an autistic character without making an autistic character. Normally this wouldn't have been an issue, except how it's executed. If we look into the lyrics of "We Don't Talk About Bruno", it's implied that he is very high functioning autistic, as he's described by Doloris as being super awkward, stumbling around, muttering to himself, etc. However, because of this, he's shunned by the family, they likely yelled at him a lot, or told him that he was horrible for his prophecies because he couldn't accurately discuss them due to his autism (or the visions likely didn't give him much to work with to begin with and he couldn't articulate that). To children, this would solidify the idea that if you're strange or different....even in a family of those who are different to begin with, then you're wrong or bad.

Sure, he's redeemed at the end....but it doesn't change the fact of what happened to him. He was forced to hide himself away because, as he put it, he "wasn't helping the family." And that isolation likely worsened his condition.

But speaking about Autism in Encanto....I fully headcanon that the entire family has some form of it, or some sort of mental disability/condition. Some more obvious than others. Bruno has Autism, So does Doloris. Camillo and uh.....FlowerPower girl likely have Narcissistic Personality Disorder....though FlowerPower girl it's likely forced upon her by Aubela. Pepe has ADHD or Bipolar Disorder definitely....and while there's very little known about Antonio and Mirabelle's mother, they probably have something as well. Disney did a very good job of showing off the ticks and drawbacks of these disorders but it wasn't in the light that it needed to be in. These characters really honestly shouldn't be DEFINED by these issues and conditions....and be more memorable for what they do and how they overcome them.....but I can only really remember them for their flaws. (except for Doloris, i absolutely love her verbal tick that comes with using her power, it's adorable and she's portrayed as one of the more stable characters despite her not being able to keep a secret.) These characters are defined by their flaws instead of their strengths....Pepe is defined by her inability to keep her emotions in check and stay calm, Flowerpower girl is defined by her narcissistic outlook on her life that's forced upon her, Bruno is defined by his inability to communicate his visions, etc etc....This isn't what we need to be teaching children.

That being said....I think this is Disney's first real attempt at portraying actual mental illness. Did they do a good job? Not really....but they didn't do a TERRIBLE job. It could have been a lot worse. It could have also been a lot better. I feel that Disney did a terrible injustice to otherwise really great characters by sticking them in a lackluster plot line.

Last note: I absolutely love Casita. I want a sentient house. Give me a sentient house that will help me out and respond to what I say. And play magical musical tiles.

#Encanto spoilers #Encanto review #Personal review #Encanto

3 notes · View notes