#trans camilo madrigal | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

achitka · 3 months

Text

Doors (Chapter 47) Meanwhile

Hello.

So as the title of this chapter says... meanwhile...

Just needed to catch up with a few folks I've lost track of... Anyway, Alma is tired. Bruno is just being Bruno. Mira just can't seem to shut out her intrusive thoughts. Bubo's Tío is not at all sure he's making the right decision and Isabela is a bit miffed, being the oldest is such a pain sometimes.

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

Meanwhile...

Alma was now sitting by herself as Rodrigo was speaking with José a few meters away. Julieta’s handling of the newcomers had been just about flawless. When she told her about Doris’s reaction to being unknowingly magically healed, Alma agreed with her daughter’s assessment that the Doctor should be there. Spending the entire day in the plaza handing out pieces of herself was something Alma never appreciated how wearing it was for her daughter. Though she doubted Julieta would ever deny anyone healing, it was a good thing that she was learning to better assess whether people truly needed her magical help.

Casita clattered some floor tiles near Julieta, and Alma looked toward her daughter. The house just said that Tuli had fainted and could she please come to Luisa’s room. Her daughter looked up toward the balcony as she put the photos she was holding back on the table, and she and Agustín headed toward the stairs. Tuli, Alma noted, had been very withdrawn during dinner. Hardly eating and barely taking her eyes off her Tío. Pepa was gone and Bruno had finished looking at the pictures and was now back in the chair he vacated earlier.

Bruno pulled his chair closer as he watched his sister leave and asked her quietly, “Something happen?”

Alma leaned closer and said, “Tuli has fainted, and Juli is going to check on her.”

Bruno nodded and said, “Then she’s in good hands. Ummm, Mamá there’s a photo over there… ”

Alma thought she knew which one he was talking about and asked gently, “The one of the little boy?”

Bruno nodded and Alma said, “It is a picture of my hermanito. He unfortunately passed during an outbreak of cholera when he was almost two. He was the only boy, and my mother wanted at least one picture of him.”

Bruno sat back for a moment then nodded. Alma realized she’d never shared with her children why they were named the way they were. Because they had been forced to flee the night they were born, Alma had relied on the conversations she and Pedro had had before they were born to decide what she would call them. She noticed Bruno was pulling at the sleeve of his ruana. He obviously hadn’t quite gotten over his overuse of his Gift earlier in the day. He looked over at Rodrigo and José and asked, “So, did they say how long they will be in town?”

“Rodrigo said he plans to stay for several weeks. He wants to interview people about what he called the thousand-day war. I am not sure about José, though. Probably a few weeks at best.”

“You think he’ll let Tuli stay here. I don’t think she’d do well any place else.”

“I agree, however, he is her guardian, so we have to respect his decision.”

“I know, I’m just worried she’ll try something desperate.”

Alma nodded and looked past him when Agustín returned. He went over and spoke briefly with José. Rodrigo said something and took the photos José was holding, and left with Agustín in the direction of the stairs. Camilo’s door opened and he and Mirabel came out of his room. Alma got up as Pepa returned and Rodrigo came over as well. He handed the photos to Pepa, thanked them for dinner, then asked them to let José know he would wait for news about Tuli back at the camp. Rodrigo’s non-reaction to this made Alma think this was something that had happened more than once in the past. She noticed Luisa came out of her room at a normal speed, so was probably headed for the kitchen to fetch something for Julieta. Alma headed for the stairs and Pepa caught up after putting away the other photos and grabbing the box. Bruno had already gone somewhere else, that made Alma think that he was trying to ward off a vision, or maybe he just went to the kitchen.

Reaching the top, Alma felt exhausted and gripped the wall for support.

Pepa was now right next to her and asked, “You alright, Mamá? You look a little pale.”

Alma nodded, paused and then shook her head. “I am feeling a bit tired, Pepita.”

Since her illness, Alma was learning she needed to take the Doctor’s warnings about her health very seriously. She took the arm that her daughter offered, and after a moment, they headed toward Luisa’s room. Mirabel and Camilo were lingering there, so Pepa shooed them further down the hall as Luisa returned with a basin and some towels. She came out and joined them as the front door opened. Isa and Bubo came in and headed directly toward the back stairs. Luisa met them and had Bubo go into her room, then once Isabela joined them, they all went to Mirabel’s room to wait for Julieta. Some tiles shifted nearby, and Mirabel said, “The Doctor’s here.”

Dolores appeared in Mira’s room shortly after that, and went to the window where Isabela was standing. Alma hoped her nieta’s date went well, since she’d been so looking forward to it. Bubo Márquez was probably the furthest sort of person Alma would have thought Isa would be interested in, but Alma had to admit, she liked the young man. Isa leaned into Dolores and asked her prima a question, and Dolores replied something very softly. When Isa asked her another question, Dolores nodded, and Isa frowned before giving her prima’s arm a squeeze, then turned and plopped onto the sofa nearby. Dolores remained at the window and sat on the bench watching something outside. Probably Mariano. Alma had concluded that Dolores knew that neither Mariano nor Isabela had wanted the relationship she’d pushed them into, but was unable to say anything. The signs had been there, but Alma had been blind to the obvious for too long.

Luisa picked up a book off a shelf and draped herself over the arms of the overstuffed chair and started reading. Pepa left with Camilo to get the tray in his room and make a snack for Tuli. Pepa mentioned that she’d noticed Tuli had hardly touched her food and thought that could be a part of what had caused Tuli to faint. Mirabel was lingering near the door and Alma indicated she should come with her toward her room, and Mira reluctantly followed.

“This will only take a moment,” Alma said, “I just wanted to let you know that you are doing a wonderful job of looking after Tuli. I can see it was the right decision to put her in your care.” Mirabel’s worried expression faded, and she smiled. Alma gave Mirabel a hug as she added, “I’m going to bed now. I’m sure Tuli is alright, your Tía mentioned she thought Tuli was not eating enough, so she went to make her a snack. Did studying with Camilo go well?”

“Oh yeah, we got through all of it. So, he should do well for his testing tomorrow.”

“That is good news. Good night, Mirabel.”

“Good night, Abuela. So, you want the door shut?”

Alma nodded, so Mirabel left and closed the door behind her. Alma sat on her bed. She’d already decided whatever it was that was bothering her nieta was tied to the breaking, so when Valentina commented on that as she was measuring her for the new clothes, Alma paid attention. She told Alma about how Mira was blindly stacking cookies in her kitchen and was so focused on that task that she was oblivious to everything around her. Valentina was of the mind that after living with their nieta for almost a year, she did not think Mira had come to terms with Casita dying the way that it did. It wasn’t guilt that it had happened, though that was a small part of it, but more the guilt that she’d so ‘easily’ set aside that sorrow to help her family. Fear that it could happen again if she wasn’t hyper-vigilant. This was what was making Mirabel anxious and Casita somewhat unpredictable. Julieta had mentioned that Mira’s sleepwalking was always tied to her anxiety, and Alma could see that anxiety was very tied to herself. Her relationship with Julieta’s youngest child, since the breaking, she thought had been improving. But appearances could be deceiving, and Mirabel seemed reluctant to tell anyone what was bothering her.

Alma realized that Mira was dealing with her loss in a way not unlike what she had done. She’d pushed Pedro’s loss so far down that there was barely enough of her old self left to raise her three babies. She understood how hard it could be to control those parts of yourself. She’d only just gotten settled into her own routines when her children were given their Gifts. This, once again, threw her world into chaos. Alma realized she should have been more willing to ask for help dealing with that new reality, but instead she doubled down. Wanting, no needing, to control everything to keep her babies from harm. Valentina also told Alma in no uncertain terms that she needed to give Mira time and maybe help her find a way to grieve for the loss of her best friend. She was concerned for Mirabel and admonished Alma to not overwhelm the girl with petty day-to-day things.

Alma changed into her bed clothes and Casita turned down the lights as she sat with a blanket in the rocking chair near the window. She was still tired but knew she would not be able to sleep yet, so she looked out over the town as she rubbed the locket she was holding. She did not open it, doing so would only lead to that remembered sadness. Alma paused and thought, perhaps this was what people had been trying to tell her… she looked down at her hands and popped open the latch. Valentina was a very perceptive woman and also added that Alma, too, needed to deal with her own loss if she was going to be able to help Mirabel with hers. She stared at Pedro’s beautiful face and said, “Tomorrow, I will take our children through that yellow door and share the joy you gave me on that day.” In her mind, she saw her husband smile, and this made Alma smile too.

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

Mirabel closed her Abuela’s door and quickly went back to her own to see if anything was happening outside of Luisa’s room. She did not want to impose on Dolores just because she was curious. She was still getting used to being ‘in charge’ of anything and knew her prima would tell her if she’d heard something she really needed to know. Isa looked worried as she stared out the window. When they were washing dishes, her sister had said that she and Tuli had a good talk while they were working in the fields. Tuli, it seemed, wanted to learn French because she planned to go to France one day to learn ballet. Isa had offered to teach her what she knew since she learned some French from Abuela when she was younger. Mirabel had learned what Isa knew by lurking in the background during her lessons. Sometimes being invisible had its little perks.

Casita shuffled a tile nearby and Mirabel stepped further back into her room and then heard Luisa’s door open. The Doctor, her mother and Tuli’s Tío came into the hall. The door closed, so Bubo must still be in there. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but what no one knew, except possibly Dolores, was that when Mirabel put a hand on any flat surface, Casita could and would talk to her. It was really just a series of thumps, and Mira always had to really concentrate to understand any of it. Tuli’s Tío, aside from looking mildly irritated, was listening closely to what the Doctor was telling him.

While Casita relayed what was being said, Mirabel knew this was totally eavesdropping, but she just had to know. When she’d given Tuli the Rosary earlier, she felt that disturbing wave of hopelessness she’d noticed before. Tuli needed something and Mirabel was very worried about her honorary hermanita. She needed to think of a way to help her, but she didn’t have a clue as to how she should go about that. She looked over at Luisa, who was watching her from over her book. Mirabel smiled, and her sister cocked an eyebrow at her. Luisa noticed so much more than anyone gave her credit for. She was a lot like their Mamá in that way.

The conversation in the hall had ended, and Dolores moved away from the window and pulled at Luisa’s sleeve. Her sister got up and followed their prima into the hall. As they passed her, Luisa gave her a look that told Mira she knew she was up to something. Mirabel watched them and saw her mother waving to her, so Mira came out of her room to join her sister. Dolores was headed back toward her room and smiled at Mira as she passed her. Mirabel reached her mother and sister and her Mamá said, “Mira, Tuli will be spending tonight in Luisa’s room, so can you head up to the tower and find a nightgown and some clothes for tomorrow?”

Mira nodded and started for the tower stairs. As she neared the top, she realized a light was already on and thought, that's weird. She came into the room to find her Tío Bruno perched atop a mess of once neatly folded clothes, holding a small bundle. He had his eyes closed but did not have his hood up, so probably not a sponty, but she was curious as to what he was doing there. Mirabel couldn’t see everything he had, but it all appeared to be folded neatly. Her Tío had been acting a bit odd since before supper, but maybe he would explain, so she asked tentatively, “Tío?”

Bruno’s eyes popped open, and he said, “Mira! Just the sobrina I was hoping to run into!” His tone sounded unusually restless.

“Okay… ”

He waved for her to come closer, so Mirabel did, and she asked, “You okay Tío?”

“Never better,” he said as if he were not sitting atop a table with clothing piled up beneath him. The silence stretched and Mira said, “Tío, I’m supposed to… ” she pointed to the clothes her uncle was sitting on, and he responded, “I know,” and held out the bundle.

Mirabel took it and asked, “What’s this?”

“Clothes… nightgown… Antonio picked them out,” his said earnestly.

Well, that was why she’d come up there, still… “Isn’t Antonio in bed?” Mirabel asked.

“Yes.”

He said nothing else, and it was still not an answer. Mirabel noticed his hands were twitching a bit as he pulled at the cuffs of his new ruana. He’d already pulled a few threads loose, and Mira resisted the urge to find a pair of scissors.

