#Pedro Madrigal Dies

[its-queenofthesilence]

The Line Between Life and Death | Hercules/Encanto Crossover | Part 3 of ?

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Encanto (2021), Hercules (1997) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Miscarriage? Relationships: Hades/Persephone, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal/Pedro Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal/Julieta Madrigal, Hera/Zeus

Summary:

Hades and Persephone have spent centuries on centuries waiting for the day when they could finally have a child of their own. And after thousands of years watching all his unborn children die before they can even be born, he will do anything to make sure his little girl survives. Thankfully for him, there is a father in Columbia who is just as desperate as he is to save his children. And who might just be willing to trade for the very thing that would let Hades save his daughter....

He waits until his wife is dead asleep, (Ha dead, get it?) before he rises slowly from the bed and out of their private quarters, towards the bedroom down the hall. He pauses outside the door, giving the guards a curt nod as they saluted him before he gestures at them to be quiet.

He opens the door slowly, peeking his head in. He can see her, curled up near the edge of the bed, asleep, likely too exhausted from crying. She’s still wearing those clothes; the ones from the mortal realm and he frowns, as he notices all the embroidery on her skirt. A symbol for each member of her mortal family, even the non-magical ones…well, except the one living in the walls it seemed. Which, fair enough. He steps into the room proper, approaching the bed slowly and once he is close enough, with a flick of his wrist, the outfit turns into a set of pajamas, a pair of pants and a tank top and her glasses (Ah to be in a mortal body and require such things) lift from her face and are placed on the nightstand next to her bed.

He considers just removing the outfit from existence all together, but he knows how that will go, so he just conjures it back into reality and drapes it over the privacy screen and sets the shoes by the bed. Sighing, he lifts her, untangling her limbs and moving her so he can place her properly on her bed. He draws back the blankets and lays her down gently before tucking her in, watching her face furrow in her sleep and he can’t help but brush a curl out of her face.

“I love you, baby girl, please don’t ever forget it.”

Hades sighed again, brushing his fingers through his flame. It would be fine, she just needed time to settle in. He knows she misses them but this is where she belonged. With a kiss to her forehead, he slowly retreated, pausing in the doorway to address her again.

“Good night baby doll….I’m sorry it had to be like this.” The God said as he closed the door. Stalking back to his own room, and slipping under the blankets next to his wife, he can only hope that she’s able to forgive him in time.

“Ha, ha! You are so funny ‘Seph….no, absolutely not.” Hades said, sipping his coffee and reading his ‘Underworld Daily’ newspaper with his trademark scowl. He might not need to eat or drink, given that he was a God (Well, maybe the occasional sip of ambrosia, here and there.), but like many other gods he enjoyed indulging in life’s, or rather in his case, death’s pleasures. He liked his coffee, and a bit of breakfast in the morning. Persephone was cooking; Something she did rarely as usually she allowed the servants to cook for her but she was insistent this morning that she cook for her daughter, on her first, full day home in the Underworld. She was going all out: Eggs, bacon, hash browns, even some waffles thrown in.

“What harm would it do? It would just be six months out of the year!” She said, turning around briefly from the bacon she was cooking to look at her husband with a pointed look. “Because, that’s six months without my daughter! It’s bad enough that half the year I am relegated to only seeing my wife on weekends, let alone our daughter, because your mother refuses to cut the ‘umbilical cord.” The God said, rolling his eyes at the thought of his mother-in-law. Demeter needed to let go, but unfortunately for him, he mistakenly put the deal he made to marry his wife in divine writing. That woman refused to budge and it was enforceable so they were stuck like this for eternity or until his mother-in-law chose to (Unlikely given how stubborn she was.) to cease existing. “But she loves them Hades!” Persephone said, heartbroken for her daughter.

“Doll…babe, I know she does. But she’s a God. She’s going to out live them, and what if she decides to settle down and get married to a mortal? It’s bad enough she’ll have to outlive the rest of her family, but what about children? Our grandchildren? They won’t be gods! Mind you she won’t be having any kids because you bet I’m going to put a stop to that before any boys even think they have a chance with our little princess! But still!” Persephone didn’t respond. That was the main argument Hades made when she agreed to bring Mirabel home early instead of waiting for her natural end. It was a sentiment she unfortunately agreed with. Any children she had while in a mortal body, would be mortal. And not necessarily a demi-god, either.

Persephone bit her lip, turning back to tend to the sizzling bacon. "I know, Hades. I know." She shook her head sadly. "But we can't keep her locked away down here forever. She'll resent us for it." Hades rubbed his face. “It’s not forever…just until she sheds her mortal body.” He said, flicking his eyes towards the plate of food his wife was putting bacon on to. “You already had breakfast! These are for your daughter, and that’s still eighty years!” Said his wife, holding the plate away from him as she sees him eye it. “I know it’s going to be hard…Babe, I know. But it’s better to rip the band-aid off now, before it gets worse.” Gaia Be Praised, she hated when he was right.

Persephone nodded reluctantly, placing the plate of freshly cooked breakfast on to the table. Usually they ate in the main dinning room, which featured a long, almost comically so table but she much preferred the small kitchen and dinning nook in their private quarters, it was more intimate and private and didn’t require her shouting from across the room to speak. "I suppose you're right. It will only get harder for her, the longer we wait." She sighed heavily, rubbing her face. "I just hope she can forgive us, in time."

Hades reached out, gently grasping Persephone's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "She will, babe. She's strong - just like her mother." He flashed her a roguish grin, his piercing gaze softening with affection. "And she has your big heart. She'll come around."

“….My mother let the news out. They want to meet her.” Persephone said slowly. She knew she had to tell him even if she didn’t want to. Immediately the God spat out his coffee as his hair exploded, causing a loud boom to emanate throughout the palace. "Of course they do! I’m sure Zeus is absolutely thrilled!”

“Oh, when will you forgive him? It’s been eons.” The God of the Underworld laughed darkly. “Forgive him? When will I forgive him she asks? Never! He murdered our parents, imprisoned my brothers, and banished your grandparents and aunts as well, I might add! The rest of the Pantheon may like to pretend it didn’t happen, but I don’t!”

The one thing he loved about the Mortals was their need to distort and twist the stories of his family’s lives. Some of it came from the humans, yes and their short lifespans but other parts were deliberately skewed by his brother in his arrogance to cover up what he did. The biggest thing was the relationships of his family, of who was married to who and who was the child or parent of another. Despite what people thought, Hera and Zeus were not siblings and (Why were mortals obsessed with incest??) and in fact had different parents all together.

In the beginning of the universe, four beings were brought into existence from the Big Bang: Rhea, Uranus, Cronus and Gaia. All were separate entities, none of them were related, except for maybe in a hypothetical sense of all being created at the same time. Rhea married Uranus, not Cronus, and birthed all daughters: Hestia, Demeter, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Hera, Mnemosyne and Themis.

Cronus and Gaia however birthed all sons from their union: Hades, the first born son, Oceanus, Poseidon, Hyperion, Coeus, Crius, Iapetus and then Zeus, the baby. Sure, Cronus was maybe not the best Dad, after all Hades got his temper from him, but he wasn’t a bad dad. Very strict and what people would call nowadays, militaristic. He liked things done a certain way. But Zeus didn’t like that, no. Mom always dotted on him, letting him get away with anything while dad tried his best to reign him in. But Zeus was the baby and wanted everything done his way.

So what did he do when Dad kicked him out of Olympus in order for him to learn some independence? Convinced their brother, Poseidon to overthrow their parents, murdering them (Hades didn’t care if it was not intentional, they were still dead.) in the process and then imprisoned their brothers, who refused to pick sides. And what about Hades? He had been the most adamant and against it, actively fighting back. But Zeus was an asshole and didn’t want to imprison him as well, no that would be too kind. Zeus decided that Hades would get to spend all of eternity tending to the Underworld.

Of course Rhea and Uranus got pissed off, and being a gentleman, and not wanting to piss off his new wife and her two sisters that went along with everything, Zeus decided to just banish the rest of the family to somewhere deep in the cosmos. Never mind that most of his brothers and Hera’s unlucky sisters had children of their own at that point, some being literal children at the time, losing one or both of their parents in an instance. And then he made up a story to make it seem like he was this, wise, kind God who did mortals a favor. It made him furious.

And: Hades was first born, if anyone should be in charge of Olympus, it was him.

Persephone sighed heavily, reaching out to gently place her hand on Hades' arm. "I know, my love. I know how much you resent what Zeus did. But holding onto that anger for so long, it's only hurting you." She gazed up at him, her expression soft and understanding. "I know I cannot convince you to forgive him but you know that he expects us to host them since we can’t bring her to them for decades at least.” Hades let out a forced laugh, the blue flames of his hair flickering wildly. "Babe, I will not have that self-righteous, power-hungry tyrant set foot in my domain. Not after what he did!" He slammed his fist down on the table, the wood splintering beneath the force of his blow. Especially when he liked to pretend like it was all a big misunderstanding.

Persephone flinched at the outburst, her grip tightening on his arm. "My love, please. I know how much you hate him, but this is about our daughter. Not your feud with Zeus." She searched his face, her eyes pleading. "For Mirabel's sake, can you at least try to be civil? Besides…you owe him. You tried to murder his son, your nephew, remember? A few times in fact."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me," he grumbled. "That arrogant brat is just like his father." He fixed Persephone with a pointed stare. "But…fine. Just because I know if I don’t agree, he’ll show up anyway and do that thing were he pretends we’re chummy." He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in resignation. “But I expect you to do most of the entertaining!" He stated, pausing to think for a second. He should really scour the Underworld again, as despite it being thousands of years, he still hadn’t managed to find where Hercules and Megara’s souls were hiding in his domain, even with Cerberus's aid. He knew they had to be here somewhere but the Fates were cryptic and of no help when he asked.

Persephone let out a relieved sigh, giving Hades' arm a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, my love. I know this isn't easy for you." She offered him a small, reassuring smile. "I'll make sure Zeus and the others behave themselves. Mirabel's comfort and wellbeing comes first."

Hades grunted, his lips twisting into a wry smirk. "Good luck with that. You know how Zeus and the rest of that lot are - they have all the subtlety of a rampaging Minotaur." He shook his head, his expression growing more serious. "Just...don't let them overwhelm her, alright? She's been through enough as it is." Persephone nodded, smiling at her husband.

“Now, I am going to go get our daughter before the food gets cold….Hades, if I come back and you’ve taken a single slice of bacon off that plate, you can bet there will be consequences.” She said curtly, noticing his hand trying to subtly move towards the plate. Persephone narrowed her eyes at Hades, her gaze unwavering. "I mean it, Hades. Not a single slice." With that, she turned on her heel and headed towards Mirabel's room, her bathrobe swishing as she moved.

Hades watched his wife depart, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards in a mischievous grin. As soon as Persephone disappeared around the corner, he turned his attention back to the plate that had been set aside for his daughter, his fingers twitching with anticipation.

"Just one little slice," He muttered, reaching a hand out towards the tempting bacon. After all, who would miss it? But just as his fingers brushed against the tantalizingly crisp, golden-brown meat, the plate suddenly vanished in a burst of golden light, leaving no trace.

“I said not one slice!” Persephone called from down the hall. Hades just sipped his coffee sullenly.

Mirabel had awoken to a loud bang, causing her to sit up abruptly in confusion. Sleep still clinging to her, it took a moment to remember where she was. Even longer to convince herself she wasn’t in fact still dreaming and she was going to wake up in her bed at home, in Casita. And as soon as it hit her, she started sobbing again. It wasn’t fair!

“Mirabel?”

Mirabel's head snapped up at the sound of Persephone's soft voice. The goddess stood in the doorway, completely different from when she last saw her. She wore no crown and no elaborate dress and her hair was not sleek and perfect like the night before but messy and pulled up in a bun, and she was in a fuzzy pink bathrobe with matching slippers. “I apologize if I am intruding. I was wondering if you would like some breakfast.” The teenager stared at Persephone, her eyes still red and puffy from crying the previous day, let alone this morning. The mention of food made her stomach growl, a reminder that she hadn't eaten since before this whole ordeal began. She hadn’t even gotten to eaten anything at the party! But the thought of accepting anything from these people - these gods who had torn her from her family - made her feel sick.

“I know this is hard, and you probably don’t want to see us, especially your father right now, but please, come eat something. You’ll feel better, I promise.” Mirabel hesitated, her stomach warring with her heart. As much as she desperately wanted to refuse, the gnawing hunger was impossible to ignore. She averted her gaze, her voice firm yet trembling.

“I am only agreeing to this because I’m hungry, not because I like you people.” The girl said simply, lips pressed thin. She paused, squinting, where were her glasses? She could see without them, but not anything more than ten feet away. Even the Goddess was fuzzy from her doorway. She looked down at herself, quickly becoming horrified.

“Where are my clothes?!”

Mirabel's eyes widened as she looked down at the unfamiliar pajamas she was wearing. Her heart raced, panic rising within her. "What did you do?" she demanded, her voice shaking. Persephone sighed, this was going to be a regular thing. “Me? Nothing, but it appears your father redressed you while you were asleep. Your clothes and shoes are right here.” The Goddess indicated. Moving her hand in a small circle, she made the pajamas disappear, and her other outfit reappear on her body, along with the glasses.

Mirabel's eyes narrowed as she glared at Persephone, clutching the hem of her skirt protectively. "Don't...don't do that." she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. It might be a kind gesture, and instant, but she didn’t like people dressing her without her permission.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I should have asked first." Persephone said gently, raising her hands in a placating gesture. She was going to kill her husband, even when he wasn’t actively trying not to meddle, he still found a way to do it. "Why don't we go have that breakfast I mentioned? You must be hungry."

Persephone was doing her best, truly she was, but sometimes she just wanted to smack her husband. Mirabel sat on the other side of the table from them, eating quietly and pointedly avoiding looking in Hades' direction. He was trying to give her space, but Persephone could tell he was antsy and impatient to have that father-daughter connection. He was sipping his coffee and reading the paper, but Persephone saw him sneak glances at Mirabel out of the corner of his eye. She glares at him when he starts to open his mouth to say something. ‘Don’t say anything.’ She tells him telepathically, earning an eyeroll and a scowl from the God.

Mirabel sat quietly, trying to focus on the food in front of her rather than the oppressive silence that hung in the air. She could feel Hades' gaze boring into her, the intensity of it almost palpable. Every time she dared to glance up, she would catch him quickly averting his eyes, pretending to be absorbed in his newspaper.

The tension was suffocating.

Eventually, Hades can’t help it. “So…whose birthday did I interrupt?” He asked with a smirk, like it was no big deal, over his newspaper. “Gaia Damn It! Five minutes Hades, you couldn’t make it five minutes!” Shouted Persephone, slamming her own mug down and causing it to shatter before she sighed and swished her hand to fix it. Mirabel's head snapped up, her eyes narrowed in a glare as she fixed Hades with a withering stare. "You rip me away from my family, from my home, and now you want to make jokes about it?" She hissed.

Hades had the good sense to look somewhat chastised, his cocky grin fading as he met his daughter's furious gaze. "I...I was just trying to lighten the mood, baby girl." He said, his voice turning soft. Mirabel scoffed, shaking her head in disgust. "Well it's not working," She spat. She pushed her half-eaten breakfast away, her appetite suddenly gone. "I don't want to be here. I want to go home." Mirabel's words hung in the air, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Persephone looked pained, while Hades' expression darkened.

“Look baby, I didn’t mean to make you mad, Okay? Let’s start over. How about your old man takes you out and shows you around? I can take you to Elysium, or show you the River Styx. It will be great!” Hades said with a fixed smile.

