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casitafallz · 1 year

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LTRL AU | Bringing Him Home

Abuela stood nervously, her heart thumping in her chest in a way that was…different to what she had felt before, her hands pulling the shawl around her tightly as she went

This morning, she hadn’t expected much, aside from a gentle day as she mulled on how Antonio’s gifts would be applied to help while he got used to it; to understand and learn in the meantime. She hadn’t anticipated running into Antonio and him suddenly spouting news about her long-left son hiding in the walls and that his mother and Tia had gone in after to look for him.

She hadn’t expected herself to follow but she felt the drive to go and see—in part to make sure her daughters weren’t going to get hurt and also… despite her anger and pain of his loss, to see him. Nothing good would come of living in the walls and she certainly hoped that… he was functional.

What possessed him to think the walls were a habitual place to live, she didn’t know and it wasn’t an answer to a sane mind which… only highlighted her concerns that her son probably was far from good.

At least some good had come quickly from Antonio’s gift… which did lead her to wonder, why did Dolores not say anything? Did Casita keep the inside of the walls quiet from her?

Abuela continued to mull, her nose wrinkling in distaste though the state of Casita’s falls were far from pleasing; she’d need to get people from down to patch up better than what…Bruno had been clearly been doing in his free time. It was hardly safe and she’d definitely lock it up. She couldn’t risk anyone hurting themselves.

Ahead, she began to hear the soft voices of her triplets, her heart leaped and her pace picked up in step.

“I’m not mad about the wedding.” Pepa’s voice got louder with a crack of light around the doorframe. “I was angry that you left me. Left our family… Until he was three, Camilo was your shadow until you kept shutting yourself away in your room. He was so upset. Then, you were gone. How could I not be angry at you?”

A hushed beat before Julieta said, “Pepa, not now.”

“No, yes; now.” Pepa fired back sharply, “We lost our brother, Julieta. He left us and now… he’s not trying. We needed him! You needed him. Mama needed him!”

Her brow pulled in before she pushed the door in to the sight of a small, lived-in room. Her eyes brushed past her two daughters that squabbled and went straight to the hunched, ruana-covered stick of a man that was her son.

Clearly not paying attention; he hadn’t noticed her arrival or how she stepped in, waving a hand to Julieta to silence her as her eldest child saw her; now was not the time.

Her heart pulled at the sight of Bruno. Small….and so fragilely thin. Not emaciated but… so much thinner than before. Grey lined in his long, unkempt hair now much more and the dark bags under his eyes were so much more prominent with the sun-light deficient pallor to his skin.

He also looked a few seconds away from hyperventilating.

He was not well at all.

“Brunito.” Abuela couldn’t help herself as she reached for him, the need to make sure he was not only there but to offer a small offering of comfort.

His entire posture stilled, aside from his head turning to face her. Pepa cracked in thunder behind her about something but she ignored that in favor of Bruno.

“No… no you’re not here.” He denied softly. “You’re not supposed to find me.”

Those words were heart-breaking to hear; how in clear denial he was about being found. This wasn’t right.

“Mama?” Pepa’s echoed this time, pulling Abuela around in annoyance at the interruption of such a moment. But this was a different tone as she noticed both her daughters were looking to the little hand-made table. She stepped away, only briefly though her heart sunk to see a hand-drawn picture painted onto the surface of wood of his plate, his name scratched into it and a stale arepa half-eaten by rats sat just off it.

It was easy to think before that he didn’t care; that he had left them without looking back. It was…easier to see him doing that. Easier to assume the worse because it made the pain of his absence so much easier to bare on top of Pedro’s loss.

Bruno did care. Abuela wasn’t blind to see the place he has set was meant to be beside her, not entirely behind. Putting effort in despite his distance…despite their ignorance. Ten years of sitting here at the table. Never being a part of the conversation.

Abuela shifted back but she couldn’t help herself as she lent into the chair and wrapped her arms around his thin frame, disliking how she could feel his bones through his clothes. “Brunito.” Her tone wavered, trying to project some strength back into it.

He remained stiff in her arms.

“You’re not here, mama.”

The denial was…

“Bruno—“

But suddenly, he moved and Abuela fell back a little as he pushed her arms away with a surprising amount of strength than expected and in a flurry of green was gone through the only door out. Abuela barely regained her balance by gripping the red chair tightly before Pepa took off after him with a crack of thunder and a—

“BRUNO!”

Her heart raced in her chest, staring wide-eyed to the door as the orange of Pepa and her cloud disappeared out of sight; their steps echoing away into the distance of Casita.

“Mama, are you alright?” Her daughter’s hand came to her shoulder, her eyes brimming with concern but Abuela nodded swiftly and straightened up.

“I didn’t think he’d do that,” She admitted, “Clearly, he’s in a worse state than I thought.”

“He…seemed okay. I think we’re pushing it. Three of us unexpectedly… and he won’t tell us why he’s here.”

That… didn’t surprise her. It was a fair assessment and… thinking back, Bruno had always been more of a run-first and then question.

“Then let’s…focus on him than his reasoning. He’ll keep running if we keep asking.” As much as she hated that, the need to know why he put himself through ten years of isolation… but if he was that fragile then she had to be craftier in her question. A long game, even. Abuela spared a look around, “He won’t be staying in here, that’s for sure. I’ll ask Luisa to put the piano in front of the painting.”

With a final look, Abuela nodded Julieta back along out; keen to escape the…smell and the rats mostly.

“You’re…not going to block it off permanently?” Julieta grabbed her bowl swiftly and joined her.

“Not until I’ve had someone come and help patch the cracks and fill in any other damages. I want that room cleared and Bruno settled in his own room where it’s safest.”

Outside, it was very quiet aside from finding Pepa returning to Casita winded, both literally with how she was catching her breath and with the slight upheave of wind that shot through Casita’s lower building and ruffling their skirts.

“The rat bastard got away!” She sunk down, Casita sliding a chair under her just in time, “He runs fast!”

“How far did you get?” Abuela asked, her eyes flickering to the door.

Pepa took a few more breaths to answer, a hand clutching a stitch in her side. “That pit of death in the walls. He flew over that! I figured he got out the door by the time I got through the painting but… I couldn’t find him.”

Abuela nodded though thankfully, Felix came jogging in though with Dolores on his heels.

“Amor!” Felix dropped to his’s wife’s side, checking her over.

“Dolores,” Abuela watched Dolores squeak nervously, her head turning to face her but she was glad to have her attention, “Can you locate Bruno?”

Dolores’s head tilted though her shoulder’s relaxed after a moment. “He’s… ran into Isabela and more or less passed out. The adrenaline has worn off.”

Abuela licked her lips thoughtfully but she supposed she wasn’t the worst person for him to run into; she was still a family member so it seemed likely to return him back home.

“Where are they?”

Dolores hesitated after a moment. “It’s…a quiet spot in the woods further downtown. Why doesn’t Papa go down and talk to Bruno and talk him into coming back? He…might be more convincing, Abuela?”

“Bruno?” Felix’s head perked up, though he spared a look down to Pepa. “He’s here?”

“He never left, it seemed,” Abuela responded with tightly. “I take it you know where Dolores’s is referencing?”

Felix nodded, glancing at his eldest. “I do.”

Abuela pursed her lips, weighing her options though it was clear neither was going to share where Isabela was and where Bruno had ended up but…she supposed it wasn’t overly relevant and she had to make preparations now he was back. Like his room for starters.

“Then go, Felix.”

She turned her attention away, back to her eldest. “Why don’t you get more food ready and get together some new bedding? Dolores, go and retrieve Mirabel to help then Luisa and have the latter move Antonio’s old bed frame and mattress into Bruno’s room. Pepa, I’ll need help clearing out Bruno’s bedroom.” It had been a while but… she knew it was probably filled with sand. Hardly habitable but she needed things to get in order before Felix was able to convince Bruno back. So he had a place to rest his head at the end of the day. On a bed, not one of those flimsy hammocks that’d do little to help his back.

Between her and Fran, Bruno was soon propped up against a tree, his breath still ragged and his hands shook though he looked…anxious if ever she saw how he looked around but it was clear strength had failed him given he hadn’t tried to get up.

“So, this is your Tio Bruno? The one that has the visions of impending doom?.” Fran asked, not overly quiet and clearly not caring how Bruno looked at her sharply. “I thought he was taller.”

Isabela snorted a little, “Camilo?”

“He made a convincing argument a few months back when the topic of this guy came up but…actually now that I think about it… yeah, he’s tiny… and clearly malnourished. You’re family’s got a lot of work if you want to him to get physically healthy again and… god forbid, he looks like he’s ODs in a back alleyway.”

“Thanks.” The dry tone of Bruno was not missed.

“Should we take him to your family?” It seemed like a good start before they’d get home; an official doctor and all would get them a good idea.

Fran wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather not. My father and Tios blame him for my Abuela’s death. She died… five years before I was born after a rope snapped carrying several tons of stone bricks that fell on her when the building of the church in the plaza”

“Seriously?”

“Si, That amount of stone will kill anyone.” Fran’s nose wrinkled, “At least it was a quick death.” As if that was the only silver lining in this situation. Isa didn't quite know how to respond to that.

“Then we should take him back to Casita.”

“No.” Bruno shook his head. “I can’t… I can’t go back.”

“Tio, you need help” Isabela pointed out, “What happened to you?”

Bruno shook his head, his hands coming to rub at his eyes, “No… No. I need to go. I wasn’t supposed to be found…I’m not supposed to be here”

“Seems a screw might have loosened,” Fran remarked under her breath. “Señor Madrigal, I get you have a few issues but you’re coming across as half-starved and half-crazed here and clearly in no fit state to get up, let alone escape elsewhere. You can’t deny yourself the fact you’re not where you used to be, you’re here and your family knows about you being around again.”

“Fran,” Isa warned softly, watching as Bruno literally tears up.

“What, Isa?” Fran looked at her, “I know I have no bedside manner but sugar-coating won’t help him right now.”

“A little bit of sugar won’t hurt.”

A new voice made them jump. Isa turned around sharply though her shoulder’s relaxed as she realized it was…simply Tio Felix. He looked a little frazzled and wet but otherwise chipper, his face was otherwise melded in concern, and has a bag around his shoulder

“Tio, What’s going on here?” Isa asked, “I thought Tio left the Encanto… where did he come from?"

“You’re Tio spent the last ten years living in the walls of our home. He never left.”

“Kinda creepy.”

“Not now, Fran.”

Fran held her hands up into a surrender, wandering away for some privacy though headed to her bag and began to look through it.

Isabela turned her focus back to her Tio Felix “Is that all?”

“Your mother and Tisa found him… and Abuela.” He winced a little. “Bruno freaked out and ran.”

“I didn’t freak out. It was a normal reaction to unwelcome guests.” Bruno complained tightly, his arms crossing over his chest with a very steely edge of defiance. “I was asleep!”

Tio Felix smiled softly. “I’m sorry that…you were so rudely woken, Bruno. But… I am so happy to see you.”

Bruno looked about, his eyes not fully settling. “You are? I thought you jumped onto the same bandwagon as your wife. You think I don’t know the whole ‘we don’t talk about Bruno’ thing you’ve all been saying to the kids?”

Felix’s face fell, “It’s not that simple.” He moved forwards, coming to sit down onto the grass next to the exhausted man. “I don’t know what made you leave or why, but… Your disappearing hurt your family. Pepa…Julieta and… most certainly your mother, Bruno.”

Bruno stiffened up. “I don’t want to talk to her.” His voice shook a little. “I can’t… she’ll make me spill and… all that time away will mean nothing. I can’t do that, Felix!”

Isabela’s head tilted a little at that though it sounded like he was very scared of Abuela’s reaction; of knowing something that Abuela wanted to know. His gift, perhaps must be a factor.

“I’m sure your absence has a reason and I admire that and the strength you’ve had to keep away” Felix continued, “Ten years of isolation… it’s got to have been so hard and you’ve missed so much. You missed the children growing up… heck, even Antonio’s birth. Sure, they don’t know much given Abuela’s rules but… she didn’t put those rules there to spite you. Your absence hurt her a lot. You know she keeps everything covered up. It’s easier to…say nothing and avoid the topic.”