“Thanks, Tío,” Mirabel said as she started to turn but stopped and looked at him again and asked, “You're sure you’re doing okay?”

He didn’t move for a moment, just stared through her, then abruptly nodded. Mirabel tilted her head and was met with silence, so she headed toward the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she pulled up short to keep from running into her Papá who was carrying a somewhat large box.

“I see your mother has you running errands too, Corazón," he said as she fell into step with him.

Mirabel nodded and said, “Just went to get Tuli some clothes for tomorrow.” Mirabel was somewhat concerned for her Tío and said, "Ummm Pá … Tío Bruno was… ummm… you know, never mind.”

Her Father nodded, but it was clear he was curious. They reached Luisa’s room and Mira knocked, and waited until Casita opened the door for them. Her father looked around, and her mother shrugged at his unspoken question. He set the box inside the door, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Mira noticed then that only her mother, Tuli and Luisa were here, and Mira wondered where Isa, Bubo and his Tío went. She put down her bundle and leaned back into the door with her hands behind her. Casita started telling her something that caused Mirabel to involuntarily let out a bark of laughter. Everyone was now looking at her, so Mira quickly scrunched her hands in front of herself and smiled weakly. Luisa was again looking at her with suspicion, her mother just rolled her eyes, while Tuli just looked confused.

Her mother waved her over, and Mira retrieved the bundle as she stepped away from the door. Tuli got off the bed and Mira handed Tuli the package and said, “There’s a nightgown and some fresh clothes for tomorrow. Luisa usually gets up pretty early, so heads up for that.”

Her mother gave her a look and Mirabel resisted the urge to run into the hall, but her mother then turned to Tuli and said, “Get some rest, and we’ll see how you're feeling in the morning. The school will be reopening tomorrow and since you’ll be staying for a while, Mira will be going with you to get you registered.”

“Will Antonio be going?”

“Yes, but he is in a lower grade.”

“Oh,” Tuli replied and nodded.

“Get some sleep, you’ve had an exciting day, and tomorrow will be too,” her mother said, and to Luisa her mother added, “There are some extra pillows and blankets in the box.”

Luisa nodded and said, “Thanks, Mamá.”

Her mother nodded as she handed Luisa a small bottle, giving her instructions on how it should be used. She said goodnight, then gave them both a hug saying, “Buenas noches, dulces sueños, hijas.”

Tuli was clutching her stuffed rat and had a curious smile, as if she was remembering something pleasant. Mirabel started when her mother tugged at her shirt, and Mira left with her. She looked over the rail and saw Isa sitting in the courtyard with their father. He had his arms crossed and Isa was mirroring his position in the chair across from him. Her mother looked down at the pair and sighed. She turned to Mira, saying, “I think it’s time you headed for bed as well, Mira. We’ll discuss what’s needed to get Tuli registered tomorrow.” Mirabel reluctantly looked away and back at her mother, who added, “I am also going to ask you to not listen in on private conversations, Mira, however tempting it may be.”

Mirabel shrunk in on herself a little and nodded in reply. How did she know that? Mira thought. Her mother noticed her chagrin as she took Mira’s face in her hands and said after she kissed the top of her head, “I know you don’t mean any harm, Corazón. Good night, Mira. Dulces sueños.”

“Good night, Mamá,” Mirabel replied, then headed to her room. She’d been found out already. Though she wondered how her mother knew, she figured it was probably something the prior Casita was capable of. Which made her wonder if perhaps her mother had used that as well. She did tend to turn up at the most random times… usually when Mirabel and Camilo were planning something prankish. Well, she supposed, it really was just eavesdropping and being nosey would surely lead to trouble. Mirabel changed into her nightgown and pulled on her robe. Casita turned down the lights as she sat on the window seat and looked out at the town. For so many years, she’d been an outsider in her own community. Now she was smack in the middle of everything.

There was always the underlying feeling she just shouldn’t be in charge of anything. Mirabel really had forgiven her abuela for a lot of what happened after discovering the underlying cause of it all, and she just couldn’t find it within herself to hold a grudge. She was genuinely happy to see her family back together, with actual hope for their futures.

She pulled her robe tighter when an errant breeze blew in. She felt unusually calm, so decided it was probably for the best that Camilo had managed to get her to admit she was still having problems with the breaking. He let her ramble and blubber for a little bit, then had her laughing about the ways Casita would often aide and abet them with their shenanigans. She thought about what she wanted to do tomorrow. Breakfast, then getting Tuli ready to start school, go to her abuelos shop and help with the sewing, go see the twins, and thank them for their work on the costumes… there was something else she was forgetting. She concentrated on that, but it was not coming back to her, so she let her thoughts wander as she watched the lights in town going out one by one.

Mirabel’s eyes drifted up… she could just see the edge of the tower from here, and she thought about the doors up there. It was for certain that they were all tied to her abuela, none had existed prior to her going up there that first day. Maybe they were remnants of the first Casita and Mira thought, it would be wonderful if they were. A lot of the materials used to build this house came from the old, though, her Casita still insisted they did not know where they originated. When she thought about it, that made sense, since there were lots of things about her own mother she didn’t know, nor had she bothered to ask.

She watched some fireflies as they flitted in and out of sight. Mira decided she was going to need to figure out exactly how she and Tuli were related. She was curious what her Abuela’s sister was like. Bubo’s Tío called Rodrigo primo, but she was not sure if that was by marriage or what. She was going to need to talk to Bubo, or maybe she could get Isa to ask. She was also curious as to how Antonio had picked out Tuli’s clothes. She was pretty sure Antonio had been in bed the entire time Tuli had been with Luisa.

She smiled as she thought of Antonio’s enthusiasm to learn how to speak to the bugs of the Encanto. Bubo had shown him and Tuli the best way to catch them, and Antonio was a little disappointed he wasn’t able to understand them. He still wanted to talk to them but said it was just too hard. Mira wasn’t sure if that was because he hadn’t figured it out or if it was because he would need to practice… a lot. He commented that Tuli was a bit of a scaredy-cat but was getting braver all the time. That said a lot coming from her primo. He was quiet but tended to be a bit blunt.

“Casita?” The tiles near the window shuffled and Mira asked, “Do you think Tuli’s going to be okay? I’m really worried about her. Sometimes... I can feel a hopelessness, and I know her Tío said she can stay… I just hope nothing happens that would change his mind.” The house tiles moved again, and Mira sighed and added, “No, it wouldn’t be right, so please don’t do that.” More tiles moved and Mira said a little more forcefully, “Seriously, Casita, don’t do that. Promise?” there was a short silence, then another shift. “Thanks.”

Mirabel was tapping the sill and feeling really wide awake. She was tired earlier, but now… not so much. She looked back at her door. It glowed softly in the darkened room. She’d always dreamed of having a door like the rest of her family, and still did to a certain extent, but this door was different. It was a tangible connection between Casita, her Abuela and herself. The shimmering oak depicted made her think of that oak tree Isa had created earlier. Mira was fairly certain it was in the same area as the one she used to climb when she was a kid, and leaned out to get a better look. It really was too dark to see, but the outline was there. Mirabel stepped up onto the window seat, then climbed out onto the windowsill. She let her feet dangle for a few moments before she eased herself onto the roof.

Casita clattered a tile nearby and Mirabel responded, “I’ll be careful, and don’t go telling everyone what I’m up to.” There was another louder burst and Mirabel hissed, “Chitón, you’ll wake everybody up.” Casita waggled one of the shutters and Mira sighed and said, “Sorry, I don’t mean to snap, but I can take care of myself and if Mamá or Pá finds out, I’ll get yelled at.” Mira patted the sill again and said as she pulled her robe tight, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Mirabel headed along the roof tiles toward a trellis that was at the side of the house. She ducked as she passed the windows along the way. Hopefully, everyone was asleep but why chance it? She quickly climbed down and ran toward the great tree that Isa had said named itself Anselmo.

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

Rodrigo Iguarán was writing quickly when the tip of his pencil snapped. He glared at the small hole the pencil created and sat back as he tried to remember where in his pack he’d put his pocketknife. He was absently tapping on his notebook but looked up when the tent flap opened, and José stepped in. José’s face held a deep frown as he sat down on the only chair and let out something akin to a growl.

“Something wrong, Gabi?”

“No.” His answer was abrupt, and after a moment added, “Maybe… ” he growled again then shook his head and said “No.” He took off his shoes, then carefully positioned them under his cot. Rodrigo watched him go about moving all the items in the tent that were not quite where he thought they should be. Something was bothering his primo enough that he was adjusting everything in eye shot. This was a habit he’d gotten from his Abuelo. Whenever his Abuela regaled them of the magical, and his Abuelo was there, he too would begin adjusting the physical world to suit himself.

“How is Tuli?” Rodrigo asked.

“Tuli is fine. The Doctor said they need to eat more and rest.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Rodrigo said cheerfully. José only grunted in reply, so Rodrigo asked, “For how long?”

José looked at his hands then said, “A minimum of six weeks, possibly longer.”

“Ooof, so will you be staying or were you planning to take Tuli and go anyway?”

José didn’t answer right away. Instead, he was busy adjusting a stack of clothing that he’d taken from his pack. Rodrigo watched as he matched up all the corners and thought he’s definitely not happy with this development. José moved back to the chair and said as he rubbed his knees, “I’ve agreed that Tuli can remain here as long as he stays with the Madrigals, so he’ll be staying when I leave.”

Rodrigo was taken aback, while it was true, they were all related, it was out of character that José would allow for something like this. He knew part of the problem was he still saw Bubo as a child. As Bubo said, he’d not been one for some time and even if he tended to be impulsive, he was not a fool. The other part was if he did leave Tuli behind, he would have failed in his purpose for this journey. If the Doctor was saying Tuli should stay, his primo would have to take that into his decision making. All during their journey, José had said that when (he never said ‘if’) they found Tuli, they would head back to Bogotá as soon as possible. José must have caught his look because he asked, “You think leaving Tuli a mistake?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

His cousin appeared to be hoping for a different answer because he frowned and asked, “Then you agree that Bubo would be a better guardian?”

Rodrigo took a deep breath before he replied cautiously, “In this instance… probably?”

“Probably?”

There was a hint of anger in his voice that made Rodrigo add, “Gabi, if you’ve suddenly changed your mind, or you’re looking for someone to shout at, then fine, shout away. But at least don’t lie to yourself. If you leave with Tuli, you’ll end up in the same cycle of nonsense that created the situation that caused her to run in the first place. I know it, Bubo knows it, and you know it too.”

“You said ‘her’.”

Rodrigo clenched his teeth and said sharply, “Quit saying that, I know what I said, Gabi, and so what? I know that it’s your decision, but perhaps you should be willing to see if he will do better than they have in the past. You must see how incredibly blessed you are that Tuli found their way to this place alive. I don’t even want to think about what that smuggler did to them.”

José deflated some as he let out a sigh and said, “I know. I’m sorry.”

Rodrigo took a deep breath, he was determined not to be angry, so asked, “What did the Doctor say?”

“He said, for the most part, Tuli’s physically alright but only just. Too thin and probably not sleeping. Fragile was the word he used.” José laid back on the cot, covering his eyes with his arm. He was quiet for a time, then added, “I’m not sure why I was under the delusion that Tuli…” he stopped as he uncovered his eyes and stared at his hands. “Maria’s been haunting my dreams of late. Telling me what a fool I’ve been and how could I have let this happen to her. Sometimes it feels like…” he trailed off as Rodrigo finished his primo’s thought in his head; Your sister guided Tuli here and away from you. Still, Rodrigo resisted the urge to mention he’d called Tuli ‘her’. Little by little, his primo was learning to accept Tuli’s reality, he just hadn’t realized it yet.

It was probably for the best. José’s own fiancé, Mercedes, had told Rodrigo privately that her husband-to-be should find a way to send Tuli back to their abuelos or ask another of his married brothers to take her in. Tuli was clearly withering in his care, and his refusal to see those effects was not helping. This included his not using Tuli’s given name, which she said was nothing more than him being spiteful. He needed to learn he couldn’t control everything, try though he may.