Mirabel stared at Hades, her expression one of pure disbelief. "You think taking me on some...some tour is going to make this better?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't want to see any of this place. I just want to go home!" Persephone reached across the table, placing her hand over Mirabel's. "I know this is all so overwhelming, my dear. But this is your home now." She squeezed Mirabel's hand gently. "I wish there was an easy way to make this transition smoother for you, but..." She sighed heavily. "You're going to have to give it time."

“Why can’t you just let me go home?” She begged.

“Baby girl, you’re a God. You’re going to outlive them and any mortal children, if I even allowed you to have kids, you have as well. It may seem like we’re being cruel but we’re trying to make this as painless as possible for you. It’s hard I know, but it’s saving you pain down the line.” Said Hades. Mirabel stared at Hades and Persephone, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I don't care!" she cried, her voice thick with emotion. "They're my family - I love them! How can you expect me to just...forget them?" She shook her head vehemently, a few tears escaping to trail down her cheeks.

"We're not asking you to forget them, Mirabel," Persephone said gently, her heart aching at the pain etched across her daughter's face. "We know how much they mean to you. But you're a goddess now - your life is so much longer than theirs. We just want to spare you the heartbreak of watching them grow old and die."

“I hate you.” Mirabel said, directly at Hades. Persephone was wide eyed. Oh no, this was- Hades exploded, his hair going wild and the entire palace shaking as he stood abruptly from his chair, towering over her, the mist that billowed around his ankles in soft lapping waves, turning into intense tsunamis as smoke and flame filled the room.

Hades' eyes blazed with a primal fury, as he processed what she said. "What did you just say to me?" Mirabel trembled, shrinking back in her chair as the immense power radiating from the god threatened to suffocate her. Persephone stood abruptly, rushing to place herself between her husband and daughter. "Dear, calm down!" She pleaded, her usually serene expression etched with worry. "She's just scared and overwhelmed - you're only making it worse!"

But the Lord of the Underworld was beyond reason, consumed by a rage that bordered on madness. With a flick of his wrist, a tendril of black mist lashed out, wrapping around Mirabel's wrist in an iron grip. The girl let out a strangled cry as she was yanked from her chair, ancient magic burning her skin. Hades loomed over her, his piercing gaze boring into her soul.

"How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful little brat!" He snarled, the tendril tightening painfully around her wrist. "I am your father, I have been nothing but kind and you will show me the respect I deserve! Do you know what lengths I went to save your very soul? Hmm? What me and your mother went through to even have you? DO YOU?" Mirabel cried out in pain as the unyielding grip of Hades' magic scorched her skin. Tears streamed down her face as she stared up at the towering, raging figure of her father, his blazing eyes filled with a primal fury that shook her to her very core.

"Monster!" she screamed, the word tearing from her throat. "You're a monster!"

Hades recoiled as if he'd been struck, the inky tendrils of magic instantly relinquishing their hold on Mirabel's wrist. The God's expression shifted from one of unbridled rage to stark horror, the blue flames of his hair dimming as the realization of his actions hit him like a tidal wave.

“Baby gir-” He started, trying to reach for her.

Mirabel didn’t wait to hear what he had to say, she fled, pushing past Persephone who tried and failed to stop her. “I hope you’re happy Hades.” The Goddess said, as she watched her daughter flee, turning back to address him with a stare colder than Tartarus.

“I really do.”

You know, this had been a weird day. Things had already been tense with the uncertainty around Antonio getting a gift or not hanging in the air, like you could physically taste it. He had been holed up within the walls of the house, worried about the cracks and the vision, trying not cry when he heard the family gather for the ceremony. He should be out there, with them. Instead, he was hiding like a coward. He heard gasps, people murmuring about something he couldn’t hear, his mother speaking to his youngest nephew, a dramatic pause and then shouting “We have a new gift.” It was a confirmation, of a few things. The first being that the prophecy was coming true. Whatever the hell the prophecy was. He honestly still couldn’t make heads or tales about it. His leading theory was that Mirabel was going to die, that was his primary belief. Whether the people mobbed her because she thought she was bad luck (being the only giftless Madrigal now), or she committed suicide, he didn’t know. All he did know is while he didn’t recognize the strange faceless fellow, anyone with who picked up a book could tell you who Cerberus was.

He had paced, nervously. Not sure what to do. There was no way to confirm what he thought was true and if she was going to die; how the hell would he explain that to the family? His mother would never accept it, or worse assume it was an ill-omen. Besides, he didn’t know how she was going to die, despite trying multiple times to get an answer. And then the tremors started. They sent him and his rats flying, smashing against the walls. Just as he had stood up, assuming it was just an earth quake, another one came, and then another. He heard people screaming, his mother yelling for people to get to safety as people rushed to safety. He tried to go for safety but he kept being knocked over from the tremors and just when he thought he might die, thinking okay the house is collapsing, it a giant sound filled the air and then it stopped. There were a few loud booms and some yelling but he couldn’t make it out.

He didn’t know what happened after that, just his family returning to the house after about an hour, his mother trying to plead with people to stay calm. He could hear Julieta screaming at someone, a man he didn’t recognize about making a deal without their consent. He could also hear Antonio yelling for Mirabel, and Camilo screaming they had to do something. It was…confusing. And then when the screaming died down, and he returned to his room within the walls, hoping to spy something out the little peak through, he found the wall separating his room from the dinning room ripped open and then being dragged out by Luisa, who proceeded to drag him into the middle of the courtyard where the entire family surrounded him. Everyone but Mir….wait, why the hell was there a ghost that looked exactly like his father’s portrait?!?

"What...what's going on?" Bruno asked shakily, his eyes darting between the faces of his family. “We’ll get to that, but first: do you want to explain to us why you were in the walls? For ten years we thought you were dead! Or gone, or who knows what and the entire time you’ve been right under our noses. Do you know the kind of pain you caused me Brunito? How many nights I spent sobbing? How could you just leave us.” Asked Alma, trying not to cry. Oh look at him, he looked so pale and thin.

“…I…I thought you didn’t care? It’s not like you love me Mama.” He said dismissively. Alma's eyes narrowed at Bruno's words, her expression hardening. "Not love you?" She stepped forward, her voice trembling with emotion. "How could you even say that? You are my son - of course I love you!"

“Because never once in your life have you ever been anything but dismissive of everything I do Mother. Oh Bruno, have a vision about Mirabel, Oh Bruno, why can’t you stop spreading bad luck? Or: Why is it you’re not married yet? What do you mean no one wants to marry you because your mother allowed everyone to treat you like an outcast?” Spat the man. “Bruno, be more like Julieta, Bruno, why aren’t you taller-”

Alma's face fell as Bruno's words sunk in, the pain and bitterness in his tone cutting her to the core. She opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Bruno, I...I had no idea you felt that way," she whispered, her voice trembling. "If I ever made you feel unloved or unwanted, I'm so sorry." She reached out, her hand hovering uncertainly near his arm before dropping back to her side. "You're my son - you could never be anything less than precious to me."

Bruno regarded his mother warily, the deep-seated hurt in his eyes making her heart ache. "Could have fooled me," he muttered, his gaze drifting away from her pleading expression.

“I’m sorry Bruno” said Pepa. “This is my fault, if I had just been a better sister, if I had actually been there for you, if we all had….We…we should have never stopped talking about you.” She said sadly.

“Yeah, well you did Pepa! My own two sisters, the pair of you. I expected it from Mom, but not you two. Now, this is nice and all and dandy and I assume Dolores is responsible for why I am here right now in the courtyard, but would someone like to fill me in on why the ghost of my father is staring at me?!”

“Yeah Dad, care to fill him in on what you told all of us earlier? I’m sure he’s going to be as thrilled as we were…well he doesn’t have any daughters, but still!” Snapped Julieta, with a glare at her father. “I’m sorry…what?” Bruno was so confused right now.

“I thought he would be taller! At least seven feet tall! He’s like exactly my height! And where are the rats and the dark aura?” Interjected Camilo, disappointed. No one ever told him Bruno was so…meek looking. As if on cue, a few rats popped out of one of Bruno’s pockets, sniffing the area and then letting out a small squeak.

“Camilo, last time you saw him, you were five! Of course he seemed taller, you went up to his waist at best.” Pepa sighed, she loved her son but he was dense at times. “But, what about when he says your name and then you loose consciousness? Is that still a thing?” He was so disappointed. Bruno looked at him blankly. “I don’t know what to tell you. If you are talking about the time when you were seven and ran into me in the hallway at night while going to the kitchen for snacks, that’s because I startled you and then you tripped and hit your head on the banister going down.” Bruno said, even more confused.

“So, wait wh-”

“You need to eat more.” Julieta was temporarily distracted as she looked over her brother. “You need to put on some weight, I can see your cheekbones! How much food did you have access to in there? I wish you would have let me know, I would have kept your secret…I’m going to need to make you a lot of fatty foods to get you back up to a healthy weight.”

“Uh? What?”

“Your sister is right son, you could stand to gain a few. I kept trying to get Casit-”

“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?”

Everyone was silent at once, everyone looking between each other, not sure who should say it. “Mirabel has been kidnapped by Hades, Son.” Stated Pedro, simply, refusing to look his daughter in the eyes. “Wait…as in Hades, the Hades? The Lord of the Underworld, Ancient Greek and Roman God of Death, Hades? That one?”

“Yes, Brunito.”

“Well, suddenly that vision makes a whole lot more sense…” Uh oh, he should have not said that. If he was being surrounded by vultures before, they were now sharks, going in for the kill. “Wait, you actually did have a vision?! What did it show you? Bruno, we need to know!” Bruno shrunk back as his family members surged forward, bombarding him with questions. "I - I don't know what the vision showed exactly," he stammered, holding up his hands defensively. "It was all so jumbled and confusing. I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

Alma stepped forward, her brow furrowed with concern. "Bruno, please. Mirabel is in grave danger - anything you saw could be vital." She gripped his shoulders. "You have to try and remember." He said. “Look, it’s easier if I show you then explaining it, if you let me get it. If you don’t mind…?” He asked, gesturing vaguely in the general direction of his room. “Please, Bruno, we need to know what you saw!” Sighing, he got up and tapped his foot on the floor, allowing Casita to save him time by propelling him to the second floor and outside his still boarded up door. Thankfully Casita seemed to understand, and wasted no time forcing it open, causing Dolores to wince as the door slammed open and sent boards flying. “One minute!” Bruno said over his shoulder. He quickly entered his room, brushing past the unsettling statues of his own face and the staircase towards the secret wall that hid the elevator.

Once inside, it was a quick journey to his vision room where he quickly (But carefully, those edges could be sharp, he knew from experience.) gathered up the shards from their resting place in the sand and quickly descended back out into the main part of the house. Within minutes, everyone was looking over his shoulder as he placed the pieces together on the dinning room table. After a moment it was complete, and everyone was trying to get a look.

There, laid out before them was an image of not only Mirabel, but of Antonio as well; in a way. On the left side of the tablet there was crowd of people; the villagers and the family. Antonio was at the front, reaching towards Mirabel, dressed clearly in his ceremony outfit. Mirabel was being dragged by a faceless figure with flame for hair and mist pouring off of him, holding a leash in his spare hand that was attached to a large, three headed dog, towards a large pit.

“I..I always assumed it was an interpretation of death. I didn’t know who Antonio was at the time, clearly, but I assumed based on the age and appearance of both him and Mirabel that he had to be Pepa’s son and that whatever was going to happen would happen on his 5th birthday. I thought Mirabel was going to die; maybe the villagers would decide she was a bad omen or the family, or maybe Mom would kill her to protect the miracle, I don’t know, I knew Mirabel cut herself occasionally so suicide also seemed like an option.” Bruno finished explaining, looking at the image with a frown. “I never expected it to be literal; she’s being kidnapped by Hades.”

“How? How could you think I would ever hurt Mirabel?” Alma was frozen, a look of shock and hurt on her face. She wasn’t the best Grandmother to Mirabel, she knew that but she would never hurt her! Bruno didn’t respond at first, flicking his eyes away. “I don’t know, you never seemed to like her after her ceremony, I saw a lot of things from behind the walls. You always seemed so on edge around her, so annoyed, and I know how much you care about that stupid candle over us, so it didn’t seem like a huge stretch Mother.”

“Candle? CANDLE?! Do you really think so little of me Bruno Madrigal, that I would put the candle above the wellbeing of my family?” Alma spat, disgusted. “Yes.” The yes doesn’t come from Bruno, it comes from Isabela, tired and quiet. “Yes,” She repeats. “I think we all collectively assumed that you would sacrifice anyone of us it meant the miracle was fine.” Alma whipped around, expecting to hear her family come to her defense. Instead, everyone was looking away from her, eyes fixed elsewhere. Tears welled in Alma's eyes as she looked around at the faces of her children, grandchildren, even the ghost of her husband, seeing the same mixture of apprehension, guilt, and disappointment reflected back at her. "How...how could you all think that of me?" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“How? How? I’m a lesbian too afraid to come out to my own Abuela, much less the rest of my family and the town. I spent years making you perfect little flowers and wearing pretty, frilly dresses, always having to be your perfect flower! Luisa is a mess who is constantly over working herself and always taking on too much, and hates herself so much because the idealized version of a woman she’s heard from you her entire life has made her think she’s too manly for love. Dolores is in love with Mariano, and was too scared to say anything because she assumed I loved him and the fact you were putting so much pressure on us getting engaged!” Isabela paused to breathe. “Camilo spends so much time as other people, that he worries he’s going to forget what he looks like, Mama is constantly having to make food, from dawn until Midnight for the stupidest of injuries, Tia Pepa is not allowed to feel, Tio Bruno is an outcast and you treat Papa and Tio Felix like they’re not part of the family, just like Mirabel!” Finished Isabela, gasping and panting. She could already tell her voice was going to hurt in the morning.

Alma stood in stunned silence as Isabela's words hung heavy in the air. The Madrigal Matriarch's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks as she processed the painful truths her granddaughter had laid bare. "I...I had no idea," she whispered brokenly, her hands trembling. "I was only trying to do what I thought was best, to keep our family strong." She shook her head, more tears falling. "But in doing so, I've hurt all of you." Pepa stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on her mother's arm. "Mama, we know you love us and want what's best. But you have to understand - your idea of 'best' isn't the same as ours." Her expression softened with empathy.

“I’m sorry. I never…I never…”

“We know you are Mama, I can see that. I know it won’t be easy, and there is still so much hurt, but I think it’s clear now that everyone in this family has issues they need to work on, individually and together. You know it’s funny, if Mirabel hadn’t of been kidnapped, we might have never of known…it’s…it’s suddenly so quiet in the Casita, I never realized how much of the life came from Mirabel being here. Singing, dancing…” Pepa trailed off, pausing. “But that’s not what is important right now. Finding a way to get Mirabel back is.” No one had to say anything, everyone immediately turned towards Bruno, eyes expectant.

“You want me to do another vision, don’t you? God f-” Bruno paused, taking note of Antonio being in the room. “Okay, fine…okay so next question, why? Why would Hades kidnap Mirabel? That wasn’t exactly explained.” The seer said, accentuating with his hands to draw the fact to…he was still in the dark about this entire thing.

“Your… idiot father made a deal for the house and gifts in exchange for a stillborn child so Hades could use the body to save his own child. Mirabel is the daughter of Hades.”

You know, Bruno had a bit too much excitement for one day. It only made sense that his eyes would roll back into his head and he would fall flat on his face, unconscious, saved just in time from smashing his head into Casita’s floor by Dolores sliding a pillow under his face. "Hmm! Honestly I was expecting that as soon as Luisa dragged him out.”

[mistydemorrow]

When Pedro lost his wife and was given a miracle in her place, he swore, that no matter the cost to himself, he would protect his family from any harm. The gifts that were given to his children and grandchildren were ways he could ensure that they stayed safe. When Mirabel didn't get a gift, he didn't give a second thought to the safety of the candle. All he could think about was how his little mariposa was left without this invaluable protection. So he did what any sane, loving abuelo would do. He spent every spare moment of his time making sure Mirabel was out of any kind of danger.