Bruno’s eye twitched, “I wasn’t supposed to be found…”

“I know. But… what was the game plan here, Bruno? Stay there until your death and us finding your half-eaten skeleton a few months later in the walls? Were you ever coming out on your own terms?”

Bruno faltered at that. “I… I don’t know.” He swallowed thickly but his expression remained furrowed for a moment or so, “I…Abuela asked for a vision... I can’t tell her what happened. She can’t know…otherwise we lose everything!”

“You ran away because of a vision?” Isabela asked, “What could have motivated that?”

“Knowledge of a future sounds awful.” Fran remarked, breaking the slight unease through her dry attitude “Plus, I guess you’re worried you might cause a future to happen by spilling. Self-fulfilling prophesy?”

“Yep. That is the exact reason!” Bruno looked more determined by that reasoning. “If I say it, a bad thing will happen and I don’t want that! Not for my family.”

If there was more to it, Isabela opted not to question it. It seemed like a reason Tio Bruno was very content to cling to as well with every fiber of his being though it looked like he had loosened up a little.

“So… okay, we avoid that as a topic.” Felix decided, “But… I think it’s time for you to come home, Bruno. Don’t you want to sit at our table… maybe get to know the family again and… well I’m sure Antonio would love another Tio to talk to. He mentioned… you have a lot of rats.”

Bruno’s face remained uncertain though at the mention of Antonio, he looked sad. “He…He didn’t—doesn’t know about me, does he?”

“Not really. In passing and the…family tree in the dining room but…why don’t you come and meet him? You and the rats, him and his gift, seems like a good thing to bond over?”

Bruno’s expression softened, “What… what can he do?”

“He can talk to animals… and in all honesty, I think that’s how your sisters found you out.” Felix chuckled.

Bruno’s lip twitched a little though after a moment, his shoulders relaxed. “I… I can’t be around a lot of people.”

“That’s okay. I guess it’ll take some time for your to adjust and.. well me and Gus will certainly help.” Felix clapped him on the shoulder, offering a hand up.

Bruno swallowed thickly but after a moment, reached up and took it.

“I’m going to go home, talk to my Pa and Abuelo.” Fran whispered to Isa as the two began to walk away, “I don’t know how much your mama knows but if he’s been on a small diet for a long period of time, he won’t tolerate a lot of food at once. I can get more information for you?”

Isabela smiled at her gratefully, “I… I would like that. Thank you.”

Mirabel hurriedly helped her Tia as they dressed the new bed into basic clean bedding and help brush the sand from the room back to the falling curtain though Mirabel considered getting an actual curtain to stop the sand from coming in entirely. It was a lot of sand and it was everywhere.

She had been astonished to hear the rumors but she knew to help while she could while Tio convinced him back, so she heard from Abuela and Tia’s talking. With Tio Bruno’s discovery and… well she hoped it’d do the family some good in the long run. It was about time they brought him back. Maybe that’d take some of the burden of attention off Isabela’s actions of two and a half months ago.

To be gone for ten years and to suddenly be back…it was all a surprise and a huge thing for their family. Mirabel did hope to get to know him. It’d be nice to know about her Tio… and the only people she knew who remembered him were Isa, Dolores, and Luisa. Camilo was a lost cause on that front with his dramatics. Antonio now had a chance to really welcome him back because who could say no to that face.

Mirabel had seen her Tio’s dark door in passing and now, its carving was only vaguely lit now, not as dark as before but nowhere near as bright as the others of her family.

The front room in from the door, she helped clear before Luisa brought the bed frame in and they got focused on making the room itself habitable. New candles and the wardrobe from the nursery was emptied and moved for temporary storage.

“I think we’re done.” Tia Pepa decided.

“We are?” Mirabel asked, “What about his personal belongings? Spare clothes?”

Pepa pursed her lips. “I can find some of his old clothes but…I’m not going to search for it past that-” Gesturing a thumb to the sand curtain. “Don’t ever go through that, okay? It’s been decaying for years and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Mirabel spared a glance at the curtain. “What’s on the other side?”

“A ton of steps up to the vision cave. Nothing important there. This was always Bruno’s sleeping area but… it seems he probably took most of his stuff into the walls with him.” Her tone turned a little sour, the cloud above her head darkening with small flickers of lightning.

Mirabel sighed though her curiously lingered. Another time…maybe when the room was in a state of repair. Though she could see her Tia once again straightening up a pillow and double-checking everything.

“Tia Pepa,” Mirabel cocked her head to the side. “Are you okay?”

Pepa looked back at her sharply. “Of course.” She seemed almost offended, “Of course I’m okay. I’m okay.” A clap of thunder said otherwise. “It’s not like our life is going to change. I’m perfectly happy. My brother is out the walls, god forbid why he went there in the first place without a damn note and leaving us all for ten years!” She took a pause, “Clear skies, clear skies…”

Mirabel crossed the space and gently pulled her Tia into a soft hug, breaking her out of her mantra though she ignored the soft pattering of water. Tia Pepa seemed to freeze for a moment before she loosened up and gently hugged her back.

“He’s here!” Antonio’s voice startled the two apart, though Mirabel yelped as she was nearly thrown back as Pepa moved suddenly and was through the door in a heartbeat.

Mirabel’s hand shot to her chest, scurrying out afterward, and almost ran into the back of Luisa though she caught sight of Isabela and Felix but in between, them was a small man, dressed in a green ruana that was clearly far too big for him.

Tio Bruno.

“Hola!” Antonio ran forwards excitedly, “Are you really my Tio Bruno? Did you know the rats call you Mama? It was really confusing when they were telling me about you and-and..”

“Antonio,” Felix coughed, “let the man breath.”

Antonio pouted a little.

“It’s… It’s okay.” Tio Bruno replied, his voice a little tight. “I don’t mind.” He turned his attention back to the 5-year-old, “you like rats?”

Antonio nodded, “They’re very interesting. How many do you have?”

Mirabel prodded Luisa softly to get her moving than just being an observer. Talk about an awkward audience. Hardly the welcome wagon a nervous-looking man needed. “Let’s give them time to settle.”

#lest the rot lingers au #encanto au #encanto #drabble #alma madrigal #antonio madrigal #luisa madrigal #isabela madrigal #agustin madrigal #agustín madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #dolores madrigal #felix madrigal #camilo madrigal #bruno madrigal #mirabel madrigal

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melghi · 2 years

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Hi guys this is the second part of " A trip with a lot of surprises" in the enemies to lovers universe of Julieta and Agustin. Let's see how it goes.

Señorita: Miss

Corazón: sweet heart

Conejita: little Bunny

I will update tomorrow too✌️

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Leaving the box with arepas on the first row of seats, Agustin noticed both Bruno and Felix were seated in the musicians' spot, it was the last row basically. Most likely the twins, Carlos and Tony have convinced them to join them. Those two always carried their instruments everywhere they went. An old but sturdy guitar, a drum that has seen better days and a 2 sets of maracas.

Before he could continue paying attention to how his companions had settled in.

Agustin got off the chiva to go further back and help Julieta get on. This bus was very high and had no aisles to walk through, but you had options if you wanted to change your seat.The first one was getting off and then climb again wherever you wanted, the second one, was jumping over the stalls, and your last and wildest one was hanging from the structure like a monkey.

Also, you had to be careful with the sides, there were no doors but chains that could be removed or put on, that was its only security. He had never understood how they were used especially to celebrate parties, he couldn't even imagine getting on one of these while drunk.

"Allow me please, it wouldn't look good if la señorita Madrigal were to fall and hurt her cute butt." the bespectacled boy whispered to the brunette as he climbed up again and offered her his hand. When she walked past him, he slowly let go of her hand. It almost seemed to hurt them."

"Thank you," Julieta replied, giving him a mischievous smile and sliding into her seat between Pepa and Johana.

"Move shepherd, you're blocking my view of the little lambs," Manuel snapped. "Dumbass meat isn't transparent."

A couple of sheeps accidents and that's your name for the rest of you life.

Only when Manuel saw the disapproving faces of the Madrigal sisters, he snorted and stopped bothering Agustin, giving him one last push. Manuel went on his way and got into the row behind the driver, next to the arepas, as Wilmer, Juaquin and another 2 guys followed him.

Rolling his eyes, Agustin swung to sit next to Bruno, taking the seat nearest to the edge. The seer grinned at him sheepishly as he gave him a maraca.

"All right everybody, Father Juan is already waiting for you up on the mountain. Besides you, we'll pick up some people along the way, that's right guys, 3 years ago we made a road," laughed the driver. "That makes things easier for everyone."

Seeing how the kids organized themselves, the driver pointed out quickly, "Girls it would be a good idea if you put the little ones between you to avoid accidents." Susana obeyed and sat Rogelio, Margarita and Maria between her and Daniela, she then turned her head and asked johana for a blanket to tuck the little ones in, it was 8:00 a.m. but still, it was cold.

"Alright let's go," shouted Mr. Perez. Screams of Excitement were his answer. "Tony, play something spicy man."

With that the journey began.

-------

Bruno was excited, he didn't think he would feel good when they arrived at the middle of the town, but when he saw his friends, he began to feel better.

Besides his sisters, Felix and Agustin made Bruno feel at home, he owes them a lot. Especially Agustin, Bruno almost made his sisters murder him a couple of months ago, the seer let out a chuckle at the memory of what had happened.

A cute squeak brought him out of his thoughts. If anyone thought he wouldn't bring one of his rats they would have been dead wrong, Bruno thought as he pulled a small rat out of his pocket.

Fergus loved to go on adventures and then tell him, through his incredible acting, what he had seen during the day, he was a very talented actor, so as a director, Bruno had to nurture the experiences of his actors.

Of course, sometimes it was a little difficult to know what his furry friend was trying to tell him, like the other day for example...

A strong cough to his left, made him look worriedly at his friend. "Wow Gus, everything ok?" Bruno asked as he gently tapped him on the back.

"cof, cof... Cof, sure. It's nothing," Agustin assured him while looking at the rat in his friend's hands.

"New member?" Agustin smiled tensely.

"Yes, his name is Fergus, he's one of the best of his generation," Bruno said proudly.

Agustin nodded slowly, encouraging Bruno to star talking non-stop about all the stories they hadn't done yet. The bespectacled guy changed his attencion when he felt a pair eyes on him, subtly turning his head a little, his eyes met Julieta's.

"The rat!" he said, moving his lips without making a sound. Realizing the brunette didn't understand, He frantically started to point with his eyes at Bruno's lap.

Oh boy, the brown and white rat from the alley!

When the little guy noticed his observers, he gave them an innocent but dangerous look, it remembered them.

Shit!

If her eyes could have popped out of their sockets, they would have done it by now. Julieta couldn't believe it, what is that little animal doing here, Bruno!?

Okay calm down and act normal, Julieta! she yelled to herself in her head.

"Julieta!" One of the girls in the front called out to her, making the brunette jump.

"What?" Julieta said quickly, but upon looking at the surprised faces of her friends, she cleared her throat and answered more calmly.

"I mean, Yes?"

"Sorry july, but could you please tell the driver if we can stop for a moment, we've been driving for 2 hours and I need to go to the bathroom, I saw about 30 minutes ago, there is a store nearby, I'm embarrassed to ask."

The girl was kind, Julieta had no problems with her, but she was madly in love with Manuel, ugh! and she was Vanessa's best friend, so they were not very close. Although she would help her this time because that girl just saved her from a breakdown.

"Sure," Julieta answered with a condescending smile.

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

Once in the store, their companions began to look around to see if there was anything they wanted to eat, especially the children.

Julieta, for her part, stood one the side, next to the bathrooms trying to look for Agustin with her eyes, while Johana and Pepa went to ask the twins for more famous songs and of course, a few kisses from Felix.

"That was scary, wasn't it? said a voice from behind her, making her jump.

"Agustín!" Julieta mumbled, with her hand on her chest.

"Sorry, Conejita. I didn't mean to scare you." her tormentor replied affectionately.

Julieta could only roll her eyes, it was impossible not to melt at how tender Agustin could be.

"Do you think Bruno's pet, said something to him?"

"I didn't know Bruno besides seeing the future talked to animals," Agustin chuckled.

"You never know, what if someday one of our children could do something like that, it will be our end." Julieta said with exasperation not looking at him.