Rodrigo looked away and reached into his pack to locate his pocketknife. His thoughts turned to his own fiancé. Juana had admonished him to not stay away for too long chasing his stories. The lure of so many folks that had survived the thousand-day war was going to be difficult to resist, and he did need to get back to Cartagena. He wondered then where Bubo was, so asked, “Bubo back at the Aguilars?”

“Yes, we stopped there, and he showed me the tiny storeroom he’s been living in. Very spartan.”

“Tiny? Is he living in a closet?”

“No… actually, for one person, it’s not too bad.”

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“I would have thought he’d have his own place by now. He’s been here almost a year.”

“You did say he was patrolling the outskirts of the village for the past few months.”

“Yes, I suppose it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“You know, if I didn’t know better, Gabi, I would think you were looking for an excuse.”

“Excuse?”

“Yes, to justify taking Tuli when you go.”

“Tuli’s going to be staying with the Madrigals.” Rodrigo sighed, but his cousin was no longer looking at him as he said, “Rodrigo?”

“Yes Gabi?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just keep reminding me that I’m not wrong to leave Tuli here.”

“Alright. Just try not to shout at anyone. Especially Bubo, he is a good man.”

“Right.” José said as he caught the ‘man’. He let out a small laugh and added, “He is a good man. Not gonna lie, Bubo being here did make my decision easier. I just wish they had some sort of mail service here. I understand them not having any phones but no electricity?”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way, Gabi. Maybe there is a magical answer.”

José gazed up and nodded and said, “Probably. I saw you were speaking with Señor Félix during dinner; did he mention how the smuggler died?”

“He said it was probably a heart attack.”

“A heart attack?”

“Yes, apparently his youngest son, Antonio, can speak to animals. They believe his son asked the jaguar that landed atop the smuggler to frighten him away, but he ended up scaring him to death.”

“How unusual.”

“Less than he deserved, if you ask me. And to think he traveled with us for almost three weeks. Thank goodness we never found the women and kids he was tracking. Did you know they are also here?”

“No, I hadn’t heard. I’ll need to thank them for looking after Tuli.”

“So, did Bubo happen to mention how his date went? He’s quite taken with the young lady he was sitting with at dinner. You should have seen his face when she walked into the dining room earlier.”

“I can imagine, she is quite beautiful. Still, right now, I am actually more concerned about Señora Vargas causing trouble. I have no illusions that she will, first chance she gets.”

“She is a challenging one. We’ll need to keep an eye on that brood of lackeys she’s collected on the trip here. I’m sure Miguel already told her that Paola was at dinner. That young man… I’ve forgotten his name.”

“The shapeshifter?”

Rodrigo nodded.

“Camilo.”

“Yes, such a remarkable Gift. I wonder if he can shape-shift into anyone. Do you have any plans for dealing with her?”

“Not yet, but... ” José paused and seemed to be working something out in his head. He chuckled to himself and said, “Right, I’m going to bed. Good night Rodrigo.”

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

Isabela sat on her bed, feeling foolish after her conversation with her father. The standoff was only broken when her mother appeared and hustled her off to her room. Seriously, what did he think she was going to do? Isa paused when a random thought answered that question, and she blushed. She almost laughed at the irony, since conversations like that one hadn’t been needed when she was dating Mariano. She was never actually alone with him, and went out of her way to not be. That, and Señorita Perfecta would never have even dared to do such things. Obviously, it was her level of interest in Bubo that had prompted her Papá to well… be her Papá. He at least waited until Bubo had left with his Tío.

Her thoughts drifted, and she picked up the potted plumeria rubra she planted, and was very pleased to see three small leaves had unfurled from the cutting. She knew what its flowers looked like and resisted the urge to make the cutting bloom. She took it to the balcony and opened the doors to set outside. The morning sun would definitely help green it up. She was adjusting it when something moving across the lawn caught her eye. Was that Mirabel? Was she sleepwalking? Normally, Isa would ignore this, but she thought she saw the shadow of someone else as she leaned over the rail. Maybe it was her imagination, but then again, Mirabel was now the focus of the magic of the Encanto. She sighed and asked, “Casita, did Mira ask you not to tell anyone she was sneaking out?”

The house clattered yes… then quickly clattered no.

Honestly, Isa thought. She looked at her shoes near the door and decided she didn’t have time for that. She poked her head out of her door, the house was quiet as so she slipped out of her room. She went down the stairs and to the back door. The door wasn’t budging and Casita clattered a tile or two and Isa said, “And you shouldn’t have let her wander off by herself, Casita. Now open the door.”

More tiles clattered angrily, but the back door popped open and Isabela headed in the direction she’d seen her little sister take.

Next Chapter...

Last Chapter:

7 notes · View notes

neonpinkfeels · 2 years

Text

#encanto #la familia madrigal #encanto prompts #encantober #whumptober lite #camilo madrigal #i don’t draw enough of him #camilo supremacy #pepa madrigal #transgender #trans power #trans representation #love the theory that camilo prefers to be his female self #Edited to add they

79 notes · View notes

miracles-and-butterflies · 1 month

Text

The Madrigals in pride flags!!!

Tumblr is a pain; I had to take off several over layers of embroidery and all the shading because the photo wouldn’t load otherwise. So apologies for poor colour. Anyways, here are the flags used:

Mirabel - Aroace (aromantic/asexual)

Isabela - Lesbian

Luisa - Lesbian

Agustín - Bisexual

Julieta - Asexual

Pepa - Polysexual

Félix - Bisexual

Dolores - Pansexual

Camilo - Gay and Trans

Antonio - your classic pride rainbow

#encanto #encanto fanart #my art #do not repost #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #luisa madrigal #dolores madrigal #camilo madrigal #antonio madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #agustín madrigal #félix madrigal

109 notes · View notes

mieczyhale · 1 year

Text

110 notes · View notes

foggyfanfic · 3 months

Text

Queer Madrigals

I'm about to post a couple future!fic for Encanto, so I figured I'd take a minute to talk about my headcanons when it comes to their genders/sexualities.

The Obvious: I've posted somewhat in depth about what I think Bruno and Isabela's individual deals are, so I'm not going to really talk about it here, but yeah. Using the labels I am familiar with, I assume Bruno is demi, bi, and nonbinary, and that Isabela is a lesbian who ends up marrying a trans woman.

The Married: I mean, we can sit here all day and speculate, but the only real headcanons I got are that Juli is demi and Pepa has made out with more women than Bruno.

Mirabel: I've mentioned this, but I didn't really talk about it. Due to heteronormativity I suspect it wouldn't occur to Mirabel to question her sexuality until later in life when the Pride movement starts up. I think she's bi, possibly also demi, but most definitely not very focused on her love life (another reason why she doesn't think too hard about her sexuality). She's got shit to do and if somebody wants to date her they better speak up about it because she's got too many projects going on right now to bother with mind games. Mirabel ends up with a man mostly by coincidence, I saw somebody do the numbers and its just statistically more likely that a bi person will end up with somebody of the opposite sex (the math didn't factor for gender). I try to keep all of my headcanons grounded to peoples lived experiences, and this felt historically accurate.

Luisa: I think that if Luisa were a tumblrina she would end up being CIS+, but would have to go through the journey of exploring her gender due to societal biases. In the context of 1950's Colombia, she spends her youth hearing abuelas and tias talking about how she needs to be more feminine if she wants a husband, and struggles with that for a while. Luisa sings "I glow because I know what my worth is" and that's the sort of thing somebody says when they're on the other side of some serious self doubt, so I do think she had to deal with a bit of misogyny and body image issues. The thing is, Luisa likes the way she looks, and she's proud of what a hard worker she is, but she also wears ribbons in her hair and skirts instead of pants to work in. Furthermore, I suspect every bi person in the village, male or female, has a huge fucking crush on her because if she was a modern tumblrina people would be responding to pictures of her with that "not to be a lesbian but oh my god" stuff. I headcanon her as being technically cishet, but culturally gay due to people being people about the whole Woman with Biceps thing, if that makes sense. Once she starts allowing herself some free time, she dates every bi man in the village.

Dolores: Morosexual. No offense Mariano.

Camilo: You know how gender is a product of your culture and different societies throughout history have had different ideas of how many genders there are and what it means to be a man or woman? I think being able to turn into a woman at will would have an effect on Camilo's relationship with his gender. Like, I don't know if he would be full nonbinary, because I have never met a shapeshifter and asked them how they feel about gender, but I can't imagine he sees gender as a rigid binary. Like I said, I try to stay grounded in my headcanons, and I have zero idea what the lived experience of a shapeshifter is, soooooo...?

Antonio: I have spent a long time weighing the options here, his association with animals makes me think he would be the least traditional Madrigal, so I would like to think he'd end up in the least conventional relationship. I posted a list of headcanons where I floated the idea of him being poly, but I like the idea of him being aroace better. I stand by the rest of it, though. He marries a lesbian, let's her girlfriend move in with them, and he's just kinda there. Like, the women consider themselves married to each other and he's just some guy who talks to birds. They're his best friends and thinks he's pretty great but the only time he has sex is when him and the wives want kids, and other than that he's just vibing. I arrived at this headcanon because I love the idea of him being sorta a reverse Bruno. Like, people think he has two wives so everybody assumes he's this total lady killer, they sing songs about how charming he is, rumors abound that he can make a girl swoon with a single smile, then you talk to him and he's just some guy. Occasionally, a woman will throw herself at him and he's like "No thanks" then starts having a conversation with her cat. Do you see my vision? Anyone? I don't care if nobody else thinks it's funny, because I'm giggling at my computer.

#encanto #queer Madrigals #mirabel madrigal #camilo madrigal #luisa madrigal #antonio madrigal #foggy headcanons #encanto headcanons

8 notes · View notes

justzei · 2 years

Text

i drew the madrigal twins as filipino students😭😭

so like they skipped math class there😭😭

and dont mind carlos leaning to an invisible wall cause i was lazy af to draw one😭😭(i actually dont know how to)

also, camilo was saying (tangina bat may letters na sa math akala ko ba numbers lang pwede don) english trans:(motherfucker,why are there letters in math?i thought only numbers were supposed to be there)

alr imma sleep now byebye🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

#carlos madrigal x reader #carlos madrigal #carlos my beloved #camilo madrigal #camilo madrigal x reader #camilo my beloved

195 notes · View notes

hourglass-dreams · 1 year

Note

Queer hcs for the Madrigals:

Isabela: Lesbian(obviously)

Dolores: Bisexual with a male lean

Mirabel: Bisexual with a female lean

Luisa: Lesbian(and just as femme as Isabela 💅🏿)

Camilo: Bisexual with a female lean

Pepa: Bisexual trans woman

Julieta: Demisexual/romantic

Alma: Bisexual

Felix: Bisexual trans man

Agustin: Demisexual/romantic

(I don't have any for Antonio and Bruno. Also, Mariano is pansexual and his abuela is a lesbian.)

These are really interesting 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️💖I never even though of Alma, Mariano or Mariano's abuela tbh 😂

#encanto #disney encanto #encanto headcanons #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #julieta madrigal #camilo madrigal #pepa madrigal #abuela alma madrigal #luisa madrigal #dolores madrigal #mariano guzman #felix madrigal #agustin madrigal #I'm 100% on board with lesbian Isa and bi Mirabel!#i headcanon bruno to be demiromantic/sexual #since Luisa's voice actress is queer i think it'd make sense to make her queer as well ✌️

26 notes · View notes

1-danid · 10 months

Text

Requests Status : Open for Moots

Request are currently open for my moots, cause they won't (harshly) complain about my getting their request wrong. This will be updated if i change my mind!

I'll write anything listed below

headcannons imagines drabbles preferences one-shots ships (mutuals only - all the time) Character letters

Friendly Reminders

I will not do, male readers or trans readers simply because i don't know who to write those perspectives correctly, I will not do smut.

What I write For

Spiderman Into The Spiderverse and Across the Spiderverse

Who?