Or, he tries to. But there's such thing as too much attention, and the family works together to give him both peace of mind and themselves the freedom they all so desperately crave.

Inspired by theangelofangst on tumblr.

[igetthedisneybox]

Extended Encanto Family Trees

I made families for Alma, Pedro, Augustín, Félix, and Mariano from some background characters and concept art. Based on @hannahhook7744's version, here

Pedro's Family:

These are Pedro's parents, Josefa "Mariposa" Madrigal, and Jorge Bravo.

Mariposa was nicknamed for her lighthearted attitude, colorful hair, and graceful body language. She was also incredibly free-spirited, and wanted to walk her own path. She believed heavily in magic and miracles, as well as the belief that good things happen to good people.

Jorge was a bit of a coward, who disliked conflict. He was also incredibly superstitious, and spent the rest of his life as a paranoid shut-in after Pedro's birth.

Jorge was a handy man, who specialized in construction work, while Mariposa was an orphan, who worked for the church that raised her. Pedro was born out of wedlock, which was a huge no-no back then. Mariposa and Jorge were both freshly adults, and spent a passionate night together, which resulted in Pedro. Jorge fled not only Mariposa, but the whole village when he found out that she was pregnant.

Due to the circumstances of his conception, and to avoid tarnishing her reputation, Mariposa raised Pedro in the church with the help of the nuns, in secret. The story was that Pedro was an orphan, and Mariposa was helping to take care of him.

Despite this, Mariposa loved Pedro unconditionally, and imparted an important belief onto him: Love is magic, which is how the Miracle happens later: from love.

She ends up dying when Pedro is just thirteen years old, from an unspecified illness.

Luckily, at that time, Pedro had learned enough skills to support himself, and his "aunts" the nuns, helped him along as well, until he met Alma, when he was nineteen.

Jorge lived a lot longer, only dying a few years before Mirabel was born, from a heart attack. He fled to the city, and spent the rest of his life as a shut in, never leaving his house, for fear that he would be crushed for his sins.

Pepa gets both her looks, and her name from her Abuela (Pepa is a short form of Josefa).

Alma's Family:

Alma's family is rather large, so I split it up into four parts. First are her parents, Avila Romero and Hernando Cadenza, her twin brother, Raimi, and Raimi's wife, Rosa Peña.

Avila and Hernando had lived in the village their entire lives, and had been planning to get married even when they were children. They both were very traditional, and raised Raimi and Alma to be so as well. They were extremely strict and no-nonsense, especially to Alma, because as a girl, she would be expected to behave differently than Raimi.

Despite this strictness, the twins never felt unloved or unwanted. Hernando had a soft spot for Alma especially, and would let her get away with "un-ladylike" things when Avila was out.

(Side tangent: This is partially why Alma acts the way she does in the film. She always just assumed her family knew she loved them, even when she was being awful to them, because she knew her own parents loved her when they were being strict/unfair. She really needed to learn to communicate her love to her family better, since her behavior towards them was far more egregious than her own parents' was.)

Hernando died when Alma and Raimi were sixteen, when he got into an altercation with a man who would eventually become one of the raiders later on.

Avila died only a few months later, from "a broken heart", really just a bout of depression leading to her dying of malnutrition from not eating.

After their parent's deaths, the twins needed to earn a living for themselves. Raimi joined a group of men traveling to the city for work, where he met Rosa Peña and her family (who I will get back to,) and started working at their inn, sending the majority of his earnings back home to Alma.

Alma meanwhile, did domestic jobs around the village as supplemental income, and at age eighteen, met and fell for Pedro, getting married and having the triplets when she was nineteen.

Raimi and Alma sent each other letters religiously for three years after their separation, but they started to drift apart as they grew their own families, which is why Alma never tried to contact the city after the Encanto was born. She figured Raimi would be better off without her.

The last letter Raimi ever got from his sister was the announcement of her pregnancy. Then, he heard about the attack on the village, and the thousands of people who went missing, including his twin and her husband.

He mourned, but had to move on, for the sake of his wife and sons.

Alma's family part two, mainly focusing on Raimi and the Peñas.

So, the Peña family has a bit of an issue: they're cursed with luck. Both good, and bad.

There are two Peña children born each generation. One is blessed with extreme good luck, and the other, extreme bad luck.

Rosa, Raimi's wife, is the good luck child. She's had fifteen near death experiences, but has always come out unscathed. Her baby brother Benito on the other hand...he's the bad luck one. Nothing ever goes right for this poor guy. (more on him later)

Rosa and Raimi married when he was eighteen and she was twenty, and their son, Erasmo, was born soon after. Erasmo is the good luck child, and is jovial, kind, and kinda quirky.

Five years later, Enrique, their second son, was born. He's the bad luck child, and is shy, withdrawn, and...still quirky, honestly. He and Bruno get along very well when they meet.

Erasmo fell in love with and married resident daredevil Carolina "fuck gender norms" De La Cruz (no relation to Coco), and they had their own kids, Matteo (good luck) and Yésica (bad luck).

Matteo grew up completely spoiled and somehow ended up as kind of a dick. Yésica on the other hand is kind, but stern. She knows accidents can happen to even the luckiest, and takes every day with optimistic caution.

Matteo met and married Reina Estrada, the spoiled heiress of a dress making company getting big quick. Their marige is strained by arguments and disagreements, because of how similar they were.

They had three daughters: Inés, the good luck child, and Juno and Julia, bad luck twins. Because they're twins, the bad luck is shared between them, so Juno and Julia don't feel the affects of it too bad.

Inés is the perfect golden child. She is beautiful, spoiled, and a typical "mean girl." She's incredibly jelous of the Madrigals and their gifts.

Juno and Julia are troublemakers, even outside of their inherit bad luck. They enjoy causing mischief, and so get along with the younger Madrigal cousins.

Benito meanwhile, never married or had any children, until he found an abandonded baby on the roof of the inn one day. He named her Faustina, and hoped that she would inherit the good luck gene. She did not, but she also doesn't really care? She's cheerful, despite her bad luck, and always looks on the sunny side.

Augustín's Family:

Here are Augustín's parents, Valentína Huerta and Wilmar Rojas.

Valentína is soft and sweet, and loves her family very much. (Mirabel is her favorite, don't @ her.) She finds strength in kindness and understanding, and takes forgiveness very seriously.

Wilmar on the other hand is a brick wall. He's fast and hard in his decisions, and it's near impossible to change his mind. He's opinionated, and while he loves and protects his family fiercely, he can be offputting at times. (He's basically your average republican grandpa)

Valentína and Wilmar came to the village from the city on the day of the attack. They barely stepped foot in the village before it was being evacuated.

At first, not a lot of people from the village trusted them, but Wilmar proved their worth by helping make all of the houses for the villagers.

Wilmar's passion was sport hunting, and so he has many dead stuffed creatures on display in his home, which were brought to life many years later by his granddaughter, Zoe.

Félix's Family:

These are Félix's parents, Maura Montoya and Fernando Castillo, and his much younger brother, Gabriel.

Maura is from the Caribbean, and is a calm and patient woman (she has to be, with sons like the ones she has), but isn't afraid to stand up for her own morals and desires.

Fernando is an upstanding guy, who is prone to turn everything into a joke. He has a taste for the finer things in life, and has a small jewelry collection.

Fernando lived in the village his whole life, and Maura moved in a few years before the raid. They got married and had Félix two years before.

Gabriel was born almost sixteen years after Félix, and is very curious about everything. He likes to push the limits of the rules (and Maura's patience) just for fun, and wants to adventure outside of the Encanto.

Mariano's Family:

In a tweet, Jarred Bush said that Mariano was meant to have a large family, and each member was to be a foil of a Madrigal cousin (except Mirabel, who would be represented by a goat). I took that idea and ran with it.

I named his mother Abigaíl. She and her husband were among the Encanto's founders, and thought they couldn't have children, which is why Abigaíl is so much older than the triplets, who have children of a similar age. Mariano's father wasn't the best man, and emotionally--then physically--abused Abigaíl and her nieces and nephews. Once she got pregnant and found the courage to leave him, he was imprisioned for the crime of abuse, before he took his own life.

Abigaíl is also responsible for her brother's children. Her brother and his wife both died climbing the mountains, trying to leave the Encanto. Her nieces are Isidora, Débora, and Lucía. Her nephews are Camino and Angelino. Camino is also married to a woman named Marcela.

Isidora is the opposite of Isabela: level headed, traditional, romantic, basically Isa's "señorita perfecta" persona, but as an actual person.

Débora is the opposite of Dolores: loud, opinionated, unromantic, stubborn, unobservant, etc etc.

Lucía is the opposite of Luisa: lazy, uncaring, selfish, vain, etc etc.

Camino is the opposite of Camilo: serious, hardworking, stern, etc etc.

Angelino is the opposite of Antonio: older, kind of mean, scared of animals, etc etc.

Marcela is also there. She and Camino have twins, Adelmo and Adela, who like to play in Pepa's clouds.

[jacarandaaaas]

Mirabel Madrigal: A Character Analysis

Today I’m here to discuss all the attributes that make Mirabel Madrigal such a fantastical and magical character despite not having any magic herself. it’s all in her charm! I truly believe that Mirabel is one of the best protagonists! Shes such an endearing, sensitive, and strong character so I’m here to offer her some appreciation.

Right from the beginning of the story, one of the first things we learn about our protagonist is her mantra “make your family proud”. This phrase is Mirabel's driving motivation for the entire film and from what we can assume, her entire life. Mirabel makes it no secret that she is family orientated and she is full of pride for them, wanting to be like them and live up to the madrigal name. She introduces us to her family in a fun song praising each member. To her they are a “perfect constellation”. They are always her number one priority throughout the story as we see how she supports her sisters and encourages them to be themselves. One moment I feel truly highlights her love for her family is at the climax of the movie, whilst she consistently has shown what lengths she's willing to go to for her family this moment stood out the most to me. After her intense argument with alma casita starts to fall apart, at this moment everyone is yelling at mirabel to get out of the collapsing house but mirabel isnt thinking about herself. She's thinking about her family and getting the candle for them. What really stands out to me is Mirabel was willing to sacrifice her own life for her family, an eerie parallel to what Pedro did for them all those years ago.

Something that we learn about Mirabel immediately is that she's a go-getter, she's determined and persistent. What we also come to realize is that sometimes Mirabel doesn't realize when she's being overly persistent to the point of coming off as pushy to others. Both Julieta and Isabela point out that Mirabel has a tendency to “over do it”. We see how she wants to be useful in any way and she's taken up a variety of hobbies to prove this. Mirabel's incredibly creative doing everything from embroidery and sewing to playing the accordion. It's no secret she's talented but she always feels like she needs to do more. Upon overhearing Alma talking about the cracks Mirabel decides in that moment “I will save the miracle”. Instead of rushing in without a plan Mirabel knows Dolores would have intel due to her gift therefore she would know the most about the magic. It's also important to note that Mirabel decides to save the miracle before she even knows anything about the prophecy, she took it upon herself to do that! At breakfast when trying to get information from Dolores Mirabel decides to try complimenting her into it, showing early on how unintentionally pushy she can be. After breakfast she's no better, Mirabel is so determined to get answers that even when Luisa is working, she's pestering her. Mirabel is so overly focused on her mission that she can’t see Luisa gradually becoming more frustrated. “Luisa will you just tell me what it is!”, she’s frustrated that Luisa isn't giving her any information but she also seems hurt that Luisa doesn't trust her enough to tell her. Showing how Mirabel desperately wants a better relationship with her sisters.

Mirabel is so persistent in getting information about the magic that she causes luisa to snap at her. When climbing Bruno's tower Mirabel perseveres, as she forces herself up an unusually long flight of stairs and is exhausted by the end of it. Yet Mirabel persists because “I need to do this, for you for abuela”. She's so determined in fact to find this vision that she almost dies, twice. Mirabel doesn't care about the risks, she's aware of them but it doesn't deter her. She's willing to look at the situation about Bruno from a different angle than everyone else, questioning “what if you didn't understand what he saw?”. Mirabel's entire verse in “we don't talk about bruno” is just her pressing for the truth, she wants the whole story not just one perspective and she's driven to discover it. We've already established by now that Mirabel's persistence can be dangerous and this holds true once again as she chases Bruno through the walls and almost falls into a chasm, in pursuit of answers. Bruno tries to leave but she still pursues him, no way she's leaving without an answer or multiple answers to her many questions, she also cleverly pieces together here that it was actually Bruno who's been patching the cracks all along.

Pushy Mirabel is back in full force when she gets the idea for Bruno to have another vision to which he’s not enthusiastic about and tells her no. But Mirabel’s no quitter and her sole focus in the moment is her mission, to save the miracle. So when Bruno tells her he doesn't do visions anymore, Mirabel casually replies “but ya could!”, another instance of her being too focused on her goal that she doesn't take into consideration how Bruno would feel about this. She has no bad intentions and like with Luisa earlier Mirabel is unaware how she sounds. She tells Bruno “our family needs help and you need to get outta here” and as she realizes how broken the family truly is, she's more determined than ever to help them. Even when bruno tries to give up during the vision Mirabel encourages him to keep going to find another perspective “something we’re not seeing?” she ends up inspiring Bruno with this viewpoint. Before she goes to confront Isabela Mirabel tells Bruno “after I save the miracle I’m bringing you home” showing how that's now become part of her mission. As Isabela reveals a massive secret Mirabel instead keeps pressing for that hug she assumes will solve all their problems, once again she's so focused on her mission she isn't paying attention to Isabela’s revelation. Mirabel's determination and persistence is admirable but it's also a character flaw for her as we see she often takes it too far unintentionally.

One of Mirabel's most noticeable traits is her optimistic outlook. She's full of energy as she dances through the town singing about her family and whilst we know she's insecure, her enthusiasm towards her family and home is completely genuine. Mirabel is a true extrovert as we see how much she loves interacting with her community and wanting to help in any way she can. We see how she's always trying to see the bright side. Mirabel is optimistic and bright but even she has her limits and can't be optimistic all the time, as her song tells us she's truly not fine. However despite all her pain she still chooses to be optimistic, to be loving and to be hopeful.

Arguably the two scenes I believe emphasize her optimistic nature the most are when she helps Bruno through the vision and the final song of the movie. During the vision Bruno is deflated, he doesn't believe in the idea and Mirabel simply offers him some words of encouragement “you can do this”, she's already showing Bruno that she has faith in him, something Bruno isn't used to. When he fails to see anything other than what was shown in his last vision Mirabel begs him to keep trying, she's always looking for a brightside and she ends up finding it. As for the final scene, when returning from the river Casita is still a pile of rubble in front of them, Mirabel however sees this as an opportunity. To rebuild casita with better, stronger foundations and a chance for the family to build stronger foundations too, “look at this home we need a new foundation”. Mirabel really grows into herself as she leads the rebuilding efforts with her persistence and optimism, inspiring the whole family to view things from a different perspective.