"Ohhh." Agustin purred.

"What?" replied the brunette with annoyance.

"One of our children you say? Who knew my Conejita would want to have not just one but several children with little old me, my god" Agustin sang.

Blushing beyond belief, julieta stammered. "D-don't be silly, I-I never said that! Besides, they couldn't o-only be ou-, mine. Pepa could have children with Felix or Bruno could.... Well Bruno, I don't know about Bruno, b-but I-."

"No, no easy love. I promise you 1000 children if that's what you want, I'll sacrifice myself." Agustin quipped, as he moved closer to Julieta from behind, putting his chin on her shoulder and hugging her closer, away from curious eyes.

"Don't b-be," Julieta's scolding was interrupted by a nibble on her ear. "W-who says I want children with y-you?" the brunette mewled again as Agustin flushed them together.

"Your mouth says no, but the rest of your body says yes, so I'll have to convince that little mouth of yours."

Agustin growled and put an arm around Julieta's mid riff as his other hand sprawled across the Lenght of her body to Raise up her dress enough to get to her slick sex.

The brunette sobbed quietly as she pressed her back into his chest while Dropping her head on his shoulder. "G-gus someone might see us," julieta said feebly.

"Should I stop then?" Agustin grunted.

"I'll kill you if you even think of stopping, this is my prize, you idiot." Julieta rasped as she put one of her hands behind her torturer head pulling at his hair while the other one, rested on top of the hand that was driven her crazy at the moment.

It was mortifying.

And that just made it better.

If someone had asked Julieta Madrigal before if she would had ever let a guy ever approach her and do these kinds of things to her before marriage, she would have said, "Never, that would never happen, I would look for a man incapable of thinking about those things, someone serious and courteous like me, leave those things to Pepa".

Agustin was serious and courteous, but he was also a wolf in sheep's clothing, ready to make anyone who was careless lose their minds, she was lucky to be his prey. No matter how much she denied it.

The good thing was she was his drug too and that thought made her so goddamn happy.

Agustin would agree with her, no women on earth would drive him nuts like the woman on his arms right now, she was pure magic, she was heaven and hell all at once and at this moment, she was been a brat.

"I-i, Gus please, i'm c-close." Julieta sobbed while bitting her lips.

"I don't know, my supposedly good girl was insulting me 2 seconds ago, besides, she said she didn't want to have children with me, that hurt me, Love," Agustin started to slowly remove his hand.

"No, no, no, no, no sorry, sorry, sorry, I'll be good." Julieta pleaded while scratching his hand.

"You'll be good and not a spoiled brat? Agustin hissed as he Grabbed one of her breasts squeezing it, while his other hand pinched her clit.

the brunette's eyes rolled back in her head, she was torn between crying and cumming.

"yes, yes, yes, just please..." Julieta cried, arching her back.

"How many children do you want then, Conejita? I'll give you as many as you want." Agustin taunted her as he bit her neck.

"Come on, love, answer daddy." Agustin ordered as he pick up the pace.

That did it.

"Three, three, three! Sss oh fuc-." Julieta bucked againts his hand uncontrollably until she had no strength left, if it wasn't for her companion who was holding her with care, she would be on the floor.

"Good girl." the bespectacle gentleman kissed her sweetly on her cheek. "let's rest for a moment, Corazón."

#agustin madrigal #encanto #julieta madrigal #the madrigals #fan fics

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cutepastelstarsalior · 2 years

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Info about Papa!Villian!Bruno

Tw: murder, child abuse

After Bruno had the vision of Mirabel and the cracks in a panic he decided to kidnapped Mirabel and take her out of the Encanto, believe that it would be safe for her

He accidentally took Camilo as well, not noticing that Camilo was sleeping next to Mirabel

The trio move to a subburb area near Bogotá

Bruno decided to take Camilo because he and Mirabel were close and he didn’t want Camilo to be force to use his gift and help the community and not have a childhood

He wanted to take the older kids as well but he couldn’t since that will be a big red flag if all the kids and Bruno left

Somewhere along the way Bruno protect of Mirabel grew into an obsessive and now instead of making the vision not come true, he’s going to make it come true.

Again, he’s a villian in this story.

Camilo end up becoming Mirabel protector “she said to jump you say how high”

Mirabel grew up to have a normal childhood; friends, crushes, school ect.

Everyone and even Mirabel and Camilo, think that the two are twins

Camilo dosnt have the best childhood, and he takes his anger and hate out onto Mirabel

The kids wear green

A few days before Mirabel and Camilo birthday (March 6) Mirabel’s childhood bully, Sofia De León, is found dead.

Sofia De León dad owns a underground ring/black market thing. Bruno works for him

Lots of rumors think Camilo murder Sofia. He did

Camilo stalk and physically and physiological torture Sofia

Sofia was only Mirabel bully for a month before she stop. It was when they were 9, she dies when she was 14

Camilo and Bruno also mentally and physically experiment on Mirabel, Camilo has her drink his blood, Bruno gives her drugs. They think the magic is inside her and it just needs to be forced out

The town the trio lives in is called Cantaría. The town is nestled somewhere between the Magdalena River and Andes mountains

Bruno teaches Mirabel and Camilo magic, their witches! Bruno a sea witch, Mirabel a embroidery/cottage and music witch, and Camilo is a bone witch

Bruno has thick wavy hair and keeps it in a ponytail, he works as veterinarian and use his vision to pay for bills

Bruno also has Psychometry

Camilo has a second gift to wipe or rewrite memories

Julieta can heal people and can create humanoid plant life.

Pepa can read people's thoughts and can change and create weather with her emotions.

Camilo has red curly hair and freckles

Camilo started training (killing, stalking, bloodsports, ect.) when he was 10. Mirabel hates it since her brother comes home all bruised up she also left home a lot and is lonely

Camilo knows that Bruno is his uncle and Mirabel is his cousin. He also knows about the vision and the family. A part of him think he’s should tell Mirabel but he doesn’t. He want to help his dad but also not to. Not because he cares about the family, he’s just worried if the candle goes out, magic does too, then all the memories he took or rewrite will come back to his victim and then he’ll be sentenced to jail

Mirabel has three best friends: Mira Sevilla, Eva-Maria Costa, and Rebeca Cubero

The night of her birthday Mirabel get place in a ritual by her family. Mirabel friends try to save her, they failed and Eve got her leg chop off, and Rebeca got one of her arms chop off. Mira ran before she could get hurt

Bruno and Mirabel keep rats, Camilo is doesn’t like them.

Camilo didn’t really have any morals but he does care about his family, kind of. He still bullies and physically hurts Mirabel though. He will do anything once, just to try it or if he’s bored. but he won’t sexually hurt children or animals

Bruno think Mirabel doesn’t have magic because she doesn’t have Madrigal blood, he think either Agustin is not human or Julieta had an affair with a magical creature

After the ritual Mirabel gets periods of being very Ill and bedridden then she’s be normal again it’s a cycle. She also unawarely going through drug withdrawals.

Camilo smokes and drink as a coping mechanism he as a lot of issues

Mirabel is trying to figure out why two of her friend are missing body parts the day after her birthday and why are they acting different. It leads her down a rabbit hole about the town and her family

Camilo try to run away when he was 10, only to be found by tracking device

One night when Camilo is drunk and feeling sad he tells Mirabel that he murder Sofia, Mirabel as a breakdown and starts to question everyone and becomes paranoid she also has issues too.

#fandom #villain papa bruno au #encanto #encanto au #my au

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achitka · 2 months

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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:

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sea-owl · 2 years

Text

A drabble for my officially dubbed Seer Julieta au. First post here

I'll probably post mire of these as I think of them.

During the time it takes for Casita to be rebuilt the Madrigals are housed by different villagers. Osma Pezmureto was only supposed to be housing Augustin and Julieta but there hasn't been one night where Julieta didn't have at least one daughter glued to her. Then during the day Bruno and Pepa were the ones fighting for the attention of their hermana.

Honestly it was very overwhelming after isolating herself for 10 years.

This is how Julieta had ended up quietly going back to Osma's house, claiming she felt tired to Augustin.

"Oh! Julieta!" Osma jumped in her seat, knees banging against the table, and a few green hair beads rolled off the tabel. Osma's face flushed as she scrambled to collect the beads. "I didn't think you would be back yet."

Julieta picked up a spare bead that fell on the floor. "Don't get up on my account. It just gets a little suffocating being thrown back among so many people at once. Besides for whatever reason Bruno and Pepa won't come in here."

Julieta didn't see Osma wince.

Julieta sits down across from Osma. She twirls on of the beads between her fingers. "Honestly I'm more surprised to find you still living here."

Osma furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Julieta holds up one of the beads. "These hair beads were Bruno's first courting gift to you. I remember Felix helping him make them. I honestly thought you two would have been married by now."

Osma smiles down sadly at the beads, her face flushed. "So thats why he was going to give me these."

Julieta scrunched her brows. "Osma?"

Osma shook her head. "Bruno and I haven't talked in a long time."

Julieta narrowed her eyes. "What did Brunito do?"

Osma drppped the beads again. "No, no, no! It was my fault. It was probably about a year after you left. Bruno had taken on as an acting second parent to the girls."

"Yes, and I'm grateful for that." Julieta glanced to the side. She truly was grateful that her brother was there for her family when she couldn't and as she told Mirabel she would do it all over again. But sometimes when the girls looked surprised to see Julieta walking with Augustin instead of their Tio, or when Julieta offers to do something motherly and then they awkwardly stare. Of course they wouldn't want it from their creepy-

Osma covered Julieta's hand with her own.

No, they love you and you love them. Julieta thought to herself. It's just gonna take time. You've only been openly around them for a week. Things will get better.

Julieta smiled. "Go on Osma."

Osma saueezed Julieta's hand. "Mirabel kept asking about you. She wanted to know anything and everything about you, but-"

"We don't talk about Julieta." Both woman said.

Osma nodded. "Si. It was Mirabel's sixth birthday and one of the things she really wanted was her mama. So I told her a story."

Julieta let out a small gasp. "Osma you didn't."

Osma bit her lip. "I did."

Julieta busted out laughing. "You told Mirabel about the dead fish prophecy!?

Osma started laughing too. "I thought it would make her smile."

"Did you tell her we were kids and that you hated that fish?"

Osma grinned. "Yup, told her I met her mama when I went up to her demanding to know how to kill my fish. Because deapite my last name I can't stand fish."

Julieta wiped a tear.

Osma's smile dropped. "Bruno overheard me. He wasn't too happy, thought I was like some of the other villagers who thought the worst of you. We got into a big fight over it. After we never spoke to each other again."

Julieta sighed, "You always had a temper, and Brunito always got a little stupid around you."

Osma shrugged, there was not much she could say.

Julieta thought back to an old tablet, one that showed a couple in love. Both dressdd in green. She had beads in her hair and he wore a ruana. Julieta picked up a bead.

"I believe in second chances, that someone can learn from their mistakes. Osma do you want to change your hair beads?"

Julieta smirked as Bruno dropped the tool he was holding for the thousandth time. She has made sure to stay near Osma today. The green beads shimmered in her hair when the light hit them just right.

The rats don't have to worry. They'll see their mama again soon.

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zafirosreverie · 2 years

Text

Fire within you (Julieta x Fem!Reader)

“Don’t-”

Julieta sighed as you ignored her and walked up to the guy that just insulted her brother. She knew you’ve always been like this since you and Bruno became friends when you all were 8 and nothing would change you.

Back then, you were the new girl in school, and while their little brother told them about you, the truth was that her mother, Pepa, and herself had doubted that your friendship would last more than a few days. It was not that they wished bad luck upon the boy, but everyone was afraid of his gift and every single person that had tried to get close to him, always ended up leaving, making Bruno feel alone because his own sisters were often too busy with their own friends to pay attention to him.

But you didn’t leave.

In fact, it was a surprise when, after a few months, he asked their mother if he could invite you to dinner. You were still around? That was…interesting. Alma had said that maybe it wasn’t a good idea, thinking that you had been using her boy just to get close to the family and that you would forget about him after you managed to befriend Pepa and Julieta, the two girls agreed. That actually made Bruno cry and he was so upset that he didn’t talk to any of them for a week.