Gwen Stacy/Ghost Spider

Hobie Brown/Spider Punk (platonic [if you ask nicely maybe romanti-])

Miles Morales (both of them)

Pavitr Prabhakar

Miguel O'Hara (platonic)

Jessica Drew (platonic)

Peter Parker (platonic)

Arcane

Who?

Vi (any arc)

Caitlyn (any arc)

Jinx

Powder (platonic)

Mel

Cartoons:

The Owl House and Amphibia

Who?

Luz

Amity

Edric

Emira

Sasha

Anne

Marcy

Eda (platonic)

Lilith (platonic)

King (paltonic)

Ask for anyone else!!

Encanto + Turning Red + The dragon Prince

Who?

All of the madrigal kids

Moreso Camilo and Mirabel

Will do all of the turning red kids

Focus will be on Miriam tho

4 Town boys will also be written for

Rayla (my beloved)

General Amaya

Again just ask me and i'm sure we can figure out a deal!

MCU

Who?

Literally all the mcu woman

Peter Parker

I will do platonic thor and loki (sibling shots [this is a targeted self insert])

I'll love it if you send King Val

Carol Danvers

Kate Bishop

Natasha Romanoff

(request the ladies above and I'll give you a kiss or a cookie!)

Don't see your fandom here? Send me a rec and maybe I'll add it!!

-Dani

13 notes · View notes

ilovekazuhaa · 2 years

Note

mirabel x fem reader futbol fic where they play and like reader does so good and mirabel praises her and and add camila being an absolute loser at it

then reader accidentally throw the ball at mirabel and she falls and then reader takes her to the nursery and takes care of her

You only live once

Mirabel x fem reader

genre: fluff

i’m doing so many mirabel fics lately and i’m so happy abt it she needs more content💪 also camilo is trans in this fic so he’ll be a she here lol also i swear i’ll be writing more guys!!! the next fic that comes out will be for julieta so stay tuned, it’s coming i promise!

“Y/N” Mirabel says as she points at you and you walk over to her side. You were the first person she picked and you couldn’t be more excited. She chose you to be on her team for a game of futbol that included you and the Madrigals. Mirabel was one of the team captains and Isabela was the other. Your team currently consisted of Mirabel, you, Antonio, and Bruno against Isabela, Camila, Pepa (yes she still got it), and Felix. Julieta and Luisa weren’t present because they were busy in town, Dolores was the score keeper, Agustin was the referee and Abuela was the spectator/water provider.

When Mirabel picks Bruno as her last teammate, she bumps your hip and smiles at you. She then wraps her arm around your neck and pulls you close.

“You ready?” she asks.

You nod “Hell yeah. Let’s do this.”

You two touch foreheads and you look at her, that smile totally unwavering under the shining sun. You felt the warmness of your girlfriend’s head on yours, her curly hair slightly covering her eyes.

“Alright lovebirds, you ready?” you hear Pepa say as she stood there with her arms crossed, smiling slyly.

You felt your face heat up even more as you and Mirabel pulled away from each other, cheeks tinted red from a combination of the sun and Pepa’s comment.

“Ya mami callate!!” Camila says jokingly as Pepa stretched out her arm and hit Camila in the back of the head with her hand.

“Ay ay ow mama! I’m sorry!” the girl says as she holds the back of her head in pain as she hunches over.

“Never talk to your mother like that again!” Pepa says as she crosses her arms and turns away pouting “hmph!”

Everyone tried to stifle their laugh at the sight of Pepa hitting Camila the way she did, it was so funny.

“Team huddle!” Mirabel declared as she turned around, grabbing the shoulders of her teammates as they all huddled together.

“Okay so Bruno, you play as the goalie. Antonio, you can play at the front with Y/N. And I’ll stay back here playing defense and helping Bruno out. Think of me as his right hand man.”

Everyone in the circle nodded in agreement.

“Any questions?” Mirabel asked.

“Wait… do I have to dive for the ball?” Bruno asked.

“Do I have to play the whole game?” Antonio joins in.

“Am I gonna be able to just yolo it?” you say.

Mirabel’s previously hyper and excited look turned into one of confusion as she looks at you.

“No Bruno, you don’t have to dive for the ball” she tells the man as she points at him while giving him a determined look.

She then kneels down to Antonio’s level and her expression softened.

“No Antonio, you don’t have to play the whole time. Just take a few breaks” she told the boy as she patted the top of his head softly.

Finally turning to you, that confused look that she previously had returned but she cocked her eyebrow this time. Her mouth hung open slightly and her upper lip was raised, showing her teeth a little.

“Y/N what’s a… yolo?”

You could only roll your eyes adoringly and burst out laughing. Seeing her so confused like that made you laugh because the face she made was so confused and… cute!

After you finally recovered, everyone on your team started smiling at the sight of you laughing and you began to explain.

“Well yolo is an acronym. It stands for you only live once. It basically means to just do whatever you think in the moment with no set plan” you say.

Mirabel’s expression changed from one of confusion to one of determination.

“Now you’re talking” she smiled “Let’s win this.”

As if on cue, your team separated from their circle and Agustin blew his whistle to start the game. Everyone quickly went to their positions and you looked to Antonio and he seemed ready enough, his hand balled up in fists and he stood in a fighting stance. You then looked behind you and Mirabel made eye contact with you, mouthing a ‘let’s yolo this’ as she winked at you and smiled.

“Remember everyone, we’re playing two 10 minute halves, much shorter than the average game but it’ll still be fun. I promise” the man said as he smiled.

“Ready everyone?” he asked, checking on everyone one last time before the game began.

The sun was so hot on your skin, you felt it warming up as soon as Agustin blew the whistle. It was so bright outside you had to squint and the only thing you could see clearly was the ball through the heat waves. The state of the weather must mean Pepa was extra excited to play futbol today.

Isabela started with kickoff and she immediately passed it to Camila. Camila then started running up the field, zooming past everyone and it was only her and Bruno left for a one on one. She then swiftly kicked the ball in the goal, only to be stopped by Bruno’s foot. The girl’s face of cockiness changed to one of fear and shock as the ball went from Bruno’s foot to Camila’s face.

The poor girl then took a fall and rolled over on the ground in pain. Mirabel ran over to her cousin and Pepa came over as well, so worried for Camila and hoped she was okay.

“Camila, are you okay?!” Mirabel asked worriedly as she held her hand out for her cousin to grab.

“Yes yes I’m fine… I think” the hurt girl said as she rubbed her nose and her cheeks tinted a light pink in embarrassment.

“Mi bebe!! Are you okay?!?!?!” Pepa came over running, kneeling down to her daughters level. A cloud formed above the woman’s head and she cupped her cheek gently. Camila let out a small ‘ay’ before she smiled at her mother.

“Thank you mami. I’m okay.”

She smiled and got up, dusting off her dirty knees.

“Let’s continue ref!” Camila said, waving her hand in a swirling motion. God, she was so embarrassing sometimes.

Agustin simply nodded and blew his whistle “Let’s continue everyone, to your positions!”

You went back to your position and it was your team’s ball. You stayed back, on Bruno’s right side and he gently kicked the ball towards you. You then started slowly going up the field. Camila then started running down to attack, despite Isabela’s pleads to stay in her position.

“You’re not getting past me! Don’t even try!” Camila yelled, rushing up to you as you smirked and passed it to Mirabel.

Thank god your girlfriend was paying attention to your every move, being prepared when the ball made contact with her left foot. Camila ran past you, not realizing what had happened as you ran up the field and Mirabel fumbled to keep up with you.

“Here, here! Pass!” you yelled, now at the other team’s side of the field. You raised your hand, sweat dripping down your arm as you panted for air. You were in shape but you had to act fast before Camila caught up to you. Isabela ran up to Mirabel in efforts to steal the ball from her. Thankfully, the girl listened to you and passed you the ball. After it made contact with your feet, you turned and sprinted as fast as you could. All you had left was Pepa and Felix. It should be easy enough.

Finally making it to the deep side of the opposing team, you dribbled past Pepa despite her efforts to push you with her body. The woman was lanky and skinny but god was she strong. You could’ve sworn you felt the heat of the sun on you when her skin made contact with yours, it was burning. After dribbling past her, you came close to the goal, you swiftly kicked it into the left corner and Felix literally fell into a split as he tried to block it.

The second the ball make contact with the net you felt your heart skip. You hadn’t even realized it, but Mirabel ran down the field with you the whole way. As soon as you turned around, you saw her running up to you, that big beautiful smile on her face.

“GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!” the girl exclaimed before she ran up and hugged you. She wrapped her arms around your neck and pulled you close, squeezing you tightly. Her warm hands held you close to her and you felt your heart beating in your ears. Smiling into the hug, you hugged her back and your soft hands made contact with her bare skin. It was so smooth and a good kind of warm. She was wearing a tank top and her skin was practically glowing in the sun.

Sadly, Mirabel pulled away much sooner that you would’ve liked. Looks like you were going to have to make a few more goals for her then. And you would stop at nothing.

“Wow Y/N! You did so good out there! I’m so proud of you” the girl told you as she took your hand and brought it to her chest.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”

You felt your heart melt and your knees almost buckle at her statement. You really didn’t deserve her and you thanked whatever god that was out there for her.

All you could do was shake your head and look down at the ground, a huge smile plastered on your face. You tried to act modest.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my golden girl either, you know” you responded.

Mirabel smiled in reaction to your statement and she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh come on, you know that was all you” the girl said. She would’ve said more but knew better because she would become a stuttering mess if she said anything after that. You pretended not to notice that her cheeks were tinted a rosy pink and that she was still holding on to your hand.

Turning around, Mirabel took you with her, forgetting that she was still holding onto you. She covered her mouth with her other hand and looked down at the ground, her face becoming even more red. She muttered something to herself but you struggled to hear because you thought she was talking to you.

“What was that?” you asked.

“W-what?” the girl looked down, realizing she was still gripping your hand. Your fingers were intertwined with hers and she could’ve sworn that’s not how she held your hand in the first place.

“O-oh! I’m so sorry I didn’t realize I-” Mirabel tried pulling her hand out of your grip but you shook your head.

“It’s okay. Don’t be sorry. I want to hold your hand.”

If it was possible, she literally would’ve ascended into the sky in that very moment. Her flustered expression remained as you led her to the other side of the field. She trailed behind you, her eyes glued to the ground and her other hand covering her mouth in shock. She kept asking herself why she kept freaking out, you guys were dating for Christ’s sake!

The first five minutes of the game had commenced, there was only five more left until the break. This was going to be a lot of pressure. Not because you weren’t confident, but because you wanted to impress your girlfriend and her family of course.

When Agustin blew the whistle to commence kickoff, you were so determined to make another goal for your girl. Anything for her honestly. The other team started, with Camila passing the ball to Isabela. Mirabel went to guard Camila while you tried to take the ball from Isa. Isabela got the ball and sprinted, and you chased after her. And god, was she fast. She was also a really aggressive player as well and she kept using her elbows to poke your ribs whenever you got too close. She plays dirty, but you refuse to. You were gonna win your glory the right way. While you were defending Isa, Camila ran along with her, giving her cousin an option to pass the ball to. Mirabel tried to keep up, but Camila was just too fast. So while you defended Isa, Camila ran alongside you two, leaving you in the middle and Mirabel trailing behind.

By this point, you guys were on your side of the field and Isabela passed it to Camila, the ball passing right in front of your feet. You tried reaching out for it, but ultimately failed, falling in the process. Camila then took the ball close to the goal as Bruno lunged forward and barely missed it. Camila kicked it past Bruno as he ran forward, the ball making contact with the net.

“Let’s go! Goalassoooooooooo!” Camila yelled as she punched the air and smiled brightly.

“Aye! Nice job Camila!” Isabela said as she high fived her cousin and ran up the field with her back to their side.

You sat on the ground, sighing in defeat. Your legs burned from the heat radiating from the ground under you as well as the hot sun above. Sweat dripped down your face and the drops landed on your hand. Your body was too tired to move and it was only the first half. You just wanted to do good. To make no mistakes. So you didn’t look dumb in front of her. A person then appeared behind you. Their shadow casted over your breathless and tired figure. Turning around, you looked up and noticed that it was Mirabel.