An underrated trait for Mirabel is her humor. No seriously she's hilarious! humor is shown continuously to be one of her coping mechanisms along with her optimism. Whilst she is funny Mirabel is also incredibly snarky particularly towards her older sister Isabela, she can come off as slightly judgemental at times, very teenage of her. Her jealousy peeks through during the opening song, but towards the end of it when she runs into Mariano she not so subtly disses Isabela (as Isabela is walking by) “between you and me she's kinda a primadonna”. Unlike the better disguised insults at the beginning mirabel is not even trying to hide her disdain towards isabela this time. This continues directly after the song as she goes back to casita, Isabela gracefully descends on her vines and Mirabel’s expression is hilariously unimpressed. When Isabela notices her she tells her to stop trying so hard, we see Mirabel actually seems upset by that comment but as soon as Isabela looks back at her she masks that sadness as she bites back “actually Isa this is called helping and i'm not in the way you are”. We also see her mock Isabela as previously mentioned, unable to hide her disdain towards her. Mirabel's humor as a coping mechanism is emphasized when she's climbing Bruno's tower, giving us a half assed reprise of “the family madrigal” and of course one of her most iconic lines “BRUNO YOUR ROOM IS THE WORST!!”. Mirabel is also incredibly petty, my favorite example of this is not only her rolling her eyes during Isabela’s solo verse of “we don't talk about bruno” but also how Isabela tells her during that “hey sis I want not a sound out of you” and Mirabel who was silent until this point starts singing immediately out of spite.

She's also slightly judgemental when she first encounters resident wall man Bruno Madrigal. She's weirded out by him and her face does not hide this, “how long have you been back here?” with that concerned tone also didn't help her case. Although in this case who could blame her for that reaction? It's not everyday you find your estranged uncle in the walls of your house. Mirabel is not thrilled when the vision reveals she has to hug Isabela, so much so that she begins ranting about how she hates her and gives us a line nothing short of pure gold. “She's the one with flowers coming outta her-'' Bruno had to remind her to keep it pg! Even when mirabel is meant to apologize to Isa she can’t resist making a snarky comment about her older sister “I’m sorry that your life is soooo great!” this ends up spawning an argument between the two in which Mirabel unceremoniously yells out “some of us have bigger problems YOU SELFISH ENTITLED PRINCESS!” which is quite a humorous moment but also really shows Mirabel’s jealousy towards Isabela. As Isabela admits a very huge secret Mirabel’s reaction is one of complete sarcasm “that is a very serious confession” despite empathy being Mirabel’s strongest trait somehow her hatred for isabela overpowers it.

Mirabel as a person is incredibly selfless, this is both good and bad in her case. Whilst caring about others so much is admirable like how mentioned previously Mirabel can go too far, putting her life on the line multiple times! In one movie! One of the first examples of her selflessness is shown during Antonios gift ceremony. Antonio is incredibly nervous and calls out to her saying “I need you”, it's already a hard night for mirabel in general as people have been reminding her “last gift ceremony was a bummer”. However despite already finding it hard she knows Antonio needs her and she walks him to his door taking a deep breath, pushing through her own traumatic memories to support her favorite cousin. This scene is incredibly admirable to me as it takes a lot of courage to force yourself to relive the worst night of your life for the sake of supporting someone else. Here it's an example of mirabels selflessness being a positive trait and not a dangerous one.

Hey you know what's a great combination with being selfless? Being reckless!! Unfortunately for mirabel we can also add stubborn to the mix. Which makes for an ultra combination of self sacrificing nature and putting her life in danger! Brunos room is a scene that truly highlights these traits, especially recklessness. Mirabel throws herself across a giant chasm using rope from the fencing around her and whilst her resourcefulness is impressive it's still incredibly risky. Which ties into her selflessness! Mirabel has very little regard for her own safety and is willing to die in that vision cave if it means she helps the family. Almost suffocating to death in sand just while trying to get the vision shards. Mirabel also throws herself across a chasm twice, the second time isn't as dangerous but initially it looks very dangerous. Mirabel knows it's dangerous and still recklessly persists. Once again revealing how little regard she has for her own safety.

Arguably the biggest case of Mirabel's selflessness is when she tries to save the candle as the house is crumbling around her. This was also her most reckless act of the whole movie as she ignores everyone yelling at her to save herself, she covers the candle and not her head when the debris is crashing down on her. Really highlighting just how little she cares about what happened to her in that moment, valuing a candle over her own life. As selfless as Mirabel is, there are also times she like anyone else, can be selfish. Mirabel herself is aware of this as she says to herself, “for you, for abuela… maybe a little for me” she sounds almost embarrassed by the fact part of her motivation for saving the miracle is proving herself, even if it's only a tiny part. Other moments she can come off as selfish is when she's pestering Luisa about the magic and being dismissive, as well as when she dismisses Isabelas revelation in favor of getting a miracle saving hug. Whilst technically Mirabel isn't being selfish here as she's doing everything for saving the miracle, to others she seems selfish. Another trait Mirabel has is stubbornness and this is really highlighted when Isabela is around. Possibly Mirabel's most stubborn moment of the entire movie, is when Isabela asks her to apologize. Even though Mirabel knows that doing this will help her save the miracle she can't bring herself to give a sincere apology.

I think something that is less talked about than it should be is Mirabel's guilt and tendency to blame herself. A scene that I feel truly highlights her guilt is when Bruno tells her that he left to protect her. Mirabels responds to this saying “you left to protect me?” and she almost sounds in disbelief at this realization. The look on her face here is also one of deep concern, whilst she appreciates that he would sacrifice so much for it also reinforces a thought that had always been on her mind. That she was the cause of all this, that Bruno left due to her own failure, whilst we know this is untrue I strongly feel Mirabel believes this. After all, Bruno did disappear the same night as her gift ceremony. She feels guilty that Bruno left because of her even if he tells her it was for good reason.

A smaller example of Mirabels tendency to blame herself is when she tells Bruno “I ruined her proposal”, whilst mirabel had part in ruining it she was also trying to prevent disaster and ultimately she played the smallest role in ruining Isas night, yet Mirabel still believes it was entirely her fault. The biggest moment for Mirabel's guilt is right after Casita falls, the candle goes out after Mirabel almost gives her life to save it. Believing it's entirely her fault she runs off when nobody is watching.

Mirabel's rock bottom moment is when she's by the river crying, feeling like she's ruined everything and doesn’t know what to do other than to let out all of her bottled emotions. It's important to note that whilst there’s many points she comes close to crying, this is the only time we actually see her let the tears fall. When Alma discovers her Mirabel's reaction is to apologize, “I'm sorry I didn't wanna hurt us, I just wanted to be something I'm not”, again placing all of the blame on herself when the entire family is at fault for casitas collapse. I find this reaction interesting as during the climax Mirabel blames Alma in her anger but when her attempts to save the miracle fail she believes it’s her and her only to blame. This is also incredibly sad as it just shows how riddled by insecurity Mirabel is.

Throughout this story Mirabel is a person ruled by her insecurities, she lacks self esteem and confidence in general. However she's great at faking it and a prime example of this is the opening song, “the family madrigal”. A fun, upbeat tune but the entire song happens because of Mirabel's insecurity. As the children are asking her questions about her gift Mirabel responds with “I can't just talk about myself” and deflects into talking about her family instead. Her love for her family is entirely genuine but she puts on a facade to hide her own insecurities from everyone else, overcompensating to make up for what she lacks. Hidden in the lyrics of the song are her real feelings of worthlessness and jealousy, this especially shows in lines that refer to her two older sisters. When telling the kids about Isabela she sings “grows a flower the town goes wild'', there's a clear sarcastic tone to her voice. This instantly introduces us to Mirabel's envy of her oldest sister and the strained relationship between the two. Her envy is strongest when she sings “she's the perfect golden child” with such longing, illustrating how she actually seems to admire her sister as well as resent her. When she's describing both sisters she sings “the beauty and the brawn do no wrong” implying that she unlike them does do wrong. As the kids pester her more and more her insecurities only grow stronger and she's desperately trying to avoid the question, “I never meant this to get autobiographical”. She stays true to her word and successfully avoids talking about herself for the entire song. At the end she's so desperate to get out of the situation and hide the fact she has no gift that she sings “my family's amazing and i'm in my family so”, trying to convince herself more than anyone else that she's amazing by association.

There's little instances where her insecurity comes out such as when Osvaldo points out multiple times how un-special she is, he turns away for a brief moment and mirabel's painfully strained smile drops before she slips back into her act effortlessly. She also tries to act like this insecurity doesn’t affect her, a great example is when Alma tells her to step aside and nods in response but her expression is pained. Mirabel is hiding her problems from everyone else, even lying to herself. We see just how deep her insecurities go as Alma only tells her to step aside from the decorations but Mirabel interprets this as to stay away for the whole night, so when the whole family is out in the crowd she hides behind the curtain. When Alma tells Antonio that he got “a gift just as special as you” it forces Mirabel to remember when those very same words were said to her, and her smile fades away, her insecurities coming out. Most obviously, her insecurities are on full display during her solo number, “waiting on a miracle”, if you’re interested in more about that song I have a waiting on a miracle analysis !

The song starts with Mirabel pushing down her feelings as usual telling herself she's fine and she shouldn't be upset because the night isn't about her. In the song Mirabel refers to her pain as “unspoken” and “invisible”, displaying how she's not only been lying to everyone around her feelings but also to herself. When Mirabel tries to explain the cracks, Julieta doesn't seem to believe her and Mirabel believes it's because she “might not be super strong like Luisa or effortlessly perfect like senorita perfecta Isabela”. Whilst she's coming from a place of envy she's also speaking from insecurity here, believing that the only reason she isn't being taken seriously is because of her lack of a gift. When Julieta still doesn't believe her Mirabel appears to be hurt by this refusing to open up to her mother. Until she meets Bruno, Mirabel has actively been repressing all her insecurities and focusing solely on her mission. However when she realizes how similar she and Bruno really are, she's comfortable enough to fully open up about her insecurities for the first time. She admits her greatest fear and gets emotional about it, proving just how repressed those feelings are. When it's revealed in the vision she has to hug Isabela Mirabel starts ranting about how Isa hates her and seems like she has no faith in herself that she's able to do this.

One moment that truly highlights her insecurity is when Alma blames her for everything and she finally admits in front of the family that she feels she will “never be good enough for you”. A sharp contrast to Mirabel's denial at the beginning of the movie. In this moment, Mirabel has the courage to stand up not only for herself but for the entire family. Whilst we seen in previous scenes she can defend herself “I’m not doing anything! It’s Bruno’s vision”, here she fully commits to calling alma out in front of everyone. Whilst it’s painful for Mirabel to do, we see her come to the realization that this conversation is necessary. “He loves this family, I love this family we all LOVE this family!”. After this argument Mirabel is heartbroken and so insecure to the point of running to risk her own life just to prove something, anything to her abuela. Her character arc comes full circle at the ending of “all of you” when she looks at the doorknob and finally acknowledges herself for who she is, no longer a person controlled by her insecurities but one who's willing to challenge them.

Empathy & emotional intelligence are what I believe to be Mirabel's biggest strengths as a character. They’re often traits I see people try to argue make her weak, but I heavily disagree, I believe these traits are what make Mirabel such a resilient character. One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie is one where Mirabel's empathy truly shines, when she finds Antonio under her bed. This scene happening so early in the movie yet being so intimate and gentle instantly made me love Mirabel as a character. Her demeanor in this scene is so warm and loving. She knows Antonio is nervous about turning out like her yet she pushes her own feelings aside to support him, “you're gonna open that door and it's gonna be the coolest ever I know it”. This also showcases another strong trait of Mirabels, her emotional intelligence. She's able to gauge that Antonio is scared and needs comfort and she's willing to offer that to him. Antonio is still doubtful, questioning if it doesn't work and once again Mirabel reassures him, referring to the scenario as “impossible”. It's a very cute scene that sets up Mirabel and Antonios relationship. Mirabel's empathy shines here as there were many moments she could have made this about herself but she chooses not to. Other instances of Mirabel's recurring empathy are when she hugs Luisa offering her comfort ,some of her interactions with Bruno as well as when she empathizes with Isabela during their song. During “what else can I do”, Mirabel is able to admit she was wrong about her sister saying she barely knew her but Isa “changed” her mind, realizing that she finally understands Isabelas perspective.

A key scene for me that demonstrates both Mirabel's empathy and emotional intelligence is the “dos oruguitas” scene. After Alma shares her tragic past with Mirabel, despite Mirabel being upset, her reaction to Alma's story is an empathetic one. She tells her abuela “I can finally see” showcasing how similar to isabela, Mirabel finally sees her grandmother's perspective. Her emotional intelligence shines here as upon realizing the truth behind Alma's actions, she changes the words she spat so venomously during their argument. Stating that they were saved because of Alma and given a miracle because of her, she also tells her abuela that “nothing could ever be broken that we can't fix together” highlighting Mirabel’s growth and emotional maturity over the course of the film. Once again, as mentioned in the scene with Antonio, Mirabel had every opportunity to make this moment about her own suffering but she instead acknowledges Alma's feelings and offers her a chance to rebuild their relationship. Perhaps even the chance for forgiveness in the future.

These traits display for me what makes Mirabel such a well rounded and memorable character. Despite her flaws I adore how mirabel has always had her family's best interest at heart. She learns and grows a lot throughout this story and to me her flaws are what make her more interesting to follow and her flaws dont take away from her many positive traits. She's not a perfect protagonist, she's just a good person trying to help her family any way she can. She’s unapologetically loving and empathetic and willing to do anything for her family. To quote Stephanie Beatriz herself: “ I think one of the greatest things about this story is that she dares herself to go on that journey. I think that is so special because its telling an audience many of them impressionable young people, that by daring yourself to believe in yourself, you could possibly become the hero of your own story.”

[hannahhook7744]

'The Invisible Truth' Au Characters (Part 1);

Pedro's Parental Family:

Rosa Diana Yatra Salinas (Pedro's Mother: Fisher, Seamstress, and Embroider. Clumsy, nonchalant/care free, brave enough that some call her reckless, impulsive, friendly, hard to kill, and has either extremely good or extremely bad luck depending on who you ask. Friends with Andre and Alba).

Fernando Jorge Madrigal Jogia (Pedro's Father: Fisher. Introverted, shy, anxious, paranoid, odd, funny around those he trusts, and an animal lover. Friends with Andre and Alba).

Pedro Fernando Madrigal Yatra (Writer and Shopkeeper. Fun loving, playful, dramatic, bit of a comedian, protective, kind/friendly, selfless, and an animal lover. Friends with Benito, Raimi, Alejandra, Wilmer, Valentina, Alroy, and Chandice).

Benito Hernando Madrigal Yatra (Pedro's Brother: Shop Keeper. Anxious, socially awkward, kind, smart and reserved, and has inherited the bad side of his mother's luck. Gets hurt often. Married to Alma and friends with Pedro, Raimi, Alejandra, Valentina, Wilmer, Alroy, and Chandice).

Faustina Felicitas Madrigal Yatra (Pedro's Adoptive Niece: Pet Sitter. Mischievous, kind, playful, and street smart. Several years younger than her cousins and friends with their kids, and their friends. Has a gift and it's Luck Energy Manipulation).

Alma's Parental Family:

Andre Maluma Botero Cepeda (Alma's Father: Actor. Shy, playful, fun loving, friendly, odd, bit of a drama queen, mischievous, an animal lover, and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. Friends with Rosa and Fernando).

Alba Inés Molinari Merediz (Alma's Mother: Singer, Dancer, and Actress. Resourceful, protective, kind/loving, reserved but a bit playful, bit of a healer, and temperamental. Makes up for her husband's lack of a backbone. Friends with Rosa and Fernando).

Alma Olga Madrigal Botero (formerly Botero Molinari)(Madrigal Family Matriarch and Former Holder of the Miracle. Introverted, logical, practical, a bit judgemental but well meaning, loves her family, still grieving, no nonsense, clumsy, and stubborn and is exceptionally dedicated when she puts her mind to something. Married to Pedro and friends with Benito, Raimi, Alejandra, Alroy, Valentina, Wilmer, and Chandice. She is also helping Benito to care for Rosa at the moment).

Raimi Sebastián Botero Molinari (Alma's Brother: Gardner and Farmer. Bit introverted, friendly, oddball, likes taxidermied, calm and collected, still mourning over his deceased wife, loyal and dedicated to a fault, and an overall nice guy. Married to Alejandra and friends with Alma, Pedro, Valentina, Wilmer, Benito, Alroy, Chandice, and Rosa).