But they could still hear him talk to his rats about you and started to think that maybe they were wrong about you. And then they actually met you, although not in the way they expected. The three of them were in the kitchen, waiting for Bruno so they could have dinner when the boy had dragged you in with Casita’s help.

It was quite a sight. Your nose was bleeding, your dress was dirty and ripped in some parts, you were missing a shoe and your hair was a mess. But what impressed them the most was the fact that you were fighting Bruno and trying to get away.

“Let me go! You didn’t even wait for me to break their bones!” you growled

Alma didn’t know that someone so tiny could be so angry. Julieta was quick to prepare you an empanada while Bruno explained that some guys decided to bully him again, and you had had enough of it. Pepa actually laughed as he told them how you had punched one boy in the face and bit the other’s shoulder. They had been so scared when Bruno managed to pull you away from them and you both were sure that they would never mess with him again.

“Well, I think I have to thank you for defending my son” Alma had said while you ate the empanada, surprising the triplets

“You aren’t mad?”

“Of course not, Julieta. This little lady seems to be capable of what we’re not”

Those words stuck with Pepa and Julieta for the rest of their lives. It was true, they were older than Brunito and usually comforted him when people bullied him, but they had never stood up for him. Both of them felt guilty that someone else did it, even going so far to, as you said, almost break bones. And that never changed.

Not even when you all grew up, not even when you turned into a beautiful woman with many, many suitors, you still defended your best friend with your whole being and it didn’t even matter if you had to fight someone bigger than you, you always won. Of course, that meant that you also got closer to Julieta due to all the times you had to go to her for healing food.

Now, she wasn’t complaining, growing up with you was amazing and you were considered another Madrigal child, but the thing was that the more you two grew up, the more her feelings for you changed. She was not an older sister worried for her little siblings anymore, she was now a babbling mess whenever you were around, trying to gather the courage to confess her feelings and praying you kept rejecting all the suitors that flirted with you every day.

“You have three to apologize” you said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Y/N” she tried

“Or what?” the guy laughed “are you gonna kick me, princess?”

“Don’t tempt me” you growled

“Por favor, I know you think you can take everyone down, but that’s just because you’ve never fought a real man”

“why would I fight Bruno? He’s the only real man around here and I would never hurt him”

Julieta had to fight back a laugh as the stupid boy blinked in confusion, not expecting that kind of answer. Too bad he didn’t take a hint.

“You call that a man? He doesn’t even have a good gift. He’s un pobre infeliz”

The people around you gasped and Julieta covered her mouth as she watched you with wide open eyes. She recognized some of the people you had fought before and she knew that they all thought the same thing as her: he’s dead, he just doesn’t know yet.

“You asked for it” you smirked

You didn’t even give him time to blink before you rushed at him. You usually went straight for the neck, but you felt like having some fun. So first you kicked him in the groin, which in itself was serious damage, then as he doubled over in pain, you grabbed his head and kneed him in the face.

Julieta could see the blood pouring from his nose almost immediately, but she didn't move to try and stop you. You tangled your fingers in his hair and pulled him tight, kicking his calves to bring him to his knees and your heel stomping on his thigh.

"He’s my best friend, the only man who is worthwhile here" you whispered dangerously "whoever doesn’t respect him, le parto su madre, is that clear?"

The boy simply swallowed hard and nodded quickly. Julieta was sure that the poor thing would have a black eye by tomorrow (because she was NOT going to heal him...not today. He deserved it for messing with her little brother). You released the man's hair and pushed him so that he fell over his back.

"This edge is my machete and let them know it well, the devil knows well who he appears to" you said

Julieta watched you with flushed cheeks as you turned around with the bearing of a queen, causing those present to step aside to let you pass. She knew this would only cause more people to fall in love with you, but not that she could really blame them. You were a confident and stunning beauty.

"That girl has fire in her blood" she heard someone say.

But no. Julieta knew the truth: you had no fire within you, you WERE the fire. And she hoped she could burn on you.

#reader insert #x reader #julieta madrigal #julieta my beloved #julieta x reader #julieta madrigal x reader #julieta madrigal preference #encanto #encanto preferences #encanto imagines #encanto x reader

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yellowbellywriting · 2 years

Text

Bruno, mi hermano

Agustín had been young enough, when Bruno started seeking him out, that it felt like he’d known Bruno his whole life.

It wasn’t true, of course. Bruno was only a few years older than Agustín, and hadn’t gotten his gift until he was five. But practically since Agustín could remember, Bruno had been appearing on the peripheries of his life. Even as a little kid, the older boy been a bit skittish, but he would show up first thing in the morning at Agustín’s house with food from Julieta, deliver it as quickly as he could, with some sort of stammering explanation that usually didn’t make much sense, and then flee back to the casa Madrigal.

Inevitably, those would be the days that Agustín would fall and skin his knees, or run afoul of bees, or, on one memorable occasion where Bruno showed up with a whole basket of arepas and a slightly haunted look, Agustín broke both wrists falling from a tree.

He’d finally sought Bruno out himself the next day.

Or, he’d tried to, anyway. It turned out that when Bruno didn’t want to be found, he was quite good at disappearing. Agustín had asked señora Madrigal where he was, but she hadn’t known. Instead, Agustín had found himself in the Madrigal’s kitchen with Julieta. He’d never met any of the family aside from Bruno, so he was a little bit startled at how at ease Julieta had been. When he told her so, she grinned at him.

“Oh, Bruno hasn’t told you yet?”

Agustin had blinked at her. “Told me what?”

She’d poked him in the chest. “Future Madrigal.” She’d told him in a conspiratorial whisper. He’d just stared at her for a moment, but by the time he managed to come up with any questions to ask, señora Madrigal had appeared in the kitchen doorway, and Julieta had shushed him meaningfully.

So he kept looking for Bruno.

Julieta had told him to try checking by the stream behind the house, so Agustín had gone there next, and found Bruno crouched by the water, holding something in his hand and talking quietly.

“Who are you talking to?”

Apparently Bruno hadn’t heard Agustín come up behind him. With a yelp, he shot to his feet, spinning to face Agustín, and missed his footing on the edge of the stream. He toppled into the water, and Agustín ran to help him up, but Bruno wasn’t really paying attention to him anymore, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes and frantically searching the stream for something.

“What are you looking for?” Agustín had asked, perplexed.

Bruno hadn’t even looked up. “A rat, about this big–” He held up his hands as though Agustín didn’t know how big rats were. “I lost her when I fell–”

Agustín still didn’t understand, but he looked. He spotted something moving downstream and ran after it. The stream was deeper here, and he slogged into the water up to his hips to scoop up the swimming rat, trying not to feel grossed out. But Bruno was right behind him, and plucked the rodent gently from his hand, talking quietly to it and offering it a crumb of something that looked suspiciously like Julieta’s cooking. Agustín decided not to ask, as Bruno carefully tucked the rat under his shirt.

“Is…she your pet?” He asked instead.

“What? Oh, no, she just likes me. There are a bunch of them, but mamá doesn’t like it when I feed them in the house, and they don’t like to stay in my tower all the time.”

Agustín blinked at him. “You have a tower?”

“Well technically it’s my room, but–yeah.” Bruno had offered him a shy smile. “Thanks for helping. I know people don’t really like rats.” He still had his hand protectively over where the rodent was hiding in his shirt. Agustín wondered if he’d forgotten they were both standing in a cold stream. It really was quite cold, and Bruno was more soaked than Agustín was.

“Sorry for startling you.”

“That? Oh.” Bruno waved his free hand dismissively. “I startle too easy, everyone says so.”

For a moment, they’d stood in awkward silence. Agustín was pretty sure this was the longest conversation he’d had with Bruno. Usually by now the older boy would have hurried off back to his house.

“What does Julieta mean I’m a ‘future Madrigal’?”

Bruno blanched. He’d already been looking a little pale from his dip in the stream, but now he looked ashen. “You weren’t supposed to know about that.”

Agustín frowned at him. “...Why not?”

Bruno still looked like he’d been slapped, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “My mamá said it should be your decision. And Julieta’s.”

Agustín grinned. “So I marry Julieta?”

Bruno blanched all over again. “I didn’t say that,–I–”

But Agustín couldn’t stop smiling. He’d only met Julieta that day, but he was quite sure she was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. He already loved her cooking–not to mention relying on it to stay in one piece–and he liked Bruno too. “Does that mean we’re going to be brothers?”

That seemed to stop Bruno’s mind entirely in its tracks. “What?”

“If I marry Julieta, that makes us brothers, right?”

Bruno blinked owlishly at him. Agustín was fairly sure this hadn’t dawned on him before. “Oh, yeah.”

“Is that why you always bring me food?”

Bruno shook his head. It made his wet hair bounce. “I bring you food because half the time when I have a vision it’s about you walking face-first into a bee hive.”

“And because we’re going to be brooo-theeers.” Agustín crowed.

“Stop that,” Bruno splashed stream water on him, but he was smiling. They both froze at the sound of señora Madrigal calling Bruno’s name from the house. Agustín took in the older boy’s wide eyes, and the fact that they were both still soaked, and came to a quick decision.

“I’ll distract her while you sneak inside!” He announced, scrambling out of the stream before Bruno could stop him. “Then you won’t get in trouble.” He ran towards the house without looking back, still beaming with excitement.

He’d never had a brother before.

#my writing #it occurred to me relatively recently that I can just...post my writing on tumblr #this is on ao3 but yknow what now it's here too #if you want to find it on ao3 it's chapter 1 of patching the cracks #and my username on there is CakeBeDamned #bruno madrigal #encanto #agustin madrigal #patching the cracks

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so-sures-blog · 2 years

Text

(You) made my storms turn sunny

@ellimagayon Sorry for responding so late, but I had some stuff I was busy with in personal life. So here is modern age Pepa and Felix fic, where Pepa is trying her hand at online dating until ...

Sunny Storms: Tormentas Soleadas

☀️⛈☀️⛈

Pepa anxiously chewed her hair.

She would have been running her hands through it, but they were busy thumbing through her phone, picture after picture sliding across the screen.

“Are you still looking at that thing?” Julieta sighed.

“Still?” Her hermanito Bruno, scoffed. He was playing with his pet rat on the floor of his room, where Pepa was currently lounging upside-down on his bed. “At this rate, she’ll be scrolling through that thing when she’s 50.”

“Cállate,” Julieta smacked him over the head, which Pepa would have gladly done if she wasnt so consumed by what she was doing.

Her older sister snatched the phone from Pepa, who immediately snapped to attention. “Hey! Give me that!” She reached for the phone, a crazed addictive mess as her sister ducked under her arm.

“No! You’ve been on your phone for hours, Pepa! What is going on?” She waved the phone in front of Pepa, tauntingly holding it from her grasp.

Pepa dove for it, no doubt looking like a madwoman and there was a short scuffle where at the end Julieta emerged victorious.

Pepa buried her face in her brother’s pillows, kicking her feet in a way that might resemble a temper tantrum.

“Ay,” Bruno mock-sighed. “Washed up at 25, and all because of online dating. So tragic.”

“Pepa, why are you stressing out about this? You usually love going on dates.” Her much kinder sibling asked.

“Sí, in person!” Pepa burst out. “But if I’ve never seen this person? If I don’t even know what they’re like? What if something goes wrong? What if they’re a psycho? What if — ?” Sitting up, she quickly began running her hands through her braid, muttering her mantra of “clear skies”.

Julieta rubbed her back motherly. “What even possessed you to sign up for online dating?” She asked. “You always take pride in being able to get un hombre on your own. What changed?”

Pepa stopped running her hands through her braid, back stiffening. Julieta seemed to sense the answer from Pepa’s body language alone.

“It was Mamá, wasn’t it?”

Julieta dropped her hand, and even Bruno seemed to pay attention to the conversation.

Pepa bit her lip. “She wants me to get married.” She confessed.

Bruno dropped his rat.

“I’ve never been able to hold down a relationship, no matter how much I wanted to,” Pepa confessed. “I've always wanted to get married, to have kids, but I always wanted to take my time."

"Pepa, all of us are taking our time. Bruno and I aren't getting married anytime soon."

"Yes, but you're able to be with someone who isn't fed up with you!" Pepa snapped.