“Hey... you okay?” the girl asked you, almost whispering. She held a warm smile and put her hand out. How could you not smile back at her?

You allowed yourself to smile for a moment, scanning the girl’s figure when you frowned. Her knees were scraped and bloody. She caught your expression and reassured you that she was okay.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m okay see?” Mirabel says as she runs in place to show you that she was okay “My legs still work!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. For a moment it felt as if you had forgotten all the pressure and exhaustion you were feeling.

Suddenly you heard the blow of a whistle “Halftime! Five minute break everyone!” Agustin yelled as everyone got off the small field you played on and walked over to the patio where Abuela waited with water.

“Come on” Mirabel stated as she held her hand out to you and she pointed her head towards the drinks “Let’s go take a little break.”

You accepted and slipped your hand into hers as she pulled you up. The two of you walked over to Abuela and Mirabel still held your hand and squeezed your arm, her cheek being squished by your arm because of how tight she was holding you. You didn’t mind though, she was so adorable. You then helped Mirabel wash off her cuts, applying hydrogen peroxide to them and wrapping them.

“Ouuuuuuuuuuch!” the poor girl couldn’t contain her desperate cries for help as the liquid made contact with her open wound.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry” you said, kneeling in front of her, gently cleaning the cuts with a paper towel. You then got a wrap and wrapped it around her knees, securing them with athletic tape.

Backing away, you stood up and nodded so Mirabel could stand up.

“How’s it feel?” you ask.

“Better than ever. Thank you” Mirabel responded.

You blushed and looked down at the ground like an idiot as you twiddled your thumbs. Your lovey dovey expression was cut off by the feeling of a light hand on the top of your head. Your eyes widened and all you could do was keep your eyes glued to the ground. A shocked look was plastered on your face until you mustered enough courage to look up and meet Mirabel’s warm eyes.

They were so beautiful and looking into them made your heart race. All she did to return your flustered expression was smile and look at you like you were her entire world. Her eyes gleamed with love and adoration. How did a girl like her make you want to melt with simple headpats? You two stared into each other’s eyes, slowly getting closer and closer together, forgetting that the entire Madrigal family surrounded you two.

The tension that surrounded you two quickly disappeared when Agustin blew his whistle.

“Alright everyone, time for the second half!”

Everyone that was sitting on the benches quickly got up and made their way to the field, leaving you and Mirabel behind.

You then smiled warmly at her before pointing your head towards the field, urging her to follow.

“Come on” you said “Let’s win this.”

“By yoloing it?” Mirabel asked.

You responded by nodding and taking her hand “By yoloing it.”

When you two got on the field, only Bruno was there and Antonio was missing. He told you that his sobrino was too tired to keep playing so he sat on the sidelines, wanting to just watch the rest of the match. Pepa preferred the same, showing this by sitting with her son as she conversed with her mother, Alma. You and Mirabel just shrugged this off because the teams were going to be equal anyways. You insisted that Mirabel come up and play with you more because Antonio’s spot was free. You didn’t really need him anyway, you just wanted an excuse to play with Mirabel more. So without further questions, she agreed and moved to Antonio’s place.

The score was now 1-1 and you wanted to break that tie more than anything. With Mirabel watching front and center. Before Agustin blew the whistle, you gave her one last thumbs up and she nodded her head in determination, showing that she was going to try her best to help you. Kickoff was going to start with your team, since the goal was made on your team last.

After spending the first 8 minutes struggling to get the ball past the other team, the score was still tied but time was becoming an issue. Isabela and Camila were practically pushing you and Mirabel further and further back until they would eventually break through your defense. The pressure was on, and the temperature outside wasn’t helping. You and Mirabel panted for who knows how long, your lungs burning from the hot air that flowed through them. Your heart felt like it was beating at a million miles a minute and that you would collapse at any second. Mirabel didn’t look any better either, but you two were having so much fun. Your laughs filled the field and you both enjoyed yourselves a lot and how you both were playing. You guys worked so well together and it made you so happy. Camila and Isabela were having fun as well, but they didn’t look as tired as you and Mirabel did.

Finally, there was only about 1 minute left remaining, Agustin verifying it himself by putting his hand up and tapping his watch. This was the last play, and you were going to have to make it count. Thankfully, you were able to bring the ball up to their side of the field and Camila kicked it out in efforts to steal it from you so it was your ball. She really didn’t wanna lose and looked at you like she was going to kill you if you won. Same thing with Isabela. These two were very competitive and weren’t playing around when it came to winning.

You picked up the ball and walked over to the white line that divided the field from where it was considered ‘in’ and ‘out’. You held it behind your head, trying to figure out a way to give it to Mirabel. Your hands shook as you held the ball behind your head and a wave of fear washed over you. There was no way you could lose, especially in front of your girlfriend. It was just too embarrassing. So when Mirabel juked Isabela and came running towards you, asking for the ball, you threw it to her in an overhead motion so she could get it and pass it to you. Except you missed. Badly.

You may have thrown the ball a little too hard and you winced when it hit Mirabel in the stomach and she hunched over. That wasn’t considered a foul and the game still continued. Camila didn’t hesitate and attacked Mirabel so she could take the ball from her. You ran towards Mirabel and snatched the ball before Camila could. You yelled out a guilt filled but quick ‘sorry’ before you took the ball and bolted. Your girlfriend trailed behind you, clutching her stomach because she was barely able to hold it together. You didn’t notice, but as Mirabel chased after you in her efforts to help, she rolled her ankle and fell, a crack echoing from her leg as she fell to the ground.

Camila stopped for a moment, trying to decide if she should run after you or help her cousin. She spent a good 10 seconds contemplating what she should do and that gave you just enough time. Now there was only Isabela chasing after you, and you hadn’t realized why Camila stopped, Isabela pressuring you too much to spare a second to take a look back. As you neared the goal, you felt the taste of sweet victory approaching as you picked up your speed a bit more. Time seemed to slow down when you kicked the ball between Felix’s legs and it rolled past him without being blocked. Total satisfaction spread through your body when the whistle blew and the ball made contact with the net simultaneously.

You turned around, about to celebrate when you looked at Isabela, who stopped running and was hunched over, panting for her life. You then saw Camila, who was just standing in the middle of the field, as if she was trying to decide something. You then noticed that she was looking at something, or more like someone. Your heart sank a little when you realized Mirabel didn’t see your winning goal and then you became worried when you realized she held her ankle, rocking back and forth in pain.

Running over to her, you dropped to your knees and put your hands out cautiously, trying to decide what part of her to touch that wouldn’t hurt her. You then placed a hand on her shoulder and used the other to gently tilt her face towards you.

“Are you alright?” you asked.

Those big brown eyes that stared back at you in total fear and pain showed that she was indeed not alright. Her eyebrows were raised and her mouth was slightly agape. That worried look she gave you broke your heart and you wanted nothing more than to see her smile again.

The girl finally shook her head no in response to your question and she winced when she removed her hand from her ankle. There she showed her inflamed ankle, now red but you knew it was going to turn purple from bruising. This was definitely a sprain for sure.

“Can you move at all?” you asked softly.

The poor girl hesitantly shook her head again as she looked at you. You noticed her eyes became watery and tears threatened to fall. Her lip quivered and her mouth formed into a steady frown. Was she really in this much pain?

“Looks like she’s going to need Julieta. I’ll tell her about this when she gets home” Agustin spoke softly as he kneeled down to his daughter’s level “Don’t worry Miraboo, you’ll be okay. Is there any snacks or drink I can get for you?”

“Yeah… is there anything I can help you with too? I don’t like seeing you like this” Isabela joined in.

“Me too…” Camila agreed “I can go get some arepas from your mom in town if you want…” she said as she looked at her cousin with a worried expression.

“Thanks guys…” Mirabel spoke, looking up at everyone “I just wanna go inside and relax for a while. I have a few medical supplies in the nursery that can help patch me up.”

The girl looked at her hurt ankle once more before looking at you.

“A little help?”

You nodded “O-of course. I’ll take you upstairs.”

You then scooped up Mirabel, sliding your hands under her knees and holding her torso. It was like those princes in the fairytales picked up their princess. Everyone departed and went inside to do their own thing after you walked away. As you went up the stairs, Mirabel wrapped her arms around your neck softly as she brought her head close to your chest, using your heartbeat to relax her. The feeling of having your bodies this close together made you think things that you shouldn’t. Your girlfriend was going through pain and all you could do was think naughty things! You shook your head and tried to get the thoughts out before you got too ahead of yourself.

Finally reaching the top of the stairs, you looked down at Mirabel and she now held a calm expression. Her eyes fluttered as they stayed closed and her arms felt so heavy on your neck. Her hair tickled your neck and a strand of her tied up locks fell over her eyes. Her chubby cheeks were tinted pink from the hot sun and her adorable feet pointed inward, like a duck, as you carried her.

When you reached the nursery, the door was already slightly open so you just pushed it more open with your foot. You then walked over to Mirabel’s bed and gently placed her on it, sitting up. She winced as you sat her down and her body was very tense. You took off her shoes and socks and she kept wincing in pain. You continued repeating soft phrases like “It’s okay” and “I’m sorry” until you took both of her shoes off. Then, you got one of her pillows and propped her hurt foot on it.

After that, you got a small towel and wet it with cold water, gently wrapping it around Mirabel’s ankle. You knew it was working its magic when you saw her relax a bit and her stressed expression change.

You noticed that she was still very sweaty, so you got another wet towel and placed it on her forehead. If you had any doubts about her being relaxed before that, they were definitely gone now. She felt so much better now and it was visibly apparent, the girl smiled as her eyes remained closed and she just basked in your company. After a few minutes, you wrapped her ankle in a bandage that helped keep her foot straight.

You then sat on her bedside and watched her with a soft smile. The girl sat there, her head resting on the headboard of her bed and you watched her long eyelashes flutter from every gust of wind that came in through the window. You watched her chest rise and fall with every breath she took, each one taking her closer and closer to her slumber. Her tied up hair was now falling apart as several of her curls stuck out and fell over her face. Her tiny hands jerked every few minutes whenever she became too still. This sight of her was unlike anything you had ever seen before. She was so calm and quiet, a combination of qualities you thought you would never see from your girlfriend. The evening sun shone through the window of the nursery and casted on the wooden floor. The particles of dust in the room were seen because of this, and you found yourself gazing off into the distance, the thoughts of today’s events recurring in your head. You looked over at her bedside table, those iconic green glasses catching your eye and you reminisced every memory you had of them and you couldn’t help but blush a little. The comforting silence that surrounded you both was then suddenly cut off by Mirabel.

“Come here” she whispered, tapping the empty spot next to her “Come sit with me.”

Your eyes trailed to where her tiny hand was tapping and you reluctantly agreed. Sitting next to her, she leaned her head on your shoulder, intertwining her hand with yours. Her soft hands were so plump and warm compared to you. You had already cooled off and thought she found comfort in your lack of warmth.

“Thank you for today” she said.

You cocked an eyebrow “Thank you for what?” you responded.

“For getting us that victory and taking care of me. Also carrying me up those stairs, sorry about that.”

“Sorry? Why should you be sorry? I’m sorry for throwing the ball at your stomach in the first place.”

“Don’t be. That was an accident. I had fun playing with you anyways” she tiredly spoke.

You smiled “You really had fun playing with me?”

“Of course I did” she responded. She opened her eyes and returned the look you gave her “You did so good today and I’m so happy we won.”

“I’m happy we won too” you said, cupping her cheek with your hand “But I couldn’t have done it without you.”

You watched her tired expression change to a flustered one. Her face started to turn red and her eyes widened as she looked up at you. Her face began inching closer to you, those lips of hers begging you to just kiss her already. You were alone together, so you just decided to sieze your moment. Caressing her cheek as you brought her close, your noses briefly touched for a moment. You raised her head a bit and kissed the tip of her nose, earning an adorable smile from the girl.

“I love you” Mirabel says.

You smile in response “I love you more.”

“Well I love you even more than that” she responds.