Alexandra Botero-Yee (Alma's Sister-In-Law: Dancer, Taxidermist, and Sword Fighting Instructor. Stern, overprotective, no nonsense, temperamental, odd, and glass half empty type of gal. Died along with Pedro, his dad, and Alma's parents when protecting the village. Distantly related to Mei Lee and has the power of the red panda. Is the reason for the taxidermied animals in the house along with Raimi and Wilmer. Has a statue in the courtyard. Married to Raimi and friends with Alma, Pedro, Benito, Alroy, Chandice, Wilmer, Valentina, and Rosa).

Miranda Botero-Yee (Alma's Niece: Gardner and Healer. Shy, polite, kind, playful, full of energy, loving, empathetic, sensitive, resourceful, patience of a saint, understanding, enduring, loyal, and dedicated. Has the power of the red panda. Divorced once and is now married to Gabriel and friends with the Madrigal Triplets, Beatriz, Félix, Rosa, Faustina, Gabriel, and Agustín).

Beatriz Botero-Yee (Alma's Niece: Entertainer and Casino Owner. Social chameleon, level headed, enduring, dedicated, stubborn, playful, resourceful, slightly impatient, shifty, crafty and tricky. Has the power of the red panda. Unmarried and friends with the Madrigal Triplets, Miranda, Félix, Rosa, Faustina, Gabriel, and Agustín).

Agustín's Parental Family:

Wilmer Eduardo Rojas Torres (Agustín's Father: Rich Tailor, Taxidermist, Fashion Designer, and Game Hunter. Stern, no nonsense, and loving. Friends with Alma, Raimi, Pedro, Alejandra, Alroy, Chandice, and Benito).

Valentina Viola Valdez Valderrama (Agustín's Mother: Baker and Cook. Sweet, loving, and extremely protective of her son. Tolerates Alma for the sake of her son at first but eventually, after the movie, the two become friends. Friends with Pedro, Alma, Raimi, Alejandra, Alroy, Chandice, and Benito).

Agustín Fez Rojas Valdez (Tailor and Musician. Kind, loving, protective of his daughters, and has the patience of a saint. You don't want to cross him. Marries Julieta Madrigal and is friends with her siblings, Miranda, Beatriz, & the Espinosa Rivas siblings).

Félix's Parental Family:

Chandice Adassa Rivas Guerrero (Félix's Mother: Gardner and Farmer. Firey, playful, protective, and blunt. You don't want to cross her. Died shortly after Dolores {who was named in honor of her, because she had always wanted to name her daughter that if she had ever had one) was born from an illness no one realized she had. Friends with Pedro, Alma, Raimi, Alejandra, Wilmer, Valentina, and Benito).

Alroy Luis Rhenzy Espinosa (Félix's Father: Gardner and Farmer. Quiet, stern, protective, allows for some nonsense, and glass half empty kind of guy. Blamed Bruno for Chandice's death because he had a vision of her death, which led to him and his sons' relationship turning tense. Things got better after Encanto. Friends with Pedro, Alma, Raimi, Alejandra, Wilmer, Valentina, and Benito).

Félix Mauro Espinosa Rivas (Musician and handyman. Fun, carefree, supportive, kind, playful, and protective of those he loves. Marries Pepa and is friends with her siblings, Gabriel, Agustín, Miranda, and Beatriz).

Gabriel Esteban Espinosa Rivas (Félix's Brother: Explorer, Journalist, and Musician. Adventurous, playful, and introverted smart ass. Had a brief falling out with Félix after the whole 'we don't talk about Bruno' thing. Married to Miranda and friends with the Madrigal Triplets, Beatriz, Félix, and Agustín).

Alma and Pedro's kids:

Josefa ‘Pepa’ Alejandra Inés Madrigal Botero (Weather Manager. Emotional, dramatic at times, anxious, loving, protective, energetic, a bit temperamental, often says things she doesn't mean, fun loving, and out going. Has the gift of emotional weather manipulation. Got along great with Félix's parents. Married to Félix and friends with Julieta, Bruno, Miranda, Beatriz, Agustín, and Gabriel).

Bruno Pedro Hernando Jorge Madrigal Botero (Prophet/Seer. Anxious, shy, cheerful, sacrificial/selfless, cheerful, goofy, dramatic at times, Kind-hearted, loving, and misunderstood. Has the gift of seeing the future. Would have gotten along great with his grandfathers and father. Gets along great with his grandmother, Rosa, and Uncles Benito and Raimi. Unmarried but has adoptive children and is friends with Julieta, Pepa, Faustina, Miranda, Beatriz, Agustín, and Gabriel).

Julieta Rosa Alba Madrigal Botero (Healer. Caring, empathetic, dedicated, loyal, understanding, warm, professional, loving, selfless, keeps to herself but is friendly, affectionate, exasperated, and oftentimes tired. Married to Agustín but is friends with Miranda, Beatriz, Pepa, Bruno, Faustina, & the Espinosa Rivas siblings).

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

This is part 1 because tumblr decided to post it before I was completely finished with it. So you'll have to see the kids' futures/their jobs, partners, kids, pets and friends, and the next gen. Including Mariano's family.

@igetthedisneybox enjoy.

[weaselbeaselpants]

Emotionally devastating animation scene poll part 1

[arandomperson5647]

Encanto info from Jared Bush's Q&As

This is a little place where you can find (hopefully) a lot of info Jared has said in his Q&As. This is if you wanna check smth and don't wanna go on a hunt to confirm it since it's been so long. Idk if I got everything, I highly doubt I did, so if you have a piece of info I don't have and have a link to it, I can edit it on. Ngl I'm also kinda doing this for myself cuz I was curious to know everything he's told us. I'll mostly summarize the answer so it isn't longer than it needs to be, but I'll also copy+paste if I'm too lazy.

The info here kinda varies from interesting, to obvious stuff, to potentially pointless but really any of it can be used to do whatever.

Some of the answers he provided aren't concrete solid ("I think __ would happen", "I always thought ___", etc), so take this all with a grain of salt. I'll try to phrase the uncertain ones differently so you know they're not 100% (probably, possibly, might, etc). If the answer he gives is completely up to interpretation, then I won't include it. Some might be repeated cuz I don't feel like looking back to see if he answered the same question twice.

Just to warn you guys before you click "keep reading", this is a LONG post, so if you don't want it fill up your page, don't click it unless you really wanna read everything.

Antonio's Birthday Q&A #2 (5/21/23)

Canon universe:

Dolores never truly believed Bruno was still around. She heard stuff, but everyone told her he was gone, so she thought she was imagining things. "I knew he never left" was her way of saying "I shouldn't have doubted myself."

Antonio was a shy kid and animals are were easier for him to make friends with.

The potteries in Bruno's room were because it was fairly public for people who want visions, so they're probably a nod to that.

When Pedro went to the attackers when he died, he was planning to reason with them.

Luisa's associated with donkeys because they’re beasts of burden and that’s how everyone treated her.

Mirabel has her embroidery because she loves her family, but potentially also because she subconsciously want to make sure the villagers know despite having no gift she is every bit a Madrigal.

Isabela might potentially secretly like Pepa's chaos.

Julieta's really good at hiding her feelings about the pressure of being the town's healer, but she's also a naturally strong person.

There's a reason why Bruno's single but Jared didn't tell us.

Bruno's favorite food is Ajiaco, but potentially also big butt ants.

Julieta probably noticed Mirabel wasn't in the pic at Antonio's ceremony immediately after it was taken, but Mirabel had already left by then.

For a while, Bruno's limit for future seeing was until the fall of Castia, but now it's limitless.

Alma didn't necessarily approve of Agustín at first because he wasn't overly spectacular or confident.

Mirabel and Camilo got along well when they were young, but after Mirabel's ceremony, Camilo felt more pressure to perform and show off.

Even before his gift, Bruno probably worried and wondered about the future, which is what caused his gift.

The Madrigals mostly assumed Bruno had somehow left the Encanto after his disappearance.

The birth of the miracle happened near the turn of the 20th century, and Antonio's ceremony was 50 years later.

The 5th birthdays for the Madrigals is the big one. The others are "regular".

Camilo often annoys Isabela for fun and also because he's a bit envious of her. They're kinda opposite, perfect vs a clown.

The post-movie relationship between Mirabel and Isabela is probably mischevious.

Bruno probably already was breaking from pressure when Isabela was only in single digits.

Alma was loving to all her grandchildren, but sometimes it felt conditional due to her expectations. She wasn't self-aware enough to realize.

Félix can play the tiple, but not shown in the film.

Agustín and Félix probably wore their respective colors before marrying their respective wives. Their colors are also a nod to regionality.

Alma might've seen cracks before Mirabel saw them at Antonio's ceremony (not at the moment tho), giving her a reason to actually believe Mirabel and pray to Pedro.

Based off the book "Mystery in the Rainforest", Dolores and Mariano are engaged and planning a wedding soon.

There is a school in the Encanto, but since it's closed off and was formed in the beginning of the 20th century, new info would cease.

Pedro might've been the one to know sewing and embroidery. He taught it to Alma, who taught Julieta and Mirabel. She probably taught others but Mirabel did it the most.

Bruno's door might've started glowing again during his vision in Antonio's room because Mirabel is making him feel included in the family (and therefore Casita) again.

The Madrigals do have friends groups, just not shown.

Camilo's gift can be tiring. Like an actor playing their part.

Mirabel probably would've had a negative or even traumatic impact from the fall of Castia, mostly due to a near death experience.

The Madrigals have never tested their gifts beyond the Encanto, so it's still a mystery on what happens.

Antonio probably can talk to animals from different countries, not just Colombia.

Camilo sometimes tries to impress everyone with his gift.

Mirabel's birthday became "stressful" ever since her 5th.

Isabela would probably help Antonio decorate his room with crazy plants.

Behind the scenes:

5/21 is Afro-Colombian Day, which is why that's Antonio's bday.

There used to be a deleted scene of Mirabel getting grounded by Casita.

The Guzmans originally had the same number of family members as the Madrigals, and each member was like a doppelgänger of each gifted Madrigal child, except Mirabel, who was represented in the Guzman family by a goat.

There used to be a scene where Camilo's gift goes haywire at night or smth (can't figure out the full pic for this one).

Writers considered early on that Mirabel would want to leave, but they decided that from a character and cultural perspective, leaving her family would have been the absolute worst thing she could imagine.

It's never been established how long the ceremony doors appear before the ceremony, but 9 months has been considered.

Early versions would show that Alma had strict parents. It may or may not be true now, but it would make sense.

Mirabel used to have a gap in her teeth to show her quirkiness, but was removed because they wanted to show it in other ways.

Encanto Disney+ Hollywood Bowl Q&A (12/28/22)

Cannon universe:

Emotions can sometimes affect Bruno's visions.

Camilo often helped take care of babies even before Antonio's birth. He was just naturally good with them.

The stairs in Bruno's room probably grew as he became more distanced, so they probably lessened when Casita came back.

Luisa's favorite sister is probably Mirabel.

Camilo would probably sometimes be happy that Isabela found her true self, while also a bit jealous. It depends on the moment.

The Madrigals' reaction to someone entering the Encanto would probably be chaotic.

As a way to protect them, Alma was always a little strict on her family.

Julieta and Agustín often worried how Mirabel was doing, especially for Antonio's ceremony.

Alma tried to show she loved Mirabel in her own way after her ceremony and before the movie.

Camilo's experience being the only boy in the house for a while was...interesting. Not the easiest.

Pepa and Dolores' gifts have caused some difficulties between the two.

Especially post-movie, Bruno, Agustín and Félix would be a ridiculous trio.

The candle is now gone, but a new miracle took its place.

Félix and Mirabel have a good relationship, especially post-movie.

Isabela's 5th birthday was the first gift ceremony for the grandchildren.

Bruno was probably superstitious before moving in the walls.

Before the house fell, Alma probably wouldn't like Dolores marrying Mariano. After, she'd accept it.

The other Madrigals might have hidden potential in their gifts, much like Isabela did.

The townspeople mostly either put the Madrigals on a high pedestal or see them as equals.

Isa probably had at least one flower she'd intentionally give Mirabel allergies with.

Bruno was probably a bit popular at one point.

Adopted Madrigal kids that were 6+ would probably still get a gift.

Mirabel's near-sighted.

Camilo's probably gotten in trouble for his disguises at times.

Bruno's mostly a rat guy because he's around them the most.

Pepa has a sweet tooth but doesn't let her self have too much due to her weather.

Isabela can grow trees and crops.

There's no definite reason why Isa was the favorite grandchild, but being the eldest didn't help.

When Alma said "the magic is strong, and so are the drinks", she was really trying to get everyone back to the party.

The gifts can tire out the Madrigals if used a lot, sometimes physical pain can occur.

Alma might have siblings, but it's not confirmed.

Behind the scenes:

There used to be a scene of Mirabel getting grounded. Idk if it's the same scene as the previous one mentioned, but the context of the question might suggest otherwise. ("What would've happened to Mirabel if she was found after the dinner?")

There were versions in the end credits of everyone reuniting with Bruno.

There is potential for a Madrigal with OCD, autism, etc, but not yet confirmed.

Triplet's Birthday Q&A (8/17/23)

Cannon universe:

Bruno and the grandkids now watch telenovelas together.

Julieta's favorite food is probably ajiaco.

Mirabel's first word would potentially be "sita" because she loved Casita but couldn't say the full word.

Dolores' room has a lot of soundproofing.

The reason Mirabel seems to interact with Castia the most out of the Madrigals is because she was mostly an outsider, with only Casita to talk to.

Encanto is a hidden place, so simply finding it is near impossible.

There are respected town elders in Encanto, but Alma is considered the founder.

Pedro said something to Alma before he died, potentially in Spanish, but it's not confirmed what.

In terms of personality, Mirabel is the closest to Pedro.

For adoptive kids, Casita may be able to anticipate the arrival of someone new even before the family is consciously aware of it, giving them a new door.

Bruno's a fan of chocolate.

Mirabel loves every color. She has no known favorite.

Julieta got married first between her and Pepa.

Bruno's rats aren't sentient like humans, so Bruno would have to train them to do whatever.

It's possible another Madrigal felt resentment towards Bruno after he left.

Julieta's gift possibly only works with a combo of cooking and giving, but not confirmed.

Bruno learned how to use his gift through practice and invented customs. It was complicated.

Julieta probably needs to know the person's injury before healing it.

The majority of the Madrigals' dominate hands are right. Julieta and Antonio are left handed. Luisa is ambidextrous. It's unsure, but Mirabel is potentially left handed.

Mirabel's favorite food is arepa con queso.

Antonio's favorite snack is nailed rice.

Agustín and Félix have jobs in the town, but not confirmed what.

In a book, it was mentioned that Bruno was the golden child of the family. He probably fell from that position in his late teens.

Agustín's favorite meal from Julieta is chocolate santafereño.

Gifts can possibly be repeated, but not in the same generation.

The refugees/townspeople had brought everything from home they used to start farming when the Encanto formed.

Isabela and Mariano still have a good relationship after the movie. Neither were too wild about the engagement.

The bedrooms can change if their owner wants them to.

The gift ceremonies will now be different without a candle.

Madrigals still do the traditional quinceañera.

The Encanto doesn't have electricity.

Bruno has left the walls a few times for a break.

Isabela will probably keep switching up her outfit now that she can.

Luisa has always felt protective of Mirabel.

Behind the scenes:

Casita used to have shown that it has only 1 bathroom, which was located in the back right corner under Bruno's tower.

There was a deleted scene where Julieta yelled at Alma in front of the entire town after Mirabel went missing.