Julieta flinched, and Pepa instantly regretted it. She had long accepted that she couldn't be Señorita Perfecta, embraced it really, but it still stung to know that she couldn't measure up to her hermana.

Pepa fingered her braid. "Agustín loves you," she said quietly, and Julieta turned red. "I know you've been together for a couple of months, but everyone can tell you're gonna get married."

"But no one wants to be with me because I'm ..."

Moody.

Emotional.

Volatile.

Too ... Pepa.

“And I heard Mamá talking with Señora Guzmán, and I realized … I want to get married. I want to meet someone who isn't fed up with me. Who can handle my emotions. And all the hombres I meet in person are only attracted to my appearence first, and then get scared off by commitment or my moods. So …”

“Oh, Pepa,” Julieta sighed and wrapped her arm around her sister. “You should have told us. We could have helped you.”

Bruno joined them on the bed and stole the phone from Julieta. “Besides, you have nothing to worry about. You already have a ton of requests on your profile.” He began scrolling through her phone before he suddenly froze. “Uhh …”

“¿Qué?” Julieta notices her brother’s expression.

“Um, I was just scrolling through her requests before I accidentally …” he trailed off and showed his sisters the phone.

There, on the bright screen, was read “Date Accepted!”

Pepa’s screech echoed throughout Casita.

☀️⛈☀️⛈

Pepa coached herself through the breathing exercises her sister taught her as she sat at the fancy dinner table, waiting for her … date.

After the … unfortunate incident in Casita, Julieta had right away set to making sure Pepa was perfect for her date — fixing her hair, putting on earrings, and pulling out her best dress. All the while, Pepa had been glaring at her younger brother, thunder in her eyes.

**************

“Huh, this guy seems pretty nice,” Bruno commented as he texted back and forth with Pepa’s date.

“Maybe you should go out with him then,” Pepa muttered. She had come so close to mauling Bruno, having dove at her hermano to claw his eyes out with her nails. She was, unfortunately, held back by Julieta.

“Nuh-uh,” Bruno shook his head, an odd smile on his face and look in his eyes. “I think this is the one for you, Pepa. I can feel it.”

**************

“Hola … Señorita Madrigal?” A smooth voice broke through her thoughts. Pepa instantly straightened, anxiety and anticipation curling in her stomach.

“Sí,” She responded, standing up and looking at the man who was her date for the evening.

“Ay Dios Mio.” Was her first thought. This man was handsome. A couple inches shorter than her, but very broad and muscular, with dark skin and darker eyes that seemed to swallow her. He had a dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar and slacks. But what really caught her attention was his smile. It was so bright and genuine, that Pepa instantly felt her initial anxieties float away as she found herself grinning back.

The man seemed just as taken with her as she was, and she smugly thanked Julieta as she held out her hand. “Pepa Madrigal.”

He seemed to snap out of it, taking her hand and kissing it. “Felix Castillo.”

Pepa blinked, then quickly grew flustered as her hand tingled where Felix had placed his lips. “Nice to meet you,” she said.

“Ready to eat?” Felix smiled. “I don't know about you, but I'm starving!”

Pepa laughed.

☀️⛈☀️⛈

The date went better than Pepa expected.

Or maybe it wasn’t the date itself, but … Felix.

She and Felix bounced off each other so well, it was like they had known each other their whole life. He was charismatic, funny, cheerful, and Pepa would be lying if she said she didn’t want more. He made her laugh with jokes and she had made him have tears in his eyes when she told him the story of how this date came to be.

**************

“So that was really you’re brother I was texting?” he laughed. “And I thought we were getting along so well! Maybe I went on a date with the wrong triplet!”

“Sorry he catfished you with this face!” Pepa pointed to herself with a smirk and took a long sip of wine. “But it looks like you're stuck with me for the evening.”

Felix beamed, his smile softening for a moment. “I don’t mind that in the slightest.”

**************

“Hey, are you not hungry?” Felix asked as he took a break from eating his food.

“Huh?” Pepa looked down and saw that she had eaten only half of her plate, while Felix had already polished off his second. “Oh, lo siento. I have a bit of a nervous stomach.”

Felix’s eyes widened. “Oh! Lo siento, I didn’t know. Otherwise I would have suggested a different date.”

Pepa waved him off. “It’s fine, I’m pretty much full.”

Felix’s eyes sparked, and he quickly stood up, holding out his hand. “I have an idea. Want to get out of here?”

Pepa blinked, eyeing his hand with curious amusement. “What do you have in mind?”

Felix smiled, gentle and bright, happy and kind — and asked, “Quieres bailar conmigo?”

That was the moment when Pepa knew she was done for.

☀️⛈☀️⛈

#Encanto #encanto fanfic #modern encanto #pepa madrigal #julieta madrigal #bruno madrigal #félix madrigal #pepa x felix

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avatarvyakara · 2 years

Text

Tiles on the Roof

An Encanto Fanfic

Prompts 25-36

"Out of the Ordinary"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36486091/chapters/91164121

First | Previous | Next

25. Escapada

(nf) escape, breakout, flight, short excursion for pleasure

Part of the problem with controlling the weather? It is very, very hard to keep secrets from people under the same roof. Or in the same country, for that matter.

Pepa comes down to breakfast and brings with her an absolutely perfect day. Temperature balmy, humidity low, sunshine given an extra polish.

“We all have our plans for the day?” asks Mamá, and she almost certainly says something afterward but Pepa isn’t paying attention.

“Pepa?”

“Oh! Sorry, Mamá, I drifted off.”

“Ay, Pepa, focus,” chides her mother. “I know it’s been...a little rough for you, but you must stay in the here and now.”

Even at twenty-four years old Pepa is still easily confused sometimes.

“¿Qué?”

“I was just telling Mamá,” says Julieta, “about how you’ve been having night terrors.”

“Night terrors?”

“Yes, that’s right. All those horrible nightmares,” her bigger sister goes on. “Which is why you were thundering last night. And why you needed some company to get back to sleep.”

Pepa nearly chokes on her coffee.

Fortunately Mamá seems to think of this as mere surprise at sisterly betrayal rather than shock. “Julieta didn’t mean badly by telling me, Pepita. And I’m relieved that your brother and sister managed to get you to sleep properly in the end. It seems to have done you a lot of good,” she adds approvingly, looking around at the weather, which in tandem with the chill running down Pepa's back is just a teensy bit cooler. “But the next time, you come and talk to me, ¿claro? I won’t bite.”

“Todo claro, Mamá,” squeaks Pepa.

“Ay, Pepa, why are you snowing now?”

Breakfast finishes, and the Madrigal triplets head out to town.

“I might owe you two a life debt,” says Pepa at last.

“To be fair, Félix owes us one as well,” Bruno replies with a mischievous grin. “Well, us and Casita both. She helped him down.”

“So what was it like?” asks Julieta, surprisingly eagerly. “It was an intense storm last night.”

A very large part of Pepa just wants to crawl into a hole and live as a hermit for the rest of her life. The bit that doesn’t forces its way to the outermost layer and says, just a little nervously, “Sorry, hermana, a lady does not kiss and tell.”

“She does kiss and thunder, though,” Bruno remarks, and gets a shove.

26. Ininteligible

(adj) unintelligible

Antonio's only had his powers for about two days, if that. He's not used to the glow from the minds of his new friends, and yet it feels like it's been there all along.

So while it's less of a wrench than it is for the others to lose his Gift, it still hurts, just a little.

(What hurt the worst was Parce. The jaguar, thoughts so clean and simple and happy before, now seems to shrink back in on himself. Shies away. Snarls. Like…like an animal.)

There are months to go before the house is remade. And Antonio tries very hard not to feel alone.

Except—

"Wait. You can still understand them?" he asks Tío Bruno in amazement.

Tío Bruno shrugs. "Well, yeah. It was never my Gift, of course, but hey, they're not the worst company in the world." One of the rats looks up at him. "Best troupe of actors I've ever had the pleasure to work with?" The rat nods, and gets back to its (her) piece of arepa con queso. "So, yeah, I can understand them."

"But…how? We don't have any magic left?"

Tío Bruno smiles, just a little mysteriously. "There are more kinds of magic in the world than the ones we know about, conejito. When I was growing up, I had a lot of trouble with my visions, so Mamá—your Abuela—found me a teacher. He gave me a few lessons, and he also told me a thing or two about magic that we didn't have. Just to keep me humble, I guess. And part of that is, well, learning to Listen."

"¿Escuchar?"

"No, no escuchar, Escuchar. Ah, it's difficult to explain…"

Antonio looks around. Maybe he could—

But then how much would it hurt everyone else, like it hurt Mirabel, to see him get his Gift back when they couldn't have theirs?

He shakes his head.

"Maybe later," he says. "When we have our house back."

Tío Bruno gives him the softest smile.

"I understand," he says. And honestly? Antonio thinks he really does.

27. Extraño

(adj) strange, freaky, foreign

As it turns out, Isabela can create plants she’s only seen in books, like the one called La flora del España that Mirabel bought from a travelling bookseller for her birthday. It’s not as instinctive as it is with plants native to the encanto—it takes an effort. She takes it as a challenge.

As it also turns out—

“¡Aaaaaaa-CHÚ!”

—that not only does she have a sneeze that nearly knocks poor Dolores down from half a mile away, she’s also terribly allergic to birch pollen. Which is a brand new sensation that she really could have spent her entire life without discovering, thank you very much.

28. Resistencia

(nf) resistance, endurance, stamina (exercise), resilience (figuratively)

She doesn’t need to call for help anymore, she’s not a baby. She can do this.

“Luisa?”

It’s not that it’s light. It doesn’t feel light, she knows it’s not light. What it is, is whole. She holds it—says what it is, or what it should be, in her head—and it holds itself together so she can do the moving. And it’s not a strain, either—she feels unbreakable, just like what she’s carrying. Nearly. Strength helping strength.

Five-year-old Luisa looks at her mother and father in worry.

“I...just wondered if Papá could play the piano a little please?”

Mamá and Papá look astounded.

“Chaparrita, that was on the ground floor!”

“I-I’ll put it back, I’m sorry—”

“No, no, mi bebe, no necesitas disculparte,” soothes Mamá. “This is just a surprise, that’s all. But a nice surprise!”

“A very nice surprise!” agrees Papá, smiling.

Luisa beams. She Did Okay!

29. Asustar

(v) frighten, spook, startle, frighten; 1st singular negative preterite indicative reflexive no me asusté

It’s barely anything, just a sound. Strange, yes, but not scary per se. And yet Abuela reacts like she’s been burnt.

Camilo can’t help but feel like he’s intruding on something incredibly private. But...he’s also never seen his grandmother quite so shaken.

It feels so wrong somehow.

“Abuela?”

She looks at him with sheer panic in her eyes—when has Abuela ever panicked?—and then takes a deep breath.

“Es nada, Camilito,” she says. “Nothing at all. We are safe here. The magic is strong.”

She repeats it almost like a mantra. To the mind of twelve-year-old Camilo, it might as well be—that’s how it’s been said all his life. He nods.

She still looks tense.

“Abuela, I twisted my ankle,” he lies. “Can you help me get back to the house?” Do you need some help getting back?

“Ay, you have to be more careful, mi nieto,” she chides him lightly. Yes, please.

But Abuela doesn’t breathe easily until a few days later, when the strange horse and its rider leave the encanto and not even Dolores hears the whinnying.

30. Desprevenido

(adj) unsuspecting, oblivious, unprepared; masculine plural desprevenidos

When they’re about twenty-one or so, Agustín starts bringing a leather bag when he visits San Ambrosio in the summer.

“What’s in there?” asks Julieta.

“Absolutely everything I might need!” says her friend proudly. “Salves, bandages, emergency glasses, a hunting knife, a spare poncho, another spare poncho, a bottle of water and a net for filtration, a towel—”

“Tino, what’s all this for?”

He looks a bit embarrassed. “Um. See, it’s kind of not fair that whenever we meet I’m sick with something or hurt myself somehow or had another beehive fall on me. I just...well, I just wanted to be able to spend time with my best friend without taking advantage of her.”