“Oh really?” you say.

“Yes.”

“There’s only one way to find out if that’s true” you say before finally bringing her in close and kissing her lips softly.

The kiss was gentle but long, your lips felt tingly and cold when you pulled away. You couldn’t bring yourself to pull away from her and end it like that, so you just kept pecking her lips over and over again until you felt satisfied, which was most likely going to be never. Mirabel smiled into the kiss, laughing at your endless desire for kisses from her.

“God you’re so… you” she said.

“And what does that mean?” you ask, playfully.

She smiles, wrapping her arms around one of yours as she squeezes it and leans on your shoulder.

“It just means that I-”

“Should seriously lock your door next time?” Mirabel was cut off by a familiar voice.

The two of you stop and look over to the doorway where Camila was standing. She held a disgusted expression as she looked around nervously.

“Seriously you guys, that’s gross! People don’t need to be walking in on this!” Camila shamelessly added.

Mirabel was so embarrassed and all she could muster out was a simple ‘sorry’.

“Why are you even here Camila?” you ask, trying not to lose your patience.

“Well Y/N” Camila stated, highlighting your name when she spoke “I got some arepas from Tia Julieta in town so Mirabel doesn’t have to keep suffering like this.”

“Hey!” Mirabel cut in “I’m not suffering!”

“Your almost crying earlier definitely says otherwise. I guess you can stay here and have fun, doing whatever… this is.”

The girl then throws over the arepas wrapped in tinfoil over to you, and you catch it with one hand.

“Have fun in here losers, come down for dinner in an hour” Camila says as she shuts the door behind her but then opens it again a moment later.

“Don’t think I forgot about today. Just because you beat me in futbol once doesn’t make you better. Next time… you’re going down” Camila concludes as she squints and closes the door slowly.

“God” you said “Your cousin really is brutal!”

“Yeah…” Mirabel admits “She can get like that sometimes, she’s still nice though I swear.”

“Well yeah, maybe to her friends” you scoff as you open the arepas wrapped in tinfoil. You then notice how there’s two arepas here instead of one.

“Why are there two arepas if you’re the only one that’s hurt?” you ask.

“See?!” Mirabel says “I told you Camila was nice!” you hand her an arepa as she munches on it immediately and the swelling in her ankle and the cuts on her knees go away.

“Oh gosh, so much better…” your girlfriend says, rolling her ankle much more comfortably.

You then look down at the remaining arepa on your lap and contemplate on eating it. After all, you did get a few scratches and bruises from that game. Camila and Isabela were really aggressive players.

“Help yourself” Mirabel insisted.

And with that, you took a bite of the arepa and you felt the flavors melt onto your tongue and it was delicious. All of your bruises and cuts went away immediately.

You and Mirabel stayed there, with her head resting on your shoulder and she practically hugged your arm. You two talked about random things and maybe even shared a few kisses after that.

Some time later, Camila came rushing back to the nursery, barging in, totally out of breath.

“Hey! Um.. Is… there… any way that… you guys… ate the arepas… already…” Camila panted.

“Yeah we did, sorry” Mirabel apologized “Why?”

“Because one of them was for me! Damn it man!” Camila says, turning around as she exists the room and mutters to herself “This is what happens when I try to get some extra arepas for myself…”

You two laughed at Camila’s struggle and smiled at each other, sharing one last kiss as the sun finally descended past the clouds and into the night. You two found comfort in each other’s presence and eventually fell asleep together, Mirabel’s legs tangling with yours as she let out tiny snores. You rested your head on top of Mirabel’s, your hands laced together and holding on to each other tightly. Julieta couldn’t help but treasure the sight of the both of you sleeping together when she came to call you guys down for dinner.

“You only live once, and I’m glad their choosing to live their one and only life together” the woman says aloud, leaving a kiss on both of your foreheads, and softly shutting the door behind her as she leaves the two of you to cuddle together until morning.

#encanto #encanto mirabel #encanto 2021 #encanto fanfic #disney encanto #encanto imagine #encanto imagines #mirabel x reader #mirabel madrigal x reader #mirabel encanto #disney mirabel #mirabel madrigal #mirabel x you #mirabel headcanon

74 notes · View notes

tboycamilo · 8 months

Text

madrigals as random images and tumblr posts i have saved on my phone part one of ?

#encanto #disney encanto #camilo madrigal #luisa madrigal #mirabel madrigal #isabela madrigal #julieta madrigal #dolores madrigal #trans camilo madrigal

120 notes · View notes

achitka · 1 month

Text

Doors - Chapter 48

Anselmo (God's Divine Protection)

Well hello,

It's been a hot minute since I've updated this story. You'll discover the ending of the last chapter was slipped into this one as well with a little more depth. That can happen. Anyway, on with the stuff. Mirabel's curiosity may be the end of her. Isabela feels like she's getting the hang of imperfection. Bruno is discovering what it's like to be not exactly correct when his Gift clashes with another. As for the end - well it's bound to happen eventually.

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

Anselmo (God’s Protection)

Félix sat with his cuñado as the pair commiserated on the state of their oldest daughter’s current love lives. Gus was drinking a glass of wine as he told Félix about his conversation with Isabela that had ended in a staring contest until his wife intervened.

“Julieta says I’m being dramatic. I’m not overreacting, am I?”

Félix let out a chuckle, “Maybe just a little, hermano. Isabela does appear genuinely taken with Señor Márquez. You have to admit, he is nothing like those that have pursued her in the past, and at least he seems like a good person. I’ve never heard anything bad about him, and even Alma seems to like him. You have to admit he’s been very polite and conscientious.”

“True,” Agustín said and laughed a little, “You would think I’d be less worried considering she was supposed to be married by now.”

Félix smiled. Isabela’s prior betrothal to Mariano Guzmán had come crashing down with Casita and now Isa’s former intended was engaged to his baby girl. He had to admit Mariano had adjusted rather well to Dolores’ needs. He was far quieter than he used to be and sincerely appeared to love his daughter. He glanced over at Agustín and noted his melancholy and said, “On the upside, Isabela is finally going back into town, so perhaps she’ll spend a little less time focusing on her sister.”

“There is that,” Gus said and took a sip of his wine.

But more to the point, what do you think of him?”

Agustín pulled his wine glass a little closer and replied, “I haven’t actually spoken to him yet. Seems like every time I think I’ll have an opportunity, something will happen. ”

“Ah, well, I understand he’s living with the Aguilars. You could just pay him a visit.”

“That’s true,” Gus agreed and fell silent for a time, then said, “There is something I could use your help with.”

“Of course, what do you need?”

“Julieta asked me to see if the old shoe shop might be a viable solution for Bubo’s housing problem.”

“Jorge’s shoe shop?” Félix asked, as he reflexively crossed himself.

“Yes,” Gus said and took another drink, “I’ve been given the dubious task of seeing if Bubo will agree to that. I looked at it earlier and aside from being very dusty, it looks solid. I was hoping to get your opinion as to any needed repairs.”

Félix nodded and said, “That might be a hard sell. Do you plan to tell him about Jorge?”

Agustín tapped his mostly empty wine glass, added a little more to it and said, “Probably should.” Then asked, “Did you have a chance to look at that vision tablet Bruno created this afternoon?”

“Actually, no. Was there something concerning?”

Gus nodded and said, “Miguel Rodriguez appeared to be speaking angrily to Mirabel. But what worried me more was that Mira was in her bedclothes.”

“Has Bruno said anything?”

“Not yet. I plan to ask him the next time I see him. Where is he anyway?”

Félix shrugged and replied, “Probably feeding his rats somewhere.”

Agustín nodded as he took another drink and yawned as he changed the subject, “Dolores and Mariano picked a date yet?”

“Not that I am aware of, and Pepi would have made sure I knew that.”

“Pepa still getting on with Señora Guzmán?”

“Mostly, though truthfully, I stay as far away as possible while those two sort that out. Did Juli tell you that we’re probably related to Tuli through Rodrigo.”

“How?”

“According to Pep, Rodrigo is the nieto of Alma’s sister, Juliet, and he also is José’s primo.”

“No kidding. That’s the woman Julieta was showing me a picture of just before Tuli fainted. You know, I never considered that Alma would have family outside the Encanto.”

“I’m still a bit astounded there is a world outside the Encanto. Not gonna lie, I really am interested in visiting a few of the cities nearby. The new folks talk about electricity like it’s everywhere now and there are these gadgets called telephones.”

“Telephones?”

“Devices you can use to speak directly to someone far away.”

“That does sound useful. You know, you should come with us to Bogotá. Get a look at some of the appliances that Bruno told us about.”

“Not a bad idea,” Félix said as he got up.

Agustín rose, then, finished his wine, and together the pair left the kitchen.

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

Bruno watched Mirabel leave and when he was sure she was all the way down the stairs, he let out a sigh of relief. “Tío?” came a muffled question behind him. Bruno hopped off the table and Antonio popped up, scattering some of the clothes he’d been hiding under. He jumped off the table as Parce came down from the upper tower, and he ran over to the jaguar. After giving the jaguar a good squeeze, he scrambled onto Parce’s back and Antonio yawned as he asked, “So what’s next, Tío?”

“For you?” Bruno replied. Antonio nodded and Bruno said, “Bed.”

“Awww…but I’m not tired,” he said, stifling another yawn.

“No?”

Antonio shook his head and another yawn escaped, causing him to blink his eyes.

“Either way, we’ll just say it’s because you’re six.”

“Six and a half,” Antonio corrected, arms crossed.

“Fine, six and a half, but that changes nothing.”

“But-” Antonio started to say until Fura popped out of Bruno’s ruana and started squeaking furiously at his sobrino. Bruno wasn’t sure what set the rat off, and he stroked her in an attempt to calm her. However, Fura did not relent, and Antonio’s face was now set in a frown. Parce chuffed loudly, and the rat went silent. Bruno noted the big cat’s hackles were up.

“Sorry, Toni. Don’t know what’s gotten into her today,” Bruno said nervously as he continued to pet Fura, “Tomorrow is soon enough to do the other stuff.”

Antonio sighed and did not hide his disappointment as he patted Parce’s neck and said, “Okay, Tío.” Parce let out a low growl, and Fura instantly returned to Bruno’s ruana without another sound. Satisfied, the big cat chuffed again then turned and headed for the stairs.

“Buenas noches, Toni, and thank you for your help,” Bruno said a little weakly. Fura was shivering against his neck, and Bruno wondered if Parce had said something threatening. Still, Parce never interfered unless he felt Antonio was in harms way. He was a good friend. Antonio only waved as he disappeared down the stairs. Bruno turned and looked at the mess of clothing he’d created and almost set about fixing that but just the thought made him tired so he too, headed down the stairs.

Fura poked her head out as Bruno looked both ways before heading to his room. He really did not want to explain what he was doing up in the tower. He heard Isa and Gus’s voices, but couldn’t really hear what they were saying. This was good as they were much less likely to notice him as he hurried to his room. Once inside, he set Fura on the pillow that was on the corner of his desk and pet her until she settled. As he did, he noticed the corner of a vision tablet peeking out from under some sketches. He didn’t remember putting it there, but this afternoon was still pretty hazy. He sat and set aside the sketches and examined the three pieces the tablet had broken into when he’d stepped on it. As he picked up each, he tilted them until he found the one with Antonio. The image of his sobrino was dim and the animal he was speaking with was not in view.

Bruno tapped the cracked tablet. It chimed pleasantly, so he tapped each piece five times, and left his fingertips on the last. The reverberation made his hand tingle a bit; it was one of the things he’d found endlessly fascinating when he was still small. This vision had shown Bruno the same things, but during the making the order of it would get muddled, and it always came back to one person. Antonio. His sobrino would pop in and out of view. Always on the periphery, and like that butterfly of Mira’s vision before the breaking, Antonio’s coloring would waver from green to gold. Usually just before Antonio talked to one animal or another. It was clear he was watching, waiting for something to happen. Like his prima, Antonio would collect information. No one really paid attention to his sobrino’s animal friends. They were everywhere and would tell Antonio things, then he would ask them to ‘do stuff’ for him. In his visions, the animals would vanish, but something small would change. Nothing obvious, but it would prompt Bruno to do the vision again. It had made him dizzy as his eyes struggled to keep up.