Julieta is the one singing w/ Mirabel during the "constellations glow/the seasons change in turn" lyric.

There used to be a version of Bruno using water with his vision.

The line said by Mirabel, "Even in our darkest moments there's light where you least expect it" was cut after Lin Manuel Miranda wrote Dos Oruguitas and the emotional thrust of Mirabel’s words needed to evolve to encompass what she’d just learned.

There was a Waiting on a Miracle reprise that was cut because they felt they didn't need it.

The concept of a new door appearing was considered to start with the doorknob.

No one intervened during Alma and Mirabel's argument because the writers felt that it was Mirabel's moment to shine.

VERY early on, Bruno (then known as Oscar) was Mirabel's estranged cousin.

Indestructibility was a gift they wanted to use. It was actually Pepa's original gift.

Dolores' Birthday Q&A (8/31/22)

Cannon universe:

People in Isabela's position wouldn't really have the chance to have authentic relationships because they're hiding their true self. This could potentially apply to Isa herself.

Before Mirabel's ceremony, her family was excited for her. After, the family’s ability to see Mirabel clearly was too obscured by their unhealthy dynamics but were probably unaware of that until Mirabel brought it to light.

Bruno's oversized clothing was by personal preference, potentially because of his awkward nature.

Before Isabela showed up in Bruno's vision, another person was there, who is possibly a young Alma. While not confirmed, it is implied in Jared's answer.

Félix and Agustín already had gifts, just not in a way that others could see.

Isabela lets herself break the rules, so while not confirmed, it's possible she could recreate mythical plants.

The town probably functions like a combination of where everyone came from.

The triplets used to have little meetings in Bruno's room when they were little.

Behind the scenes:

There used to be a scene where Bruno revealed he had a secret elevator in his room.

Agustín's Birthday Q&A (6/19/22)

Cannon universe:

Part of what fuels the miracle is unconditional love. When Mirabel and Isa showed that during What Else can I Do?, it affected the magic.

Julieta often gives people the food they like rather than something random.

For a long time, Isabela was the favorite grandchild for Alma. Before her ceremony, Mirabel was. After Casita's rebuild, many dynamics changed.

Agustín was born in the Encanto, but his family was from a city, so he was raised with the city-vibe.

Luisa's favorite food is bandeja paisa.

Every gift can be affected by emotions in some way.

Casita probably helped Bruno hide, but not confirmed.

If Mirabel and Bruno decided to leave the Encanto after Casita fell, the entire family would've fallen apart.

The only people in the Encanto were the ones who traveled with Alma. They all got there at the same time, no one got in or out.

Behind the scenes:

There used to be an exit for Bruno's wall room behind the family tree, but it wasn't used.

Antonio's Birthday Q&A (5/21/22)

Cannon universe:

Mirabel's canonically 5'2.

Mirabel has good relationships with Pepa and Félix. Félix loves everyone and likes hanging out with pretty much anybody. Pepa is a good tia, she’s just very emotional, but for most of the movie (and her life before) felt she had to bottle her emotions which only made them worse.

Bruno probably doesn't need the sand for visions, but as time went on he added his own superstitions.

The color of the magic in the end changed. It wasn't the color of the candle anymore, but the colors of Mirabel. What that means? No one knows.

Bruno "felt" his vision cave collapsing and investigated. That's how he knew it was destroyed.

Camilo couldn't really hold a form forever because of how tiring it could be.

Mirabel did have a quinceañera.

Casita has a mind of its own with its own emotions. Sometimes it could play pranks on the Madrigals or be too upset to move anything.

Behind the scenes:

Earlier versions had a negative dynamic between Mirabel and Camilo.

The gifts are based off family archetypes. Antonio is a shy kid but opens up to animals.

Random Q&A (3/19/22)

Cannon universe:

The main reason for Mirabel and Isa's falling out was because they couldn’t see the difficulties the other was experiencing, because they were fixated on their own struggles. They were probably closer when they were younger.

Despite being shy, Antonio does have friends in the town.

Due to the triplets' bday being the same day as Pedro's death, it's a mixed day.

Pepa can try to stop natural disasters, but doesn't usually succeed.

Mirabel would sometimes have sleepovers with her sisters when they were younger. There was a deleted scene showing it.

The pink cloud scene in Surface Pressure represents the stuff Luisa wanted to do without the pressure.

Behind the scenes:

Tbh there wasn't any answers that could qualify as behind the scenes sooo... 🤷

Stuff that didn't come from Q&As but is still good info

Madrigal Birthdays (I'm not doing a link for each, just take my word for it lol):

Félix: November 11 (11/11)

Julieta, Pepa, Bruno: October 17 (10/17)

Agustín: June 19 (6/19)

Isabela: August 7 (8/7)

Dolores: August 31 (8/31)

Luisa: November 14 (11/14)

Camilo: December 28 (12/28)

Mirabel: March 6 (3/6)

Antonio: May 21 (5/21)

Madrigal ages:

Alma: 75

Julieta, Pepa, Bruno: 50

Isabela: 21

Dolores: 21

Luisa: 19

Camilo: 15

Mirabel: 15

Antonio: 5

I don't believe the husbands' ages are confirmed, but Félix is confirmed to be a little older than the triplets, while Agustín is a little younger than the triplets.

Julieta is the oldest of the triplets, Pepa in the middle, and Bruno is the baby.

[gamerbearmira]

Cryptid madrigals au-

I don't have a full context for how Pedro died but I have an idea for how the aftermath went.

-

Alma held her lifeless husband on her round stomach. It was only a month before her due date, and this had to happen. As soon as she let her guard down...this is what she gets.

"What are you doing?"

A dark figure loomed over her, her Tio, Almando. He didn't really come out much, didn't want to. He was mostly just a silhouette of black smoke. At first, he was heavily against her marriage with Pedro, but he warmed up to him.

"what?"

"WHY ARE YOU STILL HOLDING BACK?!"

"They think you're a monster...PROVE.THEM.RIGHT"

He also advocated for when you just gotta stop being nice to those who surely don't deserve it. That was surely a night where Alma became what she didn't ever want to be. A monster.

YIPPEEEEEE BUT ALSO SAD‼️‼️‼️

Shoutout Toto her tío dawg, he’s a real one⁉️⁉️ Not only did he warm up to Pedro but also vouched for after death. Bro was not rocking with his nephew-in-law dying 🙏

You think Pedro stuck around but just didn’t tell nobody for a while. Or maybe he just wasn’t aware 🗿

[miracles-and-butterflies]

Saving a miracle is a lot and comes at a hefty price. Good thing nobody warned Mirabel ahead of time, wouldn’t want her to be able to consider what she’s doing before making rash decisions.

Vaguely inspired by @yellowcry’s Cursed Gifts AU.

And I’m Asking, “Why, Lord?”

Mirabel and Bruno sit in a circle with one or two of Antonio’s capybaras that couldn’t be convinced to move for a moment. Antonio, and the rest of his animal friends, had given them space to do what they needed to do - playing by the waterfall in his room. The candle between them flickers as Bruno reads from a book. It looks ancient, practically falling apart in his hands.

As the room shakes, Mirabel wrings her hands anxiously. “We might want to hurry,” she prompts.

Bruno chuckled at her. “You can’t rush magic, kid.”

“I know, it’s just…” she doesn’t actually have anything to say that isn’t obvious. She takes a breath, trying to calm down. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to my family.”

“I can relate to that. You try to help your family by giving visions to the town and then all you hear is ‘Bruno’s creepy and his vision killed my goldfish’.” He paused, waiting for her to laugh, but the only reaction he got was some confusion. He shrugged. “And, I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve done this. Who knows if it will even work.”

“You are telling me this now?” She demanded.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Antonio. He seems like a nice kid, he shouldn’t have to be caught up in all,” he gestured, “this.”

They had told Antonio it was a vision. Just an innocent vision. Not some crazy ritual to let dead Pedro Madrigal interact with them and advise them on how to save the miracle. Absolutely not. That would be insane.

Finally, Bruno set the book aside. He struck a match, lighting each of the piles of dry leaves that surrounded their family candle. The flame was still flickering occasionally, but there had been no new cracks in the last few hours if that was a consolation.

The light began to fade from the room, the winds picking up around them.

“Wait,” Mirabel said, eyebrow raised. “You mentioned something about an offering? We don’t have that.”

“We do.” Bruno replied.

“Do we?” She asked.

The flames died out over the leaves. Their candle remained, faintly glowing as the room got darker still.

Mirabel couldn’t see anything. She hadn’t been entirely sure what an offering meant - what did one give their dead grandfather anyways? Perhaps there had been something in the circle and she had just missed it. The book, its forgotten language and religion, made no sense to her. She had to put her trust in her Tío.

The room was wrapped in darkness.

There was nothing for a moment. No movement, no sound.

Nothing.

She turns to where she thinks Bruno is, curiously. “Did... did it work?”

There isn’t an answer.

“Tío Bruno?” She tries.

She jumps when something cold grasps at her shoulder, she screams. Turning and scrambling away, she sees it is a hand. Discoloured and stained in dirt and blood. In fact, the whole body is. A rotting corpse. Through the partly decomposed head, she can make out the face of her Abuelo that hangs over the bottom of the stairs. He looks identical but also nothing like his portrait.

“Are.. are you Abuelo Pedro?” She manages to brave herself to question the figure.

The lips curve upwards in acknowledgment and he cackles loudly at her. His haunting voice echoes around the room (the space?)— wherever they are. It rings in her head and her eardrums burn in discomfort.

“Of course, you silly, little girl. You haven’t summoned any other dead bodies to chat with, have you?”

She hesitantly shakes her head - though technically she hasn’t summoned any at all. Bruno summoned him, she was just there. But, to be fair, there is no way Pedro could have known that.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

Freezing, she stares at him in horror.

Mirabel shakes herself, “Tío Bruno said that you could help me.. that you could help save our miracle?”

“Why, yes, I can definitely help. I could help save the miracle for you. But why should I? I’m not the one disturbing the dead for my own selfish gain.”

That catches her off guard. It isn’t selfish, she is doing it for her family. To save them, to help them. Anybody would in her place—

“Lie to yourself all you want, Mirabel, but you can’t lie to me. You want this for yourself. You want to be loved, instead of kept on the sidelines forever?”

She has nothing to say.

Tears welling in her eyes because she knows it’s true. She wants that for herself, just as much as she wants to help her family.

“I will help you with saving our precious miracle, in exchange for the offering.”

He steps closer, menacingly tall compared to her, especially when she’s cowering on the ground before him.

“I don’t have anything, I’m sorry,” she admits. “Tío Bruno said he would handle the offering. I had no idea what it meant or what he will give to you. You would have to ask him.”

There’s another painfully loud cackle.

His cold hand reaches for her, dirty nails grasping into the skin of her cheek. Almost pulling her body off the ground in the process.

“You stupid girl, what do you think you’re here for?”

Her heart stops. “..What?”

“You’re the offering.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth and process themself in her brain, she pulls away from him, stumbling to her feet and attempting to run. There is nowhere for her to go. She’s trapped. Long before her wrist is caught in the dead man’s hold, yanking her back to him like he’s stronger than Luisa and she’s nothing more than some worthless ragdoll.

She is shaking with fear, his hand ghosting over her face and wiping tears.

“The one child that slipped from the miracle’s hand, completely untouched,” he muses to himself, admiring the offering; the prey. “The magic hasn’t hurt you like it has done the others, it doesn’t seem fair to leave you that way, doesn’t it? After all… you did so badly want to belong, didn’t you?”

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Side A

Propaganda below ⬇️

Abuelita Alma Madrigal Propaganda:

There's a church in the Encanto as well as a priest and given how strong her grip is and how much of a control freak she is, I would very much doubt she'd allow people to believe in other miracles than Pedro's if she wasn't, herself catholic. Also I mean south american turn of the century family they're probably catholic.

Listen at least Alma is!!! The candle!! The importance of the church!!! The vibes are just there!!!! The idea of being a savior by sacrificing yourself (or at least your personality/grief) for your people? That’s SO catholic coded PLEASE

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler Propaganda:

good lord where do i start. in the animated series he converts logan to catholisism and then fucks off basically thats the main thing he did there. i think one time they tried to make him a demon to explain how he looked but everyone hated that. he sold his soul one time to help his friends out after he died. he and logan have a weird little gay thing. he was a priest one time but he was made a priest by a fake bishop from a religion that hates mutants iirc so he just wasnt a priest. like 3 people have written him in a way i like and one of those is my friend just talking about how they view him.

wow marvel loves making catholic characters dress/look like demons

Kurt is a mutant who was born to mystique who looks a LOT like a devil (technically is half one but that cannon truth isn't real go back to bed), his mother dropped him off a cliff when he was born and he was picked up by a Romani group/circus (fuck old comics man) however he then narrowly escaped being sold to a freak show and found himself in a small German town. There he met a kind priest, who showed him God, and he quickly grew attached to the idea- However, it wasn't long before people began labeling him a demon and soon the whole town was against him with pitchforks and fire. Cornered and injured, Kurt thought this might be the end for him- maybe he would see heaven so long after finding it- but he was then saved by Charles Xavier who invited him to the X-Men. AND ITS BEEN SO MANY YEARS AND HE HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH THERE. SO MUCH. SO GOD DAMN MUCH. BUT THE MOST AAAA THING TO ME CONCERNING HIS FAITH HE WHEN HE LITERALLY DIED AND WENT TO HEAVEN BUT THEN BECAUSE OF DRAMA WITH HIS FATHER HAD TO BRING HIS FRIENDS IN WITH HIM FROM THE BEYOND. THEN WITH ALOT OF TROUBLE THEY FOUGHT HIS FATHER AND THE ONLY WAY KURT SAW TO STOP HIM WAS IN A MOVE THAT STRIPPED THEM BOTH OF THEIR SOULS AND PUT THEM BACK ON EARTH. SO KURT CANONICALLY HAS NOW LOST HIS ABILITY FOR ETERNAL PEACE, LOST HIS VERY SOUL, TO SAVE PEOPLE- AND ALSO TOLD NO ONE NOT EVEN HIS GAY LOVER WOLVERINE.

Nightcrawler is a mutant vigilante who looks like a classical demon. He can't even go to church without people panicking and trying to exorcize him. Despite it all, he's so full of faith and hope and compassion, and he wants to believe the best of everyone. Also, he's bffs with an extremely angry Jewish sword lesbian. That has nothing to do with anything, but it's important to me that you all know that.

What if you were a devout christian and literally looked like the devil? He nearly became the pope, which was a plot by some supervillains that also involved faking a rapture? There is nothing like comics I swear to god.

A catholic who is half demon I don’t think I can better explain a struggle than that. But his character is so relatable to people who feel unwelcome with their congregation because of something that is a part of them but still feeling a connection to the faith. Kurt actively engaged in his faith and shares how his faith helps him through all the things he has faced in life and how he found a home with those of the church who leave the judging to God.

so they made kurt a priest briefly before deciding to retcon it, resulting in nightcrawler actually being part of a plan by villains to promote him to pope then reveal to the world that the pope is a demon. wild.

I have a side blog and a tattoo about him and i really really want him to win

Wisecracking devil-appearing devout Catholic with the Best superpower (teleportation)? HECK YES

German Catholic circus acrobat who looks like a demon & can teleport through a hellish alternate dimension with a puff of sulfur. Character of all time.

hes catholic and his dad is the devil. what could be funnier than that. also hes my silly little guy.

Nightcrawler is the world’s most fun catholic priest. I first was introduced to this kindhearted teleporting acrobat while he saved a boat full of stowaway refugees from inter dimensional pirates with swashbuckling gusto!

[its-queenofthesilence]

The Line Between Life and Death | Hercules/Encanto Crossover | Part 2 of ?