“You’re not taking advantage of me,” Julieta insists, noting the strange sensation in her heart at “best friend” and ignoring it. “I make my food for everyone to take from if they need it. Us being friends doesn’t mean you’re using me. I’ve never thought that, Tino, I swear.”

“Well...”

They stand there, a little awkwardly, neither quite looking the other in the eye. Agustín fiddles with the straps on the bag. Julieta idly pats the pocket containing the buñuelos she made on the off chance that she might have reason to go outside on her own (with a bit of sea salt instead of mountain salt and not because Tino thought the recipe tasted better, thank you very much).

A thunderclap makes them both jump.

“...is that leather waterproofed?”

Agustín blinks. “I...am not sure?”

There’s a growing black cloud over the fields.

“I think we’re about to find out,” she says with a grin.

“Ay-yii, what’s Félix done this time?” groans Agustín as they start running towards the eye of the impending storm.

“It could be Bruno. Or one of the local boys.”

“Bruno’s saner than that by now, surely?”

Julieta laughs. “Remind me to tell you about that prank he pulled on Epiphany.”

“Oh, I remember! With the cord and the sieve, right?”

“He got about ten seconds of victory and then walked around afraid of his shadow for the rest of the month.”

And now Agustín laughs, fondly, as the rain starts to pour down. “Okay, so maybe he’s not saner than that. But this is definitely Félix. Bruno is an indoors kind of person.”

“Dios mío, when is my sister going to get it?” she complains halfheartedly.

“About the same time Félix realizes Pepa actually is in love with him. Umbrella?”

And he actually pulls one out of the bag.

Julieta laughs, and doesn’t stop when a gust of wind blows the umbrella right into the middle of the storm (with a muffled cry of “What is this supposed to be?” that sounds a lot like Pepa). She does hold Agustín’s hand, though, because who knows what would happen to her best friend if she didn’t.

31. Primario

(adj) first, primary, primordial

Félix was barely walking by the time the Miracle happened, certainly not old enough to have any real opinion on the matter. He remembers, very vaguely, Papá carrying him on his shoulders in the dark, his Mamá singing him little songs, his elder brother Eladio holding a lantern—and then, suddenly, an explosion of light.

His first real memory, the one where he felt he had conscious control of what he was doing, is of babbling jokes with Eladio and laughing, in a half-built house of brick in San Ambrosio.

His first memory of Pepa is as a six-year-old, seeing a tiny girl shrieking with laughter at every clash of lightning in a thunderstorm.

His first memory of being Pepa’s friend comes from when he was nine and she was seven (her birthday being in just a few weeks’ time) and she invited him to play in Casita while his parents discussed business with her mamá. Not exactly an auspicious start? Then obviously you’ve never seen Pepa Madrigal try to practice making snow. Or experience shock at being lightly pelted with a snowball. Or realize just how fun it is to pelt people back.

His first memory of making Pepa laugh all by himself comes from when he was twelve and she eleven and she whispered in his ear that she missed being happy in the rain, and he made funny faces and told the most awful jokes he could think of until she starting crying out of sheer exhilaration and a rainstorm nearly washed them clean out of the valley. And it was so worth it.

His first memory of making Pepa cry all by himself was when, at the age of fourteen, he found himself dating Rosa Vargas and Pepa, who was twelve, wouldn’t speak to him for four months straight. (There were a lot of days with clear skies. He found himself feeling profoundly guilty about that somehow.)

His first memory of actually clashing with Pepa comes from when he was fifteen and she fourteen, and he kept talking over her without realizing it. He couldn’t understand how he’d hurt her; she couldn’t understand how he couldn’t understand; Bruno locked them in his room until they sorted it out. (He’d lost a coin toss with Julieta.) They sorted it out. And then had a snowball fight. (Bruno and Julieta lost.)

His first memory of being jealous of someone spending time with Pepa came when she was sixteen and he seventeen and she was seriously considering Diego Gonzales’ offer of courtship.

His first and only memory of breaking someone’s nose was when that nose belonged to a rather stupid Diego Gonzales, a few weeks later. (Bruno’s rat bit him. Julieta turned him away from her table for six months.)

His first memory of realizing he was in love with Pepa Madrigal came right in the middle of a dance with her in the village square when he was nineteen and she eighteen. When he realized that no, nobody else in his life could possibly be as bright as her, as true, there could nobody who felt as deeply and as sweetly. (And nobody else who could possibly strive for perfection as strongly in everything they planned for their loved ones, no matter what happened in their life.) And because he was Félix Castillo long before he was Félix Castillo de Madrigal, he brushed off the genuine surprise at this realization as not as important as having fun with his best friend.

His first memory of actually kissing Pepa Madrigal came in the middle of one hot summer when she was twenty-one and he twenty-two, in the middle of a storm caused by one of those stupid arguments you have in your early twenties, after being a bit of an idiot and trying to apologize and her confessing her love for him, and then him being just about to reciprocate before being mildly concussed by a flying umbrella, and it’s slightly blurry after that but he knows there was definitely a kiss. (And it was very definitely worth it.)

The first kiss they both remember in full detail came about half an hour later.

His first memory of...ahem. Well. It would be better if he didn’t confirm Abuela’s suspicions. (If it helps, he’d already decided, well before that point, that he couldn’t possibly imagine spending the rest of his life with literally anyone else.)

There are a lot of firsts with Pepa Madrigal. It’s not surprising. He may have come to this world before her, but in his world she comes first.

32. Cruce

(nm) crossroads, crossover (fiction)

The town of Macondo isn’t actually too far away from San Ambrosio, but most of the villagers haven’t really visited. Something holds them back, somehow.

No Madrigal has ever or will ever set foot in the place, not after Bruno, back in his early twenties, finally decided to take a look at the near future of the Other Town on a dare from a newly-coupled Pepa and Félix. And then locked himself in his room for three weeks.

When he finally came out, looking considerably older than when he went in, his first words were, “Well. You know what? No matter how bad it gets here, and I have no idea what that will be, there is no way whatsoever that it could ever get as bad as what's happening over there with the family Buendía. I know. I checked. Six times. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am off to avoid bananas for the rest of my life.”

33. Frangible

(adj) breakable

“I just don’t understand,” mutters a rather upset Julieta, more to herself than him. “Why doesn’t it work?”

Julieta’s powers work on just about everything, Agustín realizes. Small things like acne and cuts. Bigger things like tumours and stab wounds (yeah, that...wasn’t the nicest day all around). He’s seventeen now, and since he first came to and left San Ambrosio last summer he would swear a couple of people regrew limbs.

But he still wears glasses.

Perhaps he just seems a bit broken to her, all the time. And because she’s Julieta she won’t say that out loud—but she’ll think it, and blame herself for it.

Only—

He scoots a little closer to her on the low wall (far enough away that she won’t be heard, close enough that she won’t be missed).

“Hey, Juli? What if it’s not actually broken?”

She blinks. “Huh?”

Don’t stammer, don’t stammer...yeesh, you get tongue-tied around this girl so easily. Not at all like being back in the City. (Well, maybe that’s alright, eh?)

“It’s just—your food cures what people need fixing, right? Well...what about things that people don’t want fixing?”

She frowns, as if working through a complex puzzle.

“But...doesn’t it hurt?”

“What, this? Nah. It makes it a little harder to see in front of me, but that’s why I have glasses.”

“You have pieces of glass and metal in front of your eyes. You, Agustín. The only person I know who can start a forest fire with a kettle and a sack of wet flour by accident.”

“I’m really sorry about that—”

“It’s just...what if that’s just something I can’t fix?”

Which is likely about as close as Julieta Carmen Madrigal Sánchez has ever gotten to a full breakdown.

He smiles as reassuringly as he can, and makes sure he has her attention.

“Honestly, Juli? I think you could fix anything. But this isn’t something that needs to be fixed. Truly. It’s just...it’s like cats, right?”

“...cats?”

“Sí. They’re both near-sighted and far-sighted, right? But that’s how they’re born. They can’t do a lot of things, like, like, play the maracas or act as lookouts—” There we are, there’s a grin— “but they do pretty well for what they need to do, right? Same with me. Not the same with you, because your eyes are just right for what you need to do. Más no es una problema, Juli.”

“...so what you’re saying is that you’re actually half cat and that’s why my cooking has no effect on you,” she teases.

“...miau.”

The absolutely deadpan voice he puts on makes her burst out laughing. He counts that as a complete success.

34. Recuerdo

(nm) memory, souvenir, reminder

It's a quiet night in the rebuilt Casita, and Mirabel is sitting up with her grandmother and sewing.

It used to be something that kept them together, in the earliest days. Abuela was upset, just as she was upset, about not getting a Door—something they made certain to rectify in the new house. But she still taught her granddaughter a skill or two, and oddly enough what made them both separate from the others also acted as a bond. Before Abuela…almost gave up on her, in a way, had other things to take care of, assumed that Mirabel had managed to settle down into her "new position" as the Madrigal without a Gift to give.

And now it's a Gift of time that Mirabel can give, and get back in return.

"Abuela?" asks Mirabel.

"¿Sí, chiquita?" she responds, and…wow, it's been a while since her grandmother has called her that.

"Down by the river…that song. What was it?"

"Dos Oruguitas?"

Mirabel nods.

She's used to Abuela being so strong, so tough. And perhaps that's how she had to be, for all those years. But after…After, when she saw her grandmother collapse and helped her back to her feet, it feels almost as if the fire has left her grandmother. No, that's not fair. It's not fire anymore, not a burning ember. It's light. Sunset light.

There are tears in the old woman's eyes, but she's smiling.

"Your abuelo's family were musicians originally," she says. "Pedro never really wrote much, but…it was his song. His song for us, and our milagritos, our little miracles."

"…was that his voice?"

She nods, and stifles a sob. Mirabel doesn't move to hug her—her grandmother isn't very good at hugs most of the time—but she does squeeze her hand, and Abuela smiles.

There have been crazier things that have happened to Mirabel Madrigal than the voice of her grandfather singing out of the ether as they were surrounded by butterflies. Giving her his blessing.

But not many.

(What happened there?)

35. Casamentero

(nm) matchmaker

For a while now Tío Bruno has been cajoled by the young lovers—or, more frequently, the ardent admirers—of San Ambrosio to use his visions as a way of determining whether or not their suit is worth pursuing. Sometimes they don't like the answers they get. Sometimes, quite famously in the case of Leonel Vargas and Paquita Rojas, they very absolutely do. (That was a very strange weekend.)

It's actually this particular event that gets eleven-year-old Dolores (nearly twelve, thank you) a little excited. Because just recently her friend Mariano has been seeming just a little more attractive than usual—not that he wasn't before, but, you know, at thirteen he's actually coming into a growth spurt and that stirs up a couple of strange feelings—and hey, with her uncle's track record it wouldn't be unreasonable just to get a glimpse of whether or not it's worth looking into.

"Okay. Just to be clear. I can't say whether or not this vision will happen in the order we see. I also don't know how effective it will be. For all we know we might get, I don't know, a vision of an army of undead goldfish." Her uncle slumps. "Or, you know, just the ones I supposedly killed."

"…you know Rosenda tends to exaggerate a lot, right?" she tells him. "I mean, the last fish she had, she blamed its death on an evil chicken petrifying it in the night."

Her uncle chuckles, then tosses salt over his shoulder, just in case. "Oh, I know all too well about evil chickens." Then he sighs. "Alright. Just sit tight."

The sand swirls—

And there's Mariano! But he's huge, all grown up, an actual moustache on his face, but still the same eyes—

He's with her, it’s a taller figure but she'd recognize her hair anywhere, they're walking arm in arm, she can't hear (she can't hear) but she thinks they're laughing—

(That is her, right? I mean, the hair's probably the same, but it's difficult to tell in all this sand—)

And now he's kneeling—

In front of another figure! A woman!

Wait, wait, that's Abuela behind them! And Señora Gúzman! It's a proper courtship!

She squeals.

"Tío Bruno, this is amazing! It's actually going to happen! It's—"

He grins, looking just as happy as her (and a little relieved). "Just hold on, Dolores, we're not done yet! Just let it settle, the vision isn't complete until the sand settles!"

The figure Mariano is proposing to takes shape—

And Dolores' heart shatters all in one go.

"Isabela?"