Antonio wanted to be a part of whatever their family was doing. Just because he was six and a half did not mean he wasn’t able. Bruno wasn’t sure if Antonio knew that Tuli was not physically a girl, and if he did know, he gave no sign. Every stitch of clothing he picked out would customarily not have been suitable for a boy. There was always a chance his friends had told him and he accepted it. But it was challenging to know just how much knowledge of Tuli’s situation the youngest of the Madrigals had.

He’d asked Dolores to keep an ear on him, and the things she heard were puzzling to her to say the least. Most of it was apparently reports of what Mirabel was up to. Mira hadn’t been able to spend much time with Antonio lately, so that did make sense. He was also getting reports about his friends. She also mentioned that her little brother’s afternoon naps were getting longer, making her think he was on the edge of overusing his Gift. With the school being closed. Antonio had been able to do pretty much what he wanted, but that would change tomorrow. There was an unwritten rule that all the Madrigals followed to not use their Gifts during school hours. Too much of a distraction.

He didn’t really have the energy to redo that vision he’d forced earlier. Truthfully, there was no reason for him to ask Antonio to stop what he was doing either. Nothing had happened that was actually bad, just unexpected. Bruno tapped the vision tablet to start it ringing again. It calmed him enough that he decided, not much would likely change between now and breakfast. Still, Bruno found it was intriguing. He was used to his Gift being immutable. The things he saw, unchangeable. He liked that now it was actually a definite, maybe. It was nice to know that he could, in fact, be wrong. He did not, however, want to burden Antonio with too much. He would need to talk to Félix and Pepa about how best to include their youngest child.

Bruno looked down at the center of the image. The cracks weirdly separated the three main parts of the vision. One part held what he decided was the tree Isabela had grown earlier. The name Anselmo stuck in his head for some reason, though he couldn’t really say why. One section was devoted to Casita shut up tight, not a shutter ajar. The last was of Mirabel speaking with Miguel Rodriguez. Initially, he had been far more concerned because Mira was in her bedclothes, but his sponty before supper showed him Isa’s part in that. Bruno knew there was no way Isabela would allow any harm to come to her hermanita.

Bruno opened his sketchbook and looked at the image of the laughing child. There was no question that was Tuli. Perhaps Tuli would, in fact, get to stay in the Encanto. This last sponty had also shown him Tuli when she returned to Casita with her Tío. She did not look at all unhappy and Bruno, at first, mistook the stuffed rat on Tuli’s shoulder to be Fura. The toy look remarkably similar to her. He glanced over at the rat still asleep on the pillow. She’d disappeared for a time after dinner until Antonio brought her to him.

He was pretty sure Rodrigo was also able to understand the rats. It made him wonder if only closely related members of that family could understand them, or if any relation could learn. Bruno was also curious to know if he could learn, it would certainly make his rat novellas easier to direct. He’d asked Antonio about it while his sobrino was picking out clothes and Antonio said Tuli had told him that their family’s magic was weak, so Bruno might be able to. Bruno had no idea what to make of that statement.

He turned his attention on the section with Mira. Chances were that this would be happening very soon, since his sponty showed Isa was wearing the same clothes she had on for her date with Bubo. Looking at it made him a bit nervous, but Mirabel did not have an expression of fear or concern. If anything, her stance reminded him of her mother. Julieta was very used to telling people things they did not want to hear. But she did it in a way that was gentle, and you knew she was listening. Not like the look Mirabel gave him as he handed her the bundle, this told Bruno he’d said way more than he intended when he let slip that Antonio picked out the clothes. That girl held on to information like a sponge, and would sort it as new information came in. Eventually, he knew that Mirabel’s curiosity would get the better of her, and then she would ask him some random question. Bruno would probably tell her something unrelated, and she would still figure it out.

He looked over at Fura, she was still asleep, so he turned to the other rats nearby and held out a hand. He hadn’t fed this group yet and motioned to them. They scampered up his sleeve and settled in his various pockets, with Tino sitting on his shoulder. There was a knock and Bruno saw it was Gus when Casita opened the door for him. He set the sketches back on the vision as Gus came in and sat on the nearby sofa.

“What’s up?” Bruno asked. Gus must have been the one to put the vision tablet on his desk. Of all the ones he’d made earlier, this was the only one he hadn’t destroyed outright.

Agustín was rubbing his knees, then patted them then pointed to the desk and asked, “I’m hoping you can shed a little light on... that. That Señor Rodriguez… he’s just a little too over the top, if you know what I mean. And you made so many… is there something I need to know?”

Bruno looked back over to the desk and replied, “I had a sponty earlier that showed Isabela was with Mira. Honestly, I don’t think Mirabel is in any kind of danger.”

Agustín relaxed a little, then took a deep breath and said, “Speaking of my oldest, there’s one other thing,” he paused until Bruno nodded, so he continued, “Julieta has tasked me with helping Bubo find a suitable place for him and Tuli to live. She said your Mamá brought up the shoe shop as a possibility. What do you think?”

Bruno sat back in his chair as he thought of his friend’s home. It was a small house with an even smaller yard. Thankfully, there was also no longer a shed in the back. That had been torn down over ten years ago. The house itself was in pretty good shape and was actually in a good location, having been swallowed up by the town, so it was no longer on the outskirts. It was also nearby the new school, and Pepa had even kept up the yard after he took to the walls. He really should thank her for that, Jorge had been a good friend to all the Madrigal triplets. Bruno smiled to himself and thought, it would be nice if there were people living there again and said, “It has been empty for a long time.”

“I know, then there’s the other...”

“Yeah, we’ll have to tell him about that.” Gus nodded and Bruno said, “I can do that if you’d like.”

“No, I was planning to speak with him anyway, given my daughter’s interest. Might as well see what his reaction will be.”

Bruno nodded and stood up. Tino and the other rats squeaked a little and Bruno said, “Well, I need to get these guys fed, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Agustín got up and they left Bruno’s room. Gus headed for his own, and Bruno headed down to the kitchen to wait for his sobrinas to return.

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

Isabela sat on her bed as she undid the intricate braid her mother had plaited earlier. She was feeling foolish after her conversation with her father. The standoff was only broken when her mother appeared and hustled her off to her room. Seriously, what did he think she was going to do? Isa paused when a random thought answered that question, and she blushed. She almost laughed at the irony, since conversations like that one hadn’t been needed when she was dating Mariano. She was never actually alone with him, and went out of her way to not be. That, and Señorita Perfecta would never have even dared to do such things. Obviously, it was her level of interest in Bubo that had prompted her Papá to well… be her Papá. This thought made her smile because it was proof to herself that she really was just like anyone else and still be alright. It could have been worse, but at least her father waited until Bubo had left with his Tío.

Her thoughts drifted, and she picked up the potted plumeria rubra she planted, and was very pleased to see three small leaves had unfurled from the cutting. She knew what its flowers looked like and resisted the urge to make the cutting bloom. She took it to the balcony and opened the doors to set it outside. The morning sun would definitely help green it up. She was adjusting it when something moving across the lawn caught her eye. Was that Mirabel? Was she sleepwalking? Normally, Isa would ignore this, but she thought she saw the shadow of someone else as she leaned over the rail. Maybe it was her imagination, but then again, Mirabel was now the focus of the magic of the Encanto. She sighed and asked, “Casita, did Mira ask you not to tell anyone she was sneaking out?”

The house clattered yes… then quickly clattered no.

Honestly, Isa thought. She looked at her shoes near the door and decided she didn’t have time for that. She poked her head out, the house was quiet, so she slipped out of her room. She went down the stairs and to the back door. She could hear her father and Tío Félix in the dining room talking, and growled when she found the door wasn’t budging. Casita clattered a tile or two and Isa whispered fiercely, “And you shouldn’t have let her wander off by herself, Casita. Now open the door.”

More tiles clattered angrily, but the back door popped open, and Isabela looked toward the voices, no one came out of the dining room, so she slipped outside and headed in the direction she’d seen her little sister take. Isa came around the corner of the house and stopped in time to see Miguel Rodriguez talking to her sister. Isabela had to admit her sister really had come a long way. Mira didn’t look afraid, or uncomfortable speaking with him. Luisa was a little too right when she said Isa was jealous of Mira and since yesterday’s debacle, Isa determined the best way for her to help Mirabel was to give her some tips for dealing with irritating folks. Teach her some of the ways of Señorita Perfecta.

Isabela noted that Miguel was swaying slightly and almost wanted to run over there. She moved a little closer, if it came down to it, she could wrap that pest up in vines so thick he’d be lucky to be able to breathe. Her fingers actually twitched slightly at the thought, so Isabela waited and watched.

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

When Mirabel reached the oak tree, she looked up in its branches. It was still glowing, or at least to her it was. Slowly, she reached toward it and gently touched the bark. Her fingers tingled and she smiled. The tree glittered a little more, and Mira felt the peace of the tree. She pondered why that was happening. Was it representative of how much of Isabela’s energy had gone into its making? Was she adding to that somehow? And why so big?

Isa said she thought the tree had told her its name was Anselmo. Tuli had said it was surely a guardian tree. Mira didn’t know enough about that tradition to make any sense of that statement. She decided she would ask Tuli what she meant by that, or maybe her Abuela. The glow briefly intensified and this reminded Mira of what some of the kids in town had told her about how the main road, and even the cracks in the houses, repaired themselves in a flash of colorful light when the Encanto’s miracle was revived. Was this tree a part of that?

Mira smiled as she remembered the joyous quiver she’d felt when the doorknob clicked into place, bringing her Casita to life. She was curious if her Abuela had had similar experiences. Could she still feel when the magic was active? So many questions raced through her head. When she took her hand off the tree, the leaves above her rustled slightly, and that made her giggle. This tree was actually so much larger than the one she remembered, and she wondered if she’d be able to climb it.

“Beautiful evening, yes?”

Mirabel turned, then froze as the speaker came into view. Miguel Rodriguez had appeared harmless enough during dinner... but you never know, she thought as she pulled her robe a little tighter around herself. Showing someone you were afraid gave them power. A lesson she’d learned when dealing with her Abuela through the years, and Mirabel had grown to be an expert at hiding those feelings. Still, she really wasn’t expecting anyone to be out and this close to Casita at this time of night when she considered the direction he’d come from; had he been trying to get inside? Mirabel felt a moment of real anger that churned in the pit of her stomach. She’d never felt unsafe in the Encanto, but now… Mirabel almost sighed as she remembered she’d told Casita not to tell anyone what she was doing. Probably not the best idea, and now this one was between her and her home. A light breeze brought the smell of alcohol to her, and Mirabel was a little more concerned for her safety. Her Mamá always said; drunk people did stupid things. Keep your wits about you, Mirabel. She forced herself to relax. She was smart enough to deal with this situation, but had to work to keep the smile on her face. Feeling a little more confident, she nodded in response and said, “Buenas noches, Señor Rodriguez, out for some air?” She was amazed that that had come out so smoothly. More determined to remain calm, she thought of a saying her Abuela would use whenever Isa was nervous before some outing. ‘Que no te vean sufrir’ Never let them see you sweat. Definitely useful advice.

Miguel nodded and said, “Couldn’t sleep. Had a bit of indigestion.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Señor,” Mirabel said as she watched him fidget with something in his pocket. He tilted his head as he swayed a little. His expression appeared surprised that she was being conversational, as if he were expecting an entirely different reaction to his slight regarding the quality of the food at supper. Her nerves were building, and though she was now more wary, she still felt calm. He’d not actually done anything alarming, yet, as she added, “Well, I’m going to head back in. Getting late and I have a busy day tomorrow. Perhaps we’ll run into each other in town?”

He nodded again, so Mirabel started toward Casita at as normal a pace as she could manage.

As she passed him, he cried, “Wait!” and reached out for her arm. Mirabel side stepped and Miguel went down, flat on his face. Was he that drunk? Mirabel thought as she backed several steps away.