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Encanto (2021), Hercules (1997) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Miscarriage? Relationships: Hades/Persephone, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal/Pedro Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal/Julieta Madrigal, Hera/Zeus

Summary:

Hades and Persephone have spent centuries on centuries waiting for the day when they could finally have a child of their own. And after thousands of years watching all his unborn children die before they can even be born, he will do anything to make sure his little girl survives. Thankfully for him, there is a father in Columbia who is just as desperate as he is to save his children. And who might just be willing to trade for the very thing that would let Hades save his daughter....

“Let me go! Let me go!” Mirabel screamed, as she was being dragged off by a pair of ethereal guards, dressed in Greek attire. One on either side, dragging her under the armpits as she tried and failed to stop them, attempting to dig her heels in to no avail. She was facing away from the guards, towards Hades who was rubbing his stinging cheek. His daughter had a good hand, he would give her that. He sighed, his face falling as soon as she was no longer in sight, being dragged towards her bedroom.

This….was not what he hoped for.

Hades let out a heavy sigh as he watched the guards drag Mirabel away, her cries echoing through the cavernous halls. He had hoped for a warmer reunion, for his daughter to feel a sense of belonging in her true home. But her defiance and rejection cut him deeply.

Bah, she should have never been raised amongst mortals to begin with.

Mirabel was dragged through the twisting, turning palace, trying to escape to no avail. She passed by similar guards, and other ethereal beings as well, all who gave her sympathetic looks. She didn’t need their sympathy, she needed to go home, to her family. She was eventually led to a large, ornate door that vaguely reminded her of the front door to Casita, if it was twelve feet tall. It was decorated in more flowers, as well as a banner above the door that said “Welcome Home.” in a beautiful, cursive font. It wasn’t written in Spanish, maybe Latin? And yet, somehow she could read it with ease.

“Your quarters, your highness.”

Before she knew it, she was being shoved into the room, and the door slammed behind her. Immediately she turned around to tug on the large, ornate handles but they wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard she strained. She whirled around, her eyes frantically scanning the room, searching for any means of escape.

The room that greeted her was unlike anything she expected in the, what was it called, Underworld? The room was designed to mimic the warm, welcoming aesthetic of the Casita, but on a scale that far surpassed the humble dwelling she had grown up in. The floors were made of richly-hued hardwood, with intricately-patterned rugs in vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold covering the wooden floors.

The walls were constructed of sturdy adobe and stucco, their surfaces adorned with ornate murals and patterns that reminded her of home. In terms of the actual contents of her room, there was a large raised platform with a massive, four poster bed on it in the middle of the room. Orchids and lilies wrapped around the posts of the bed, with golden butterflies intertwined. In one corner there was a sitting area, with large, plush couches and armchairs all arranged around a roaring hearth with bookcases overflowing with books. In another, there appeared to be a dressing area with a vanity and privacy screen. The area was adorned with dress forms and mannequins alike.

Along the left and right side of the rooms, were two doors on each side respectfully. Eyes narrowed, she quickly looked through them, checking for any sign of escape. One was a grandiose bathroom, again a lot like Casita in terms of the flooring and walls but instead of the clawed tub she was used to, there was a massive, in-ground tub that could qualify as a pool. There was also another vanity, and shelves teaming with products; shampoo, conditioner, soaps, oils, everything. The room next to it appeared to be a closet of sorts, if you could call it that. It was easily the size of Casita’s first floor combined, and filled to the brim with clothing of all sorts. Dresses, shoes, pants, skirts, even jewelry of all sorts. The third and forth rooms respectively were a sewing room, with HER sewing machine, or at least one exactly like it, sitting on a table. It was filled with fabrics and sewing materials galore.

The fourth and final room, which gave her a brief hope of escape, was an garden of sorts. It was large and ornate, filled with all sorts of Columbian flora. She thought she could escape out the garden, but as she ran into what she thought was a forest, it was actually just a wall. It was fake, she couldn’t get out.

She rushed back to the main room, there had to be something. But as she searched every square inch, she realized, nothing. Even the giant window that overlooked a river of lava, she could not get out of. Every time she touched the window, a pulsating barrier of blue….magic she guessed? appeared, preventing her. Eventually she had to admit, she was stuck.

Tears pricked her eyes. With a shaky sob, she sat on the edge of the bed, only to immediately stand back up when she felt herself sitting on something. There, on the edge of the bed was a tiara made of a black material, that had several red, ruby like stones embedded in to it with a another gem, that was floating somehow above the crest of the tiara, that resembled lava. She touched it, perplexed. It wasn’t lava (after all, she was pretty sure touching lava would hurt, but it just felt like touching a warm stove) and it didn’t look like she could remove it despite the fact it did not appear to be tethered to the crown.

With a growl, she threw the tiara, watching it hit the floor and go rolling. She wanted to go home. She just wanted to go home!

Camilo hoped Mirabel was not able to see this right now. He’s not sure, after all, he had never assumed Hades, God and King of the Underworld to be real, and he definitely did not expect to learn his cousin, his twin in everyway except blood, was a God. He was currently in Dolores room, in fact all the children were.

Why? Because it was soundproof and the adults were all screaming at the ghost of Abuelo, who had not disappeared once Hades left with Mirabel, in fact he seemed to be permanently visible as the man was not able to hide his being from his wife or daughters, despite trying really, really hard. And now he was being screamed at.

“I-I want Mirabel!” Camilo sighed. Antonio was not taking it well, he knew Mirabel and him were almost close as he was to Mirabel, if not closer. It almost made him jealous at times, how close they were. But he understood, despite not having a ‘gift’, Mirabel was amazing and always had a way of making people smile and laugh. He wanted Mirabel too. In fact, it seemed like all of them did, even prissy Isabela who usually fought with Mirabel.

Everyone was gathered in the sitting area of Dolores room, the girl in question sitting on the edge of her bed, Luisa on the floor by the bed, knees to her chest. Isabela pressed against a wall, splayed out and away from them and him and Antonio on a chaise lounge.

“Hey, hey it’s going to be okay. We’re going to get her back.” He promised. He’s not sure how, to be honest. Tia Julieta, in a fit of desperation tried to claw at the earth once they had been released, only to be stopped, and breaking down, when Tio physically restrained her. And, they were mortals, how did you even get to the Underworld? Without dying that is, and he was pretty sure mass suicide was off the table.

“Don’t promise him things that aren’t possible, Camilo.” said Isabela. She was mostly secluded from them, mainly because cacti kept popping up next to her. He wasn’t aware she could make anything other than flowers, it was a nice change. Flowers were nice, but he didn’t know, they got boring after a while. And you couldn’t scare someone by lobbing a cactus at them, he already had some fun ideas for a prank.

Camilo rolled his eyes, shooting a glare at Isabela. "Don't be like that, Isa. We have to have hope. Mirabel's our family - we can't just give up on her." He moved to sit closer to Antonio, wrapping a comforting arm around his younger brother. Antonio sniffed, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. "I miss her so much already, Cami. What if we never see her again?" His voice trembled, filled with a fear and despair that no child should ever have to experience.

Camilo pulled Antonio close, wishing he could offer more reassurance. "We'll figure this out, I promise. Somehow, we're going to bring Mirabel back home." He shot another pointed look at not only Isabela, but Dolores and Luisa too. "Even if some of us are too busy being miserable to help."

“What is that supposed to mean?” snapped Luisa, trying not to start crying again.

“Look, we all want to save Mirabel yes? Even though we might think it’s impossible. But I think some of us are too distracted by the fact that your secrets got thrown into the street like dirty laundry by a literal god. Dolores has not been able to look Isabela in the face, Isabela keeps making ‘cactuses’ and I know Luisa keeps muttering under her breath about needing to keep strong; I don’t need super hearing for that.”

“So maybe, we should talk about it, so we can move on and focus on saving Mirabel. Obviously it would be better if the entire family is here, but hey, I don’t want to listen to them scream any more than the rest of you. So cousin, minus one, group therapy time.”

“There is nothing to talk about!” exclaimed Isabela, another cactus appearing by her side, earning a scowl.

“Really? Because I remember hearing “closeted lesbian” and “hates Abuela’s guts” from that asshole, whoever his name is. Hayes or something when he referred to you.” said Camilo. Isabela stiffened, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape. "I...I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, her voice wavering.

Dolores fixed Isabela with an uncharacteristically intense stare. "Don't lie, Isa. We all heard what that...that…him, said about you." Her brow furrowed in concern. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Isabela wrapped her arms around herself, her shoulders hunched defensively. "I was scared, okay?" she admitted, her voice small. "I was scared that if anyone found out, they would see me differently. That you all would look at me and only see...this." She gestured vaguely at herself and the cacti surrounding her. “I’m the first born grandchild, Abuela has always expected me to be perfect and emulate her in everyway. How I dress, how to act, who to marry….I need to make these perfect, symmetrical flowers, over and over and I hate them! I hate these stupid flowers!” Another cactus appeared.

"Isa..." Dolores began, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "We're your family. We love you, no matter what." She reached out, placing a gentle hand on Isabela's arm. "You don't have to hide who you are from us."

Isabela's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked up at Dolores. "But what about Abuela? And the town? They'll never accept me if they see me like this." Her voice trembled. "I just want them to love me."

“We already do! People already do. Did you see the people when he told everyone you were a lesbian? Everyone was confused, yeah sure because you and Mariano have been a thing for months and slated to be engaged soon. But no one looked disgusted with you Isa. And I, think flowers are boring. Super boring. So I’m glad you can make something else.” He said, poking one of them lightly. Isabela smiled faintly, before scowling.

“If we’re airing our laundry, why didn’t you tell me you were in love with Mariano, Dolores? I was only going to marry him for the family! Do you know how much pressure you would have taken off of me if you just told us you wanted to marry him? I would have thrown him at you! I would have begged and pleaded with Abuela for you, told her any tale, that I couldn’t stand in the way of true love, anything to move the earth for you. You are my cousin but also my sister and best friend….I am hurt you never told me.”

Dolores stared at Isabela, her eyes wide with surprise and guilt. "Oh, Isa...I'm so sorry. I just - I was so afraid that you would hate me if you knew. It looked like you genuinely loved him and I couldn’t bare the thought of breaking your heart by telling you… and I thought he would think I was too ugly or shy compared to you." She reached out, grasping Isabela's hand.

Isabela pulled Dolores into a tight hug, tears streaming down her face. "You could never be ugly, Dolores. You're beautiful, inside and out." She pulled back, giving her cousin a watery smile. "And Mariano would be the luckiest man alive to have you. I'm so sorry I made you feel like you couldn't tell me. We're sisters, we're supposed to be able to tell each other everything."

Dolores returned the embrace, her own tears falling heavy. "I'm sorry too, Isa. I should have trusted you. From now on, no more secrets, okay?" She pulled back, giving Isabela's hand a gentle squeeze.

“Perfect, now time for all of us to gang up on Luisa and make her confront her issues.” said Camilo, waving his hand.

Luisa stiffened as all eyes turned to her. "I don't have any issues," she said quickly, averting her gaze. Isabela quirked an eyebrow and then cleared her throat, imitating Hades as best she could.

“Poor, overworked Luisa who the town treats like a pack mule, always tired and on the verge of a breakdown and is worried no one will ever love her because she’s not perfect and a doll to mold like Isabela.” said the older sister of the pair.

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t mention you being a doll, but go off.” interjected Camilo.

“Same thing!”

"I just...I feel so much pressure to be strong all the time, you know? To be the one everyone can depend on. I'm the strong one, the rock of the family. But sometimes..." Her voice trailed off, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. "Sometimes I'm just so tired." It was taking everything in her to not cry. “And I’m not like you or Dolores, Bella! Look at me, I look like a man practically, who could love me?” cried Luisa, as the first sob left her mouth.

“Mateo Ríos.” said Dolores, humming slightly to her self. Luisa’s head jerked up, her sobs interrupted by pure confusion. “The donkey herder’s son? Why would you think he would love me?”

“Because my gift is hearing, Luisa. Don’t you ever wonder why the donkeys keep getting out despite Senior Ríos spending so much time trying to figure out how they are escaping? Mateo lets them out deliberately so he can use it as an excuse to be near you.”

Luisa's eyes widened in shock, her tears momentarily forgotten. "Mateo...lets the donkeys out...to see me?" She shook her head in disbelief. "But why? I'm...I'm not like Isabela or you. I'm not small and delicate. I'm muscled and I’m taller than half the men in town- who would want that?"

“Luisa, what does it matter if you’re not small and delicate? If that mattered to him, he probably wouldn’t be spending so much time trying to get up the courage to ask you out. I hear him you know, every morning when he lets the donkeys out. ‘Okay, today is the day I tell her how I feel.’ and then he chickens out.”

Luisa stared at Dolores, her eyes shining with a glimmer of hope. "He...he really feels that way about me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Dolores nodded, giving her cousin's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Of course he does, Luisa. You're strong, you're reliable, you're the one everyone counts on. That's exactly the kind of woman Mateo admires." Dolores smiled warmly. "Just because you don't fit Abuela's mold of what a 'proper' woman should be, doesn't mean you're any less deserving of love."

Luisa let out a shaky laugh, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I guess I have a lot to think about, huh?" she muttered. “Yes, the fact that you don’t love yourself but, also the part about being a pack mule? How much stuff are you doing for people? I know Abuela said to help our community but there is a difference between helping and being taken advantage of.” said Isabela. She looked briefly at her new cacti. She might have just found a use for them, and it was going to be threatening people who badgered her sister over stupid things.

Luisa sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I know, I know. It's just...I want to help everyone, you know? I don't want to let the family down." She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, her gaze downcast. "And I guess I got a little carried away. But I just hate seeing the people I care about struggle, so I try to take on as much as I can."

Dolores reached over, giving Luisa's hand a gentle squeeze while Isabela addressed her sister. "We know, Luisa. And we love you for it, we really do. But you can't pour from an empty cup, you know? You have to take care of yourself too. And believe me, I know some of the ‘crap’ people ask for. They did the same to me before I started putting my foot down. ‘Oh Isabela, my flowers aren’t perfectly symmetrical, I need you to come by at eleven at night to fix them.’ or stuff like that."

Luisa nodded, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "You're right. I guess I do let people take advantage sometimes. I just want to help, but it's not good for me to be stretched so thin." She sighed heavily, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "I'll...I'll try to be better about setting boundaries. And maybe I'll even give Mateo a chance, if he really does like me like that."

Dolores beamed, giving Luisa's hand an encouraging squeeze. "I know you can do it, Luisa. And I'm sure Mateo will be over the moon." She paused, glancing around at her cousins and brothers. Antonio had mostly been silent, just listening.

“So what are your issues then? Antonio is five, so he doesn’t have any, so that leaves you Camilo.” Dolores said pointedly to her younger brother.

Camilo chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Issues? Who, me? Nah, I'm perfect, remember?" He flashed them a cheeky grin, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Dolores fixed him with a knowing look. "Come on, Cami. We just got Isa and Luisa to open up. Don't think you're getting off the hook that easy."

Camilo sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Alright, alright. I guess I do have a few things I need to work on." He glanced over at Antonio, who was watching him intently. "It's just...sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough, you know? Like I'm always trying to be what everyone else wants me to be." He paused, thinking. “Like literally, since I can shapeshift. I dunno, it seems like I spend more time as other people than myself, and sometimes I’m worried that, and I know it’s not possible, but when I shift back, I won’t do it right because I’ve forgotten what I look like.” explained the teenager.

Camilo's admission hung in the air, the weight of his words settling over the group. Antonio reached out, placing his small hand in his brothers. "Cami, you're perfect just the way you are," he said softly. "We love you, no matter what you look like." He hugged his brother, around the middle, earning an aww from all the girls.

“So, how are we going to save Mirabel? Because annoying as she is, and as much as she gets on my nerves, I will admit…I do love her and she should be here, not…wherever she is right now…Hell I guess?” said Isabela, genuinely asking her cousins and sister. Her memory on ancient history was spotty at best, she hadn’t been in school in at least four years at this point.

“Underworld. Different thing all together if you go by the stories. Hell is strictly for the evil and damned in Christianity while the Underworld is split into three sections for the dead, again going by the stories. Elysium for the good souls, described as a city in the underworld akin to heaven with no mortal struggles, Asphodel Meadows, believed to be like earth but in hell where people live like they did in life, bound to the same jobs and stuff, and then Tartarus, where people are subjected to eternal torment…and then from what I’ve heard, there is a section for souls who’ve personally pissed off Hades or gone back on a deal. It’s called the Pool of Souls, but I am not sure if that one is real.” said Luisa, recalling her history class. Out of all of them, she had always been the most interested in Ancient Roman and Greek Mythology, with an entire section of her private library dedicated to the subject. Well, she was until Hades showed up, now she wanted to burn all her books.

Isabela bit her lip, her brow furrowed in thought. "But how are we supposed to get to the Underworld? We're just mortals - we can't exactly waltz right in there." She shook her head, her eyes filled with worry. Unless...nah, if Hades existed, what other gods did as well? If one of them killed themselves to get to this Underworld, they might end up in any of the other afterlifes she vaguely recalled. Obviously Heaven, but she thinks there was an afterlife for the Egyptians? She's not sure.

“Well, I have an idea, or an idea where to start.” began Dolores. “I didn’t want to do this to him, I promised myself I would never betray his secret but I think we don’t have a choice. But, I think before I pull out the big guns, we need to speak to the rest of the family.” said Dolores, standing up and brushing lint off her skirt.

“Wait, who is him?” asked Camilo, confused. Everyone else was just as confused, except for Antonio oddly enough. “Is this about the Rat Man who lives in the walls? The rats told me about him.” said Antonio, so casually that everyone had to do a double take.

“I’m sorry, The WHAT Man?”

“You had no right!”

Ever since she was a child, Julieta had heard tales of her father from her mother, about how he was so heroic and how he saved their lives by giving his. Though she never wanted to meet an early end, she always relished the thought of getting to meet him one day.

Now though? She never wanted to see her father again. They, being the adults (or anyone not a grandchild that is) were gathered in the kitchen while Julieta cornered her father’s ghost and yelled at him, Pepa just as pissed as she was and just as vocal about everything going on. Their mother was mostly being silent, but Julieta could see the conflict in her eyes. Felix was having to restrain Agustin, because the man wanted to punch the ghost despite the fact he was incorporeal.

"How could you make a deal like that, without even consulting us? Without telling us?" she shouted, angry beyond words.

“Um, you were an infant? I couldn’t exactly ask you, and he froze time. Look, I know you are angry, but I had no choice. You, your sister and your brother along with your mother would have died. Then what? You would be dead, you wouldn’t even have Isabela or Luisa, and Pepa wouldn’t have her children either. You would ALL be dead.” Said the ghost. Hades really did him a ‘favor’ by not allowing him to hide again.

“I..I don’t care! I just want my daughter.” Julieta began to sob, leaning against the kitchen island as she let her emotions out. Pepa was barely better, her emotions were causing a hurricane in the kitchen, rain and wind hitting those still alive from every angle. Their mother had tried to get her to stop but the redhead had threatened to electrocute her if she asked again. Sometimes Pepa just wanted to feel without worrying about the cloud.

A tin pan flew by, going through Pedro’s form and smacking into a wall, as the wind whipped around them.

Agustin stepped forward, finally released by Felix, placing a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder as she wept, glaring at Pedro. "I know, Julieta. I know." His voice was thick with emotion, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But we can't give up. We have to find a way to get Mirabel back!"

Pepa shot a withering glare at her brother-in-law, lightning crackling in her cloud. "How? How are we supposed to get to the Underworld and take on a god?"

“Maybe….maybe we have to accept it.” said Alma, speaking up. “Pepa is right, how would we even get to this…this, underworld?” Julieta's head snapped up, her eyes burning with defiance. "Accept it? Mamá, how can you say that? Mirabel is our family, your nieta! - we can't just give up on her!" She shook her head vehemently, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

“Well, then what is your plan? Because I don’t have any ideas, do you?!” Alma shouted, shaking her head. This was turning out to be the worst day she had ever experienced in a long time.

“Hmm! We ask Bruno for a vision.” said Dolores, causing everyone to whirl around and look towards the kitchen entrance where the younger generation had converged together as one. “Dolores what are you talking about? Bruno left, and even still, we don’t talk ab-” Alma was cut off by Pedro, glaring at her.

“Yeah, I don’t like the fact I can’t hide myself right now but you better believe me Alma, I have a few choice words about the fact you decided to allow the village to demonize our son and banned the everyone from speaking about him. And Julieta, Josefina! How could you go along with this? He’s your baby brother, your triplet!” said the ghost, turning the tables on them.

Alma recoiled at her husbands words, her eyes widening in shock. “I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought…I didn’t want to think about it Pedro. I thought he was dead. It was easier to not speak about him because it meant I didn’t have to think about the fact our son was gone.”

“…I blamed Mirabel.” admitted Pepa, earning a gasp from her sister and honestly, everyone but Alma, who seemed ashamed and guilty. “He left right after her birthday, I thought….I….it was just easier to blame her, than to admit I wasn’t the best sister. That I was never there for him. I know it’s not her fault.”

“She was five! She was five, Pepa! How could you blame her, your niece, a literal child for him leaving?” shouted Julieta.

Pepa shrank back, the guilt and shame evident on her face. "I know, I know. It wasn't fair of me. I was just...I was so angry and hurt, and I needed someone to blame. Mirabel was an easy target." She ran a trembling hand through her hair. "But that doesn't excuse it. I failed him, just we failed Mirabel, we all did. And now they're both gone, and I may never get the chance to apologize."

“Well it’s your lucky day then. Because Dolores, who knew the entire time may I add, knows exactly where Bruno is. And he is not dead!” said Camilo, shaking his head at his sister.

“The….how could….where is he?!” demanded Alma. All this time, assuming he was dead and not even knowing where his body was if he was in fact so, and Dolores knew the entire time.

“He’s in the walls.” The girl said simply.

“Persephone, why are your hands so sweaty? You’ve been wiping your hands on your skirt for the entirety of the meeting. Stop it and sit up straight!” hissed Demeter towards her daughter. Persephone quickly stilled her fidgeting hands, clasping them tightly in her lap as she met her mother's stern gaze. "I'm sorry, Mother. I'm just...nervous," she admitted, her brow furrowing with worry.

“About what, my dear?” Like a student being caught talking to their friend in class by the teacher, Persephone immediately felt her face go flush as her eyes snapped to Zeus, who was currently leading the meeting. Despite what the stories said, she was not his daughter. Demeter had made her all by herself by putting part of her essence into a flower, expecting to make another nymph but instead creating a daughter and a new Goddess in the process. A daughter that after thousands of years, was still treated like a child.

“Nothing Zeus, I apologize, please continue. Me and my mother were just discussing something related to the seasons. We’re thinking an early fall this year.” she said, trying to appear casual and like it was nothing.

“My granddaughter is finally going…home.” Interjected Demeter, throwing her daughter under the bus by revealing her lie. Persephone groaned, face in her hands. Immediately the entire table of Gods and Goddesses were abuzz as everyone was distracted by the news. Persephone sighed, she was hoping this wouldn’t happen, because they were all going to want to meet her and just overwhelm her. Zeus laughed.

“Well, well! Big news, you should have told us earlier ‘Seph! When are we going to meet the little girl?” the God of Thunder and Lightning grinned.

“Unless you are willing to visit the Underworld, not any time soon. She needs to ease out of her mortal form naturally, and as we all know, mortals cannot enter Olympus. Which would be…I think the Fates said roughly eighty years.” Everyone became visibly disappointed. It’s not that they weren’t excited to meet her, it was just that The Underworld, even with Elysium, was a bummer, and having a celebration there was sure to be…interesting. But it was either that or wait eight decades.

“Well, I guess we will just have to go to her. Right, meeting adjourned, we have a niece to meet!”

“No!”

Everyone paused as Persephone suddenly yelled. Her face somehow became even more red as she stood up and masked her emotions, trying not to seem frazzled. “I want you to meet her, absolutely. But you know how Hades is and she’s going to need time to adjust to having her world turned upside down, let alone everything else.”

And because if she knows her husband, which she does: he has no tact and she expects his arrival in the mortal world to fetch their daughter to go poorly. "Please, I just ask that you allow me and Hades to wait until the time is right. She's been raised among mortals her whole life - this is all so new and overwhelming for her. I don't want to risk overwhelming her further by bringing the entire Pantheon down to the Underworld."

Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze scrutinizing Persephone. "I understand your concerns, my dear. The transition will no doubt be difficult for the child." His lips curved into a benevolent smile, thinking. And she was right, Hades had no tact. "Very well, we shall wait for you and Hades to invite us to her. But do not tarry too long - we are all eager to welcome our newest family member!"

“Of course.”

Persephone was absolutely nervous as she returned home from her meeting, a sense of unease gnawing at her. She was both excited and yet worried to meet her daughter. She was practically vibrating out of her skin, hands still sweaty. She hoped it went well, but she knows her husband too well. As she touches down in the Underworld, and enters the palace, she finds herself trying to steel her nerves. She finds Hades in the throne room, alone, scowling on his throne with his face in his hand. Their daughter is nowhere to be seen, and she knows, it didn’t go well. Exhausted, Persephone asks, "Where is she?" He scowls and responds with a roll of his eyes, "She's been taken to her bedroom by the guards, to cool down. She’s throwing a fit.”

“You ripped her away didn’t you? You didn’t give her a chance to say goodbye, or anything. I knew I should have made you wait for me. I knew this was going to happen. “

The Lord of the Underworld let out a frustrated growl, sinking deeper into his obsidian throne. "I brought our daughter home, isn't that what you wanted?" he spat, his piercing gaze boring into Persephone. "I did what needed to be done - I collected on the bargain that foolish mortal made all those years ago." The Goddess of Spring rolled her eyes. “Yes, but it should have been done with tact and grace! She doesn’t remember us Hades, her soul was still an infant when we placed her into that body. As far as she knows, we kidnapped her.” Hades grunted, not responding.

Persephone let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples. "Oh, Hades, why must you always be so...heavy-handed?" She turned her attention to the grand archway that led deeper into the palace. "Where is she now?" The God of the Underworld shifted in his seat, the black obsidian creaking beneath him. "In her chambers, as I said. Sulking, I imagine." He flashed Persephone a sardonic grin. "You know how she is - stubborn as a mule, just like her mother."

Persephone shot Hades a withering glare, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm going to go speak with her." She swept past him, the hem of her flowing gown brushing against his feet as she moved. “Alone.” she said, noticing her husband starting to rise from his throne and follow her. The God scowled, sitting back down. Persephone hurried through the grand halls of the underworld palace, her heart heavy with concern for her daughter. As she approached the ornate doors leading to Mirabel's chambers, she took a steadying breath, trying to quell the nervous energy that coursed through her. She wiped a sweaty hand on her skirt. Outside the door, two ghostly sentinels stood guard, nodding towards their Queen as she approached.

She hoped the room was to her liking, she had spent months making sure it was ready for her daughter. Persephone considered entering without announcing herself, but decided against it. She knocked softly on the door, waiting to be granted entry. Inside the room, Mirabel sat curled up on the edge of the massive bed, her knees drawn to her chest as she stared blankly at walls of the room, not responding to the first knock on the door.

The knock came again, after a minute of no response.

"Who's there?" she called out, hating how her voice wavered with uncertainty. God, she hoped it was not him. Or better yet, if it was, he was here to tell her: ‘Oh sorry, I grabbed the wrong Madrigal, back to the real world.’ But she highly doubted that and she wouldn’t want Dolores or Luisa, hell even Isabela to be in this place. The door creaked open slightly, and a woman with long blonde hair and pink skin poked her head into the room hesitantly. Her hair was pushed back by a crown made of flowers and she wore a long, sleeveless silk dress covered in a variety of flowers including daisies and roses. She had to be the most beautiful woman Mirabel had ever seen, even more so than Isabela. Her eyes widened as the woman stepped into the room fully, a gentle smile on her face. "Hello, Mirabel. I'm..." She paused, her expression growing pensive. "I'm Persephone… I wanted to apologize, for your…for Hades. " She says the last part with annoyance. That man, he needed to learn to cool his temper.

Persephone. She knows that name, how could she not? She took history in school. The tale of Persephone and Hades. It was a classic. It doesn’t take much to make the connection, unless the tales were wrong. “Are you supposed to be my mother?” She asks it with disdain and disbelief. Persephone nodded solemnly, her eyes filled with a mixture of joy and hesitation. "Yes, Mirabel. I am your mother." She took a tentative step forward, her flowing gown rustling softly. "I know this must all be so overwhelming for you. I wish we could have brought you home under better circumstances."

She paused, biting her lip as she considered her next words carefully. "Your father...he can be a bit…excitable at times. He was just so eager to have you back with us, after all these years." Persephone let out a soft sigh, her gaze drifting to the ornate furnishings that adorned Mirabel's chamber. "I tried to make this place feel welcoming for you but I know it's not Casita."

"Welcoming?" Mirabel spat, her voice dripping with bitterness. "This is not welcoming, and it's not my home. My home is with the Madrigals - the family that raised me, that loved me." She hugged her knees tighter to her chest, her eyes filling with tears. "You…people took me away from them. From everything I've ever known." Persephone flinched at the venom in Mirabel's words, her heart aching. "I know, my dear. I wanted to wait until you passed from mortal means, but your Dad was insistent he wanted you back home while you were still a child.”

Mirabel stared at Persephone, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You wanted to wait until I died? How is that any better?" She shook her head, her lips trembling. "I don't understand any of this. Why did you take me from my family?” She had heard what Abuelo and HIM had said, but she didn’t really understand it. How could this not be her body? It felt like hers!

Persephone, sighed. “Your father is a God of Death, I am a God of Life, we have tried to have many children over the millennium but they all died before they even got close to birth. When you were finally born, you were born a soul. With no body. That wouldn’t necessarily be an issue for a god, but given the fact your father and I are opposites, your very soul began to fade from existence. We spoke to the Fates and they said the only way to save you was to put your soul into a mortal vessel and have you live upon the earth for at least a decade.”

“But why them? They don’t deserve this!” No one did, but especially not her family. It wasn’t fair. She could still see the way her mother looked at her when HE grabbed her. The horror and pain in her eyes. Persephone sighed again, explaining further. “We didn’t pick them specifically, the Fates told us where to go. They told us, rather my husband as I was recovering from giving birth to you, that there would be a man in Columbia so desperate to save his family, that he would do anything. They didn’t tell us much more than that. They never do, they’re always vague and cryptic.”

“That doesn’t make it right! You used them! They might not be perfect but and maybe they forgot about me sometimes, but they loved me! They were my family, and you ripped me away from them!”

Persephone's expression softened, her heart aching at the anguish in her daughter's voice. "I know, my dear. They are and always will be, despite how much your father would prefer you forget your mortal family. And I'm so sorry for the pain this has caused you." She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "Hades was so desperate to save you, and so was I. If there was any other way we could have done this, I would have done it in a heartbeat.” Oh, this was all her fault, she should have went with him at the very least.

“…just leave me alone.”  Whimpered Mirabel, burying her face in her knees. Persephone's heart sank as she watched her daughter start to break, sobs wracking her body. She knew this would be difficult, but seeing the pain and betrayal in her daughter's eyes was almost more than she could bear. "Mirabel, please, I-"

"I said leave me alone!" Mirabel