After the varying reactions of heartbreak from Dolores, pleasant surprise from Mamá, thunderous rage from Pepa ("You call up a future for your niece and then you twist it like that? What kind of a joke are you playing?"), and what can only be described as well-concealed resignation from Isabela, Bruno swears off visions completely for a while.

36. Maravillosa

(adj) wonderful, marvellous

She's been tired a lot. Circumstances are such that she decides to visit the doctor, who confirms her suspicions at the bare minimum. Still, it’s worth calling in for an expert opinion. The village of San Cristóbal doesn't have much in the way of magic, not really, but there are always…people who know things. Things like secret names, and how to avoid monsters in the jungle. And also—

That afternoon, she shows Pedro the cutout. And then expands it.

Her husband makes a show of nearly fainting from shock, and they collapse on the bed and laugh together from the sheer joy of it all.

Something new. Something of both of them. Three somethings.

"She felt them? Truly?"

Alma laughs. "She didn't need to feel them, mi media naranja. Some people just…know things. It's a gift."

Pedro rolls his eyes fondly. "Ah, you and your gifts, mi alma. It is a miracle. Our miracle."

"Miracle, gift, what's the difference?" She kisses his cheek playfully. She's teasing now. Her…side of the family, so to speak, was not exactly un-Christian, but they did put a lot more faith in the land than in the words of the priests. Pedro's ancestors, almost straight from the foothills of Granada, travelled to a new world to find a fortune and founded a family instead, but never quite stopped following the book they brought with them. So of course the little family is going to have different views on how the universe works, but hey, that doesn’t mean either side is wrong—

A family. They're already a family, but they're going to be a family.

"Well," says Pedro, kissing between her eyes with a huge smile stretching from ear to ear, "I would say that gifts are something you have, but a miracle is something that happens to you. You can do things with a gift—" he kisses her nose, and she giggles— "but you marvel at a miracle." He kisses her mouth, smile pressed against smile, and gently puts a hand against her stomach as her hand holds his face. "And some things are worth simply marvelling at."

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storydays · 2 years

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(3rd POV)

Mirabel burst into her room, and began getting dressed before pausing in front of the door. "Wait, how do I save a miracle?' she asked turning to Casita. The shutters shurgged.

"I....figure out what's happening to the miracle!" Casita cluttered curiously. "Oh, I have no idea. But there is one person who hears everything about everything." She looked at a recent family picture and focused on Dolores. "So, if anyone would know what's wrong with the magic, it's her."

(The next morning)

Pepa walked past Dolores with a cup of coffee, her cloud disappearing, while Agustin wrestled with some of Antonio's raccon friends. "Hey!" he yelled when one took his pocket watch.

Doloeres was at the breakfast table, looking to see what else she wanted when Mirabel suddenly ran up to her. "Dolores! Hey..you know, out of all my older cousins, you're like my favorite cousin, so I feel like I can talk to you about anything, ergo you can talk to me about anything. Like the problem with the magic last night, that no one seemed to worry about, but maybe you heard about that maybe I should know about?" Mirabel smiled hopefully, but jumped when she heard her Tio Felix behind her.

"Camilo, stop pretending your Dolores so you can have seconds." Mirabel frowned as she turned to her cousin who shifted to normal. "Worth a shot." he smirked, wincing as Casita whacked him with her shutter. "Ah! Ay!" he yelped moving from the window. Felix groaned at his son's antics and munched on an arepa, waddling away like a penguin. Once her father and brother were gone, Dolores started whispering to Mirabel. "The only one worried about the magic is you and the rats talking in the walls. Oh, and Lusia and (Y/N)...I heard Luisa's eye twitching all night, and (Y/N) was mumbling to himself during his morning swim." She squeaked before walking away.

Mirabel eyed her older siblings, Luisa carrying the table into the courtyard for everyone to enjoy breakfast, and watched (Y/N) and Camilo laugh and joke. Before she could corner either sibling, Abuela came out with a cup of tea in hand, urging everyone to go to the table. "Everyone, to the table! Let's go, let's go." The family rushed over to the table, setting their spots up. (Y/N) pulled out his mother's seat for her to sit down before sitting next to her and Luisa. "Gracias, mijo." Julieta smiled at her only son.

Mirabel slid into the spot where Pepa was going to sit on the other side of Mirabel, making a small cloud thunder, before Felix wrapped an arm around her waist, sliding a tall glass of orange juice towards her. The cloud disappeared.

"Luisa.." hissed Mirabel just as Alma began to speak.

"Family, we are all thankful for Antonio's wonderful new," she grunted when she felt something in her seat. She looked at Antonio with a raised brow. "Gift." She finished. The child shared a matching grin with his father before telling his Abuela, "I told them to warm up your seat." "Thank you, Tonito." Alma said sweetly, still looking slightly weirded out, as she shooed the creatures in her seat.

Felix gave his youngest a big thumbs up. "I'm sure today we'll find a way to put your blessings to good use." (Y/N) began eating a few pieces of la pinas, he heard Mirabel whisper to Luisa. "Luisa, Dolores says you're totally freaking out. Any chance you know something about last night with the magic..." she gasped, slamming her fist onto the table. "You do!" "Mirabel!" Abuela snapped, making the girl realize her mistake, as her family sent her questioning and slightly concerned looks. "If you can't pay attention, I will help you."

"Oh, actually---" "Casita!" Alma called and Mirabel yelped as she switched places with Felix, who gave Mirabel her plate and took his own. "As I was saying," the elder paused to send her youngest nieta a glare, before turning to the rest of the family. "We must never take our miracle for granted, so today we will work twice as hard." Mirabel leaned back in her chair and smirked when Luisa avoided eye contact, and (Y/N) raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Mm-hmm, I will help Luisa!" Mirabel grunted when Casita pushed her chair in again as Alma said, "Stop. First, I have two announcements." She got up and began walking around to where Isabel was sitting. "I've spoken to the Guzmans about Mariano's proposal to Isabela." She cupped Isabela's chin and turned to Dolores. "Dolores, do we have a date?" The super hearing Madrigal paused from where she was eating, and tilted her head up to the left.

"Tonight....he wants 5 babies." (Y/N) snorted softly into his orange juice knowing Dolores said that part to mess with Isabela. And it worked, as Isabela gasped, making pink and white flowers bloom in her hair in her shock. "Wonderful!" cooed Alma, as she picked out the white flower from Isabela's hair, leaving the pink flowers in. "Such a fine young man with our perfect Isabela will bring a new generation of magical blessings and make both of our families stronger." "Stronger." Camilo smirked miscehviously and shifted into Mariano making kissy faces at Isabela.

Isabela flicked flowers at him, smirking to herself as her primo spat out the flowers from his mouth.

"Now for the second announcement," Alma stood at the other side of the head at the table as she began to talk. "Isabela is not the only one who is of age to marry....so is (Y/N)." The mentioned Madrigal froze his hands to the table in shock, and struggled to unfreeze them as Julieta tried to help him. "So I've taken the liberty to set him up with one of the young ladies in the village, Laura Ramos." Exclaimation point bubbles began popping and appearing over the water powered Madrigal, as he felt his heart race.

"In 3 weeks, (Y/N), you will propose to her, and bring a new generation of magical blessings to the Encanto." Alma said, before turning to the family. "Okay, our community is counting on us. La familia Madrigal!" "La familia Madrigal!" everyone repeated back, and some continued to eat. (Y/N) stood up, bringing his plate with him, and rushed to hide away, bubbles appearing and popping with the rapid change of emotions. Julieta and Agustin frowned before following their son.

(With Mirabel)

She stood up and quickly followed Luisa who had a pretty big headstart, before crashing into Isabela. "Ugh! What is your problem?" Isabela hissed before dusting herself off watching Mirabel run off. "Sorry!" She called as she chased after Lusia. "Hey, Luisa! Hold up!"

Luisa was in the village moving the church per the pastor's request. "Luisa, can you and (Y/N) re-route the river?" Senora Ozma called. "Will do." replied Luisa, as she passed Senor Oscar, one of the farmers. "Luisa, the donkeys got out again." "On it!"

She began picking up donkeys, internally groaning when her sister finally caught up with her. "Luisa!" Mirabel yelped as she fell over the wall before running over to her. "Wait a second!" She adjusted her green glasses. "You gotta tell me about the magic..What's going on? What are you hiding?"

"Nothing. Just got a lot of chores, so maybe you should just go home." Luisa adjusted the donkeys on her shoulder before kicking Senor Santiago's house over from leaning. Mirabel wasn't easily shooed away. "Dolores said your eye was twitching and it never twitches! Something's making you nervous." Mirabel started running in front of her sister, and pointing out facts.

"Hey, move. You're gonna make me drop a donkey." Luisa threw another donkey up and tried once more to usher her sister away. "Luisa, will you just..." she scoffed before dragging out her sentence,

"Juuuuust tell me what it is!"

"There's nothing to tell." Luisa insisted.

"You're obviously worried about something." Mirabel pushed. "Luisa, if you know what's hurting the magic and it gets worse 'cause you won't tell me what's wrong---"

"NOTHING'S WRONG!" Luisa screamed at her sister, before realizing what she did. Mirabel gave her a wide eyed look, as her sister tried to regain her composure.

"Wow, uh, sorry. That-That snuck out there." She began putting the donkeys down to talk to Mirabel better. "What I meant was, um....Why would anything be wrong?"

She picked her sister up and began dusting her off, rambling. "I'm totally fine, the magic's fine, Luisa's fine. I'm totally not nervous." Her eye twitched as she placed her hands on her hip, trying to prove she's confident.

"Your eye's doing the thing--"

"I'm the strong one

I'm not nervous

I'm as tough as the crust of the Earth is

I move mountains

I move churches

And I glow 'cause I know what my worth is

I don't ask how hard the work is

Got a rough and indestructible surface

Diamonds and platinum

I find 'em I flatten them

I break what's demanded

But under the surface

I feel beserk as a tightrope walker

In a three ring circus

Under the surface

Was Hercules ever like

'Yo, I don't wanna fight Cerbrus'

Under the surface

I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service

A flaw or crack

The straw in the stack

That breaks the camel's back

What breaks the camel's bacK?

It's pressure like a drip, drip, drip

That'll never stop, whoa

Pressure that'll tick, tick, tick

Til you just go pop, whoa

Give it to your sister, your sister's older

Give her all the heavy things we can't shoulder

Who am I if I can't run with the ball?

If I fall to pressure like a grip, grip, grip

And it won't let go, whoa

Pressure like a tick, tick, tick

Til it's ready to blow (Whoa)

Give it to your sister, your sister's stronger

See if she can hang on just a little longer

Who am I if I can't carry it all?

If I falter

Under the surface

I hide my nerves and it worsens

I worry something is gonna hurt us

Under the surface

The ship doesn't swerve as it heard how big the iceberg is

Under the surface

I think about my purpose

Can I somehow preserve this?

Line up the dominos

A light wind blows

You try to stop it topplin'

But on and on it goes

But wait!

If I could shake, the crushing weight

of expectations

Would that free up some room for joy, or relaxation?

Or a simple pleasure, instead we measure

This growing pressure

Keeps growing

Keep going

'Cause all we know is pressure like a drip, drip, drip

That'll never stop

Whoa

Pressure that'll tip, tip, tip til you just go pop

Whoa

Give it to your sister, it doesn't hurt

And see if she can handle every family burden

Watch as she buckles and benda but never breaks

No mistakes!

Just pressure like a grip, grip, grip and it won't let go

Whoa

Pressure like a tick, tick, tick

Til it's ready to blow, whoa

Give it to your sister, and never wonder

If that same pressure would've pulled you under

Who am I if I don't have what it takes?

No cracks

No breaks

No mistakes

No pressure."

Lusia was panting heavily as she finally got everything off her chest.

Mirabel walked over to her sister and hugged her middle. "I think you're carrying wayy to much.." She grunted as Luisa hugged her sister back, squeezing her. "Maybe I overdo it." She admitted to her younger sister. "Yep>" Mirabel agreed. "Um...there is something you should know." Luisa said slowly. "Last night, when you saw the cracks, I felt....weak." Luisa pouted as she hugged Mirabel closer. "W-Wha-What?" Mirabel stuttered. "Luisa! The donkeys!" cried Senor Oscar, breaking their moment. "On it!" called Luisa as she put Mirabel down, heading to grab some donkeys.

"Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean? What do you think's hurting the magic?" Mirabel asked her sister. "Dunno, but I heard the grownups once, before Tio Bruno left, he had, like some terrible vision about it." Luisa continued picking up donkeys, as she talked to Mirabel. "Tio Bruno? What was in his vision?" "No one knows, but it's possible (Y/N) might have an idea. Tio Bruno and him were pretty close because (Y/N) was obsessed with fortane telling stuff when he was younger. But no one ever found Bruno's last vision."

Luisa walked over to step on a board that had donkeys on the other side and stepped on it to catch the flying donkeys. "But if something's wrong with the magic, start with Bruno's tower. Find that vision."

"Wait! How do you find a vision? What am I even looking for?" Mirabel asked. If you find it, you'll know. But be careful. That place is off limits for a reason." Mirabel nodded her head in determination as she looked back at Casita.

(With (Y/N))

"Breathe, mijo." Julieta cooed, rubbing her son's back as he hyperventalated into a paper bag. His room, was a raging storm, the river and ocean in his room, waves crashing. "Marriage?! Mama, why is she in such a rush?! I like Laura, she's one of my friends, but she's in love with someone else! As am I!" He got up and began pacing his room, ice slowly freezing his room making his parents shiver slightly. "Mi vida, please try to calm yourself." Agustin began walking over to his son, who freaked out. "No! Don't touch me, Papi. You could get freeze burn. I'm not in control." (Y/N) whispered into his hands.

"(Y/N), nothing you do could ever harm me. Your my son, and I care about you. I know this is sudden and unexpected, espcially considering that you and Natalia have something going on. Tell you what, why don't you invite Natalia over for dinner, and we can talk to tu abuela about leaving marriage up to you and Natalia?" Agustin sat across from his son who peeked at him through his fingers. "Enserio?" (Y/N) whispered. "Tu Papi's right, carino. Love isn't something you can force, and as much of a nice girl Laura is, Natalia is the one who understands you most." Julieta reassured, placing a hand on Agustin's back.

The water around them began to calm as the owner calmed as well. "If you say so, Mama." The Madrigal woman cupped her son's cheek, before leaving with her husband.

(Y/N) sighed before falling back into his river and allowed himself to sink to the bottom, and began swimming with his turtles. "El futuro no puede llegar lo suficientemente rapido." He sighed, cupping his hand around the rainbow baby turtle.

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0ruguitas · 2 years

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Pls tell me about ur oc!!!!

Cringe is dead, we're all out here making oc to love Bruno Madrigal and He Deserves It

Ok ok you wore me down. Here's an (incredibly) rough outline of almost the entire story since I don't think I'll ever actually develop this into a full multi chapter fic. So I don't care to "spoil" the whole thing.

Adrian (45 in present day, 30 when they met Bruno) starts off as a friend of Bruno's who had known him since before he disappeared. They're the town's veterinarian (I'm working under the headcanon that Julieta's gift doesn't work on animals lmao) and they met when Señora Pezmuerto took both her dying fish and Bruno to the vet to see if they could help "lift Bruno's curse" off her fish. After Adrian kindly explains to her that there are probably other factors that she may be contributing to as to why her fish is dying, she leaves in a fuss. Adrian tries to share a laugh about it with Bruno, which surprises him since he's used to be written off as an omen and definitely not used to people laughing about the possibility of his negative visions coming true. Adrian explains that, as a doctor, giving bad news comes with the territory so they know how he feels. They mention that it helps to have a dark sense of humor when it comes to someone's ignorance leading to their own misfortune, as was the case with Pezmuerto. Bruno is positively bewildered by this outlook but also fascinated.

Bruno, not knowing how to properly ask to spend more time with another human, blurts out if he could bring his pet rat in for a check up. Adrian obliges, and the next 2 weeks consist of Bruno bringing in a different rat each day for them to check on. Adrian starts to catch on to his act, and to sort of throw him off, asks when he'd be paying for all of these doctor visits. Bruno panics and offers to read their future in exchange, to which Adrian laughs and waves it off, assuring that they are joking and actually don't like the idea of having their future told. Adrian offers an alternative instead: if Bruno would buy them dinner.

Bruno, being the king of not taking the hint, comes in the next day with a home cooked meal from Julieta. Adrian rolls their eyes at Bruno's oblivious nature, but rather than be upset, simply invites him to share the food with them over a picnic at the town's square. Bruno is apprehensive but far too smitten to say no.

At the square they are both met with stares and murmurs, Which stresses Bruno. Adrian tries their best to distract him by asking him about his gift. Bruno goes off about how it works, and the small rituals he adheres to to make the process more comfortable for himself. Adrian is noticeably fascinated by the conversation, to which Bruno asks if they are sure they don’t want their future read. Adrian assures them that the idea of having their future laid out before them does not appeal to them and that they prefer the surprise and spontaneity of life. When Bruno questioned why they were then so interested in this, Adrian simply states they like hearing him talk about what he does. It’s at this point Bruno can no longer deny to himself that he’s head over heels.

They start to hang out more and more outside of their job, which many around the town take note of. News gets back to the Madrigals and everyone is tickled to see Bruno happy and spending time outside of his tower. Alma is especially happy as she immediately jumps at the potential of the last of her children finally marrying and continuing the madrigal bloodline, especially with someone with such an upstanding career. Bruno is very obviously made uncomfortable. This is not helped when he is pressured into inviting Adrian over for dinner.

The dinner is extremely uncomfortable; Julieta and Pepa seem to be playing good cop bad cop with how they interrogate Adrian, trying their best to make sure Adrian is not someone else out to make their baby brother miserable. Agustín and Félix are a bit too eager to accept a third member to their "married into the family" club, and Alma is already hearing wedding bells in her head. Despite Bruno being extremely mortified by the entire ordeal, Adrian takes most of it with stride and understands that they all mean well and ends up making an extremely good impression on the family.

Bruno walks Adrian home after dinner and they both decompress a bit from the stressful evening. Bruno apologizes if the comments his family made made them nervous to which Adrian confesses that just being invited to the madrigal home was already unbelievably nerve-wracking, so the extra pressure the dinner added was minimal in comparison. What was supposed to be comforting words seem to only stress Bruno as he continues to babble through an apology, regretting letting himself be pressured to having them for dinner. Adrian tries to reassure him with words but he continues to talk over them, so in a moment of bravery, Adrian cups Bruno's cheeks and pulls him in for their first kiss. Bruno pulls away almost immediately, making Adrian fear that they overstepped. They apologize, saying that was the only way they could think of letting him know that everything was ok between them. Bruno is silent before requesting if they could kiss again. Adrian obliges and they share a much more gentle, loving kiss.

Once at home, Alma pressures Bruno into looking into Adrian's future to see if their relationship would ever develop into something more, but he shrugs it off, respecting Adrian's wishes to not have their future read.

A few weeks pass and Bruno wakes to find one of his rats almost unresponsive and breathing very slowly. He rushes it to Adrian's office who at first assumes Bruno is up to his ole shtick. Once realizing the gravity of the situation, they get to work on examining the animal. After finding the root of the problem, Adrian reluctantly tells Bruno that his rat is too far gone to be helped and hasn't much longer on this earth. They are unsure how to proceed with Bruno as he simply stands there in silence staring at his rat. He requests if he could stay with his animal for his final moments, which Adrian obliges and begins to set up a small shoe box for him to take home, Before Bruno corrects them and requests to stay here at the office with them as company. Adrian hesitates before drawing their curtains and closing down for the night so they could stay with Bruno.

Adrian pulls up chairs to the bed the rat is on for Bruno and themself to be more comfortable. They both eventually dose off, waking up the next day stiff and uncomfortable in their chairs to Bruno's now deceased rat.

Adrian accompanies Bruno to a remote area right outside the Encanto to bury the animal and they both sit there in silence after burying the rat. Adrian nervously asks Bruno if he had known his rat was old and sick, to which he denied. Bruno jokingly mentions that trying to look into the future for every single one of his rat's health would take all day and end in a headache. Adrian asked why he didn't check the future when he found his rat sick at least, to which he sheepishly responded that he didn't want to receive bad news. Adrian immediately begins apologizing to which Bruno assures them that it's ok and not their fault. He nervously laughs saying he now knows how the town's people feel when he gives them a bad vision. Adrian doesn't know what else to say except that they are sorry they couldn't do more to help. They share a short kiss before Adrian offers to stay with him here as long as he needs. They both lie down in the grass holding each other for an indiscernible amount of time.

Bruno wakes up after having dosed off on top of Adrian, panicked that it was already nightfall. Adrian is seemingly not phased by his extreme reaction, to which Bruno asks if they had fallen asleep as well. Adrian confesses that they didn't, but didn't want to leave Bruno until he was feeling better, even less so once they noticed he had dosed off on top of them. Bruno can't help the goofy smile that forms on his face upon hearing that and offers to at least walk Adrian home. Adrian declines, preferring to be the one to walk Bruno home this time as he seems too groggy to wander by himself. At casita's entrance they share a parting kiss, and Adrian reassures that they will always be around if they need someone.

Once inside, Bruno can't help his own beating chest at Adrian's words. He's never had anyone be so attentive to him before. It isn't long before the thought of ever losing them starts to scare Bruno. It eats away at him until he gives in and peak into Adrian's future. It's not that he didn't trust Adrian, but he was so used to his relationships never lasting, he wanted to be sure Adrian really did want to stick around.

In his vision Bruno sees something unexpected, but heartbreaking nonetheless. Bruno sees Adrian crying on their bed, holding a photo they had taken with Bruno. The vision continues and Adrian proceeds to throw the photo in the a trashcan. Bruno stops the vision Immediately. He can't even imagine what he must have done to make them so upset but he does know that he can't let himself get to a point where he is capable of hurting them that way.

The next few days Adrian is surprised to not get a single visit from Bruno at their office, but think little of it as they assume he might still be upset about his rat. They see Bruno in passing while the Madrigals do their daily errands, but any attempts to get his attention is met with him swiftly looking in a different direction. After a week passes, Adrian musters up some courage to knock on Casita's doors and ask for Bruno directly. Alma answers, lamenting that she hasn't seen him. Adrian asks Alma to relay to Bruno that they'd like to talk to him as soon as possible and that it's important.

When Alma sees Bruno later that day, she sternly tells him that something must be wrong with Adrian and that he must go see them about it immediately. Bruno reluctantly agrees to go see them.

Bruno meets Adrian as they are closing their office for the day. Adrian is visibly upset with him, asking if everything is okay and why he has been ignoring them. Bruno twiddles their thumbs, not wanting to confess that he looked into their future against their wishes. He takes a deep breath before matter of factly telling Adrian that he thinks they should stop seeing each other. Adrian is taken by by this sudden confession. They ask if they did something wrong, to which Bruno assures they didn't. When Adrian pushes further to inquire on what went wrong, Bruno vaguely tells them that his focus lies elsewhere. Adrian is not satisfied by his response and demands to know what is really going on. Bruno tries to reassure them that they will surely be happier with someone else, but they are inconsolable, confused and bordering on angry. Bruno tries to physically confort them, but Adrian pushes them away, asking them to not make this harder than it needs to be and to see himself out. Bruno is left heartbroken and unsure if he made the right choice and unsure of how he'll break the news to his hopeful mother.

(5 years later Bruno would go missing, kicking off the events of Encanto. So we would make a time jump to shortly after the events of the movie)

Many years later and a mishap with Anontio's Jaguar would cause Bruno's and Adrian's paths to cross once again.

Will Bruno apologize to Adrian? (Yes.)

Will he tell them the truth of why he ended their relationship? (Yes)

Will Adrian forgive Bruno? (eventually)

Will they both rekindle what they once had? (duh)

Does Antonio find a new calling for his gift and a mentor figure with Adrian? (yes)

All these questions and more will probably not be fully answered any time soon because idk if I'll ever fully flesh out this concept lmao.

#ive written oc x character before but this is my first time ever publishing anything about it #bc i'm ridiculously easily embarassed by this kind of stuff #so don't look at me #anonymous #replies #bruno madrigal #encanto #0.writing #oc #my oc

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