When his head came up, his expression was all anger, disgust, and fear as Miguel said angrily, “You little witch! You did that on purpose!”

Mirabel was glad she was well out of arm’s reach but noticed then that Miguel’s foot was caught on a root that was sticking out of the ground and said, “I didn’t do anything, Señor. You tripped on a root.”

“You’re lying! You used your devil magic..!” he stopped mid-sentence as Mirabel took another longer step back and almost jumped out of her skin as she bumped into someone behind her. A hand was on her shoulder and Mirabel looked over. To her great relief, she found Isabela standing there looking down at Miguel in full Señorita Perfecta mode. Mirabel’s anxiety evaporated seeing her sister there; beautiful and furious. She stepped in front of Mira as Miguel freed himself from the root and said sternly, “It’s time for you to go, Señor.”

Miguel scrambled to his feet and wavered again. He almost looked as if he was going to rush at them, but Isa fixed him with a look so dangerous that even Mirabel was worried. Miguel’s fear won out and his mouth clapped shut. He cleared his throat as if to say something, but nothing came out. He then made a brief show of straightening his clothes before turning then silently stalking away, and at the edge of town, started to run.

Isabela’s frown increased as she watched Miguel until he was out of sight and muttered, “Jackass.” She then rounded on Mirabel, and Mira took an involuntary step back. She shrunk in on herself, hands balled up in front of her as she waited for her well-deserved scolding from her older sister. To her great surprise, Isa no longer appeared angry as she gave her an actual hug and asked, “You okay hermanita?”

Mirabel blinked and nodded, saying, “Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry…”

Isa undid her hands, took one of them, and moved closer to the tree. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong beyond sneaking out of the house.” Isa said as she inspected the ground at the base and asked, “Did I hear correctly? Did that drunk idiot trip over this root and blame you for it?” Mirabel shrugged and watched her sister poke at it with her bare foot. The root slipped back under the grass as Isa continued, “Can’t believe he accused you of using magic.”

“I know, right?” Mirabel said with a bit of forced laughter. She squeezed Isa’s hand as she felt that odd twinge of remembered anger and jealousy. She pushed that aside then realized what Isa just said, “Wait, you mean you didn’t...”

“Oh no no no, I mean, I could have. I was actually thinking I should strangle him with some vines and feed bits of him to a sundew,” Isabela paused at Mirabel’s look of horror and continued, “Well, maybe not strangled, but the sundew part... Anyway, you seemed like you had it handled, except for at the end. But thankfully it worked out and by the way,” Isa said as they started toward Casita, “Don’t do this again.”

Mirabel frowned and nodded then she asked, “You’re not gonna tell Mamá or Pá about this?” she trailed off as Isa raised an eyebrow, Mirabel was astounded that her sister was still not at all angry.

Isa looked back in the direction they’d come and gave Mirabel’s arm a squeeze as she said, “I have to.”

Mirabel sighed as she felt her panic rising. She adjusted her glasses and asked, “Please, can’t you just this once… not?”

“That man is not right, Mira, he’s dangerous,” Isa said, and Mirabel knew she was talking about Miguel. “Our parents need to know…everyone needs to. Who knows what that one would have tried to do if I wasn’t here? He hasn’t even been here an entire day, and he’s already trying to stir up trouble.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mirabel said and sighed again. Resigned to her fate, she decided to think about anything else, and her thoughts wandered back to the tree. She didn’t recall seeing any roots poking out of the ground when she’d arrived. Had the tree helped her? And why Anselmo? “I wonder why it would use a Portuguese name?”

“Anselmo is Portuguese?” Isabela asked.

Mirabel didn’t realize she’d said that out loud but replied, “Yeah, I'm pretty sure it means God’s protection.”

“Huh, that is interesting, so when did you learn Portuguese?” Isa asked as she tapped her chin, “You’re going to have to teach me.” When Mira didn’t respond, Isa poked her arm to pull her attention away from the oak and said, “I know you're curious about that tree; I am too. But you have to remember that things aren’t the way they used to be. We don’t know everyone in town anymore, and these new ones, some of them... ”

“That was pretty dumb, huh.” Mirabel said and felt the heat rise in her face as Isa only nodded. Miguel clearly had made up his mind that the Madrigal Gifts were the devil's doing. He did not know the family’s history and probably wouldn’t believe it if he’d been there to witness it. Chances were very good there would be rumors flying around tomorrow of how she’d hexed him or some other nonsense. She also remembered he seemed to have come from the direction of Casita. Isa was right, she was just going to have to face the consequences for sneaking out alone after dark. Her mother was going to kill her. Mirabel’s anger rekindled, knowing she was going to be lectured by every adult in the house once they learned of it. “Guess it’s time to stop hiding behind being Giftless.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’ve never been Giftless. Annoying, stubborn, foolish, definitely. But not Giftless.”

“Thanks?” Mirabel replied and gave her sister a gentle push as she almost smiled.

“You’re welcome, hermanita, now let’s go,” Isa said and chuckled as she turned Mirabel toward the house, “But seriously, Mira, you need to think things through before you go climbing out any more windows in the dead of night to look at a tree.”

“How did you know I climbed out a window?”

“Because that’s how you always used to go out after dark.”

“You knew about that?”

Isa only smiled and said, “Come on, let’s get inside.”

Mirabel nodded, and she realized her anxiety was building the longer they stood out there. So after a deep breath, together they slipped quietly into Casita. As they headed for the back stairs, a voice from the kitchen halted them, “Sobrinas, un momento.”

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

Mirabel froze, but Isabela rolled her eyes as she looped an arm in her sister’s and guided her into the kitchen. Tío Bruno was sitting at the worktable feeding leftover bread and cheese to his rats. Isa noticed he had darker circles under his eyes as he motioned for them to take a seat. He took out his sketchbook and flipped it to a page showing an angry Miguel, directing his ire at Mirabel. Her Tío frowned as he tapped it, saying, “First off, Mira, please don’t do that again, and please do not leave Casita by yourself until these new ones are better acclimated.”

Mirabel nodded as she sank a little lower in her seat. Isa poked her lower back, forcing her sister to sit up. Mira shuffled a little in her seat, but straightened and gave her an irritated glance. Her little sister needed to learn how not to be meek in the face of scrutiny from her elders.

“Now tell me why you were out there,” Bruno asked.

Mirabel shifted again but did not slouch this time as she replied. “Well, I just wondered if it was the same tree Abuela had Luisa pull down. You know, when I was seven... so I wouldn’t hide in it anymore,”

Bruno nodded and accepted that answer, he then turned to Isa and asked, “Can you tell if the tree was already there, or did you create it with your Gift?”

Isabela shrugged as she thought about what she was feeling when the tree began to grow. “When I ‘make’ something I can usually feel a beginning and an ending... like tying off a string, so I think the tree was already there, but it was much smaller, maybe just a sapling. When I use my Gift on already living plants, I feel a sort of fullness, and it’s not as draining. I didn’t feel at all tired afterward, if that makes any sense.”

Again, Bruno nodded and said, “You know, your Tía says that hers is much the same.”

Isa had never really thought about how her Tía’s Gift actually affected the weather but did remember her Tía Pepa would offer advice when she was having a tough time creating one flower or another. Creating weather from nothing had to be even more draining than making giant marigolds.

Bruno flipped a few pages and stopped on one that made both her and her sister lean in. It was a sketch of Señora Vargas, Tuli and Antonio. Isabela immediately wanted to wrap the woman in vines and squeeze the life out of her. The Señora was leaning over Tuli pointing at Antonio with an expression that made her think she was not saying kind things.

Bruno noted her frown and said, “I am not completely sure what’s happening, but it’s already been made clear that she has no love for those of us with darker skin. I don’t believe Tuli would be swayed by her nonsense, but she’s been through enough. She doesn’t need this one causing her grief.”

Mirabel nodded and asked for the sketchbook to take a closer look. Bruno hesitated before he pushed it to her. Mirabel adjusted her glasses as she sat staring at it. Her Tío looked nervous, and Isa wondered why. She glanced over at her sister and could tell Mira was concentrating very hard on the details as she ran a finger over the figures there. After a few moments, she asked, “Tío? Is this why Antonio picked out Tuli’s clothes for tomorrow? And is that Camilo?” she asked as she pointed to the child in the background. Isa leaned over and had a look, but the child she was pointing to was not very detailed at all. Isa looked back at their Tío. He had that knowing smile on his face, and Isa was surprised when he nodded.

Isa asked to see, and Mira pushed the sketchbook to her and set to tapping the table. Bruno was watching her with interest and asked, “Mira, have you talked to Antonio lately?”

“A little. Tía asked me to tell him about the ‘no Gift rule’.”

“She asked you to do that?” Isa asked.

“It just came up. We were talking about Doris’s kids starting school and I asked her about it when we were making dinner. She said she talked to him about it, but was worried because Toni’s been so used to talking to his friends. Since he gained and lost his Gift so quickly last year, she’s afraid he’ll get lonely.”

“That’s a valid point. What did you tell him?”

“I was actually just repeated what Tía had already said. That his friends would be there when he got out of school, so it was something he could look forward to.”

Isa was only half paying attention as she looked at a different sketch. This one showed Tuli with a floppy looking Fura on her shoulder. Tío Bruno tapped the table, and she shut the sketchbook and pushed it back to him. He took it and went back to feeding his friends. Isa and Mira exchanged glances and started to get up when he said, “Isa, there’s one other thing.” They both sat back down, and he continued, “Your father is going to visit Bubo tomorrow to help with finding him a place to live with Tuli if she stays.”

“Oh, she’s staying,” Mirabel said. Their Tío tilted his head as she continued, “The Doctor said she’s not well enough to travel yet, so Mamá suggested she stay with us.”

“Her Tío really agreed to that?” Isa asked.

“He probably only did because Bubo is here as well, since he plans to stay... ” she noticed Isabela’s scrutiny then and added, “I guess?”

“So she’ll be staying... ” Tío Bruno said this to no one as he began flipping through his sketches.

“Yes, but she’ll be living in Casita,” Mirabel said.

Isa wondered how Mirabel knew all that, since she was in her room with everyone else. She decided their Mamá probably told her when she was being talked to by their father. Again, Isa smiled at the thought of that happening. Bruno again went silent. Isa and Mira waited, but he was now very focused on feeding the rats. Isa tapped Mira’s shoulder. They both got up and Isa pulled Mira into the hallway.

To her credit, Mirabel resisted a little as she did this and when they got to the top of the stairs, Isa said as they walked to Mirabel’s room, “Remember, no more wandering out after dark by yourself.”

Mirabel smiled then hugged her, saying, “Thanks for looking out me.”

“You’re welcome, Humm,” she said and hugged her little sister back. “I’m glad I was there to help. Now go to bed... for real this time.”

Mirabel nodded, and Isa waited until her sister’s door was closed before continuing to her own room. She opened her door and was greeted by the buzz and clicks of the nighttime insects, and quickly got ready for bed.

Her bed no longer had those flowing curtains of flowers around it. And she smiled as the vines came down and attached themselves to the four corners of her bed. It lifted a few meters off the floor, and Isabela set the bed to gently swinging as she pushed her head into her pillows. It had been a good day, she thought. Very good.

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

With her daughters gone, Julieta came into the kitchen and sat next to her little brother as Bruno gave Maria an extra bit of cheese. They sat in silence for a while until Bruno flipped open his sketchbook to the very last page and pushed it to his sister. Julieta stared at it for a time, then brushed the face there. As she did, Pepa came in and sat down on the opposite side of Bruno. Julieta pushed the sketchbook to her, and a dark cloud formed as she looked at it. Pepa closed the book and returned it to her brother. Bruno tapped the cover five times, then stowed the book. The rats being sufficiently fed disappeared into his ruana and Bruno said, “Siempre estaremos juntos, hermanas.”

“Siempre estaremos juntos, hermano,” the sisters intoned as Julieta and Pepa slipped an arm around Bruno.

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

Next Chapter: Lost in my head somewhere.

Previous Chapter:

0 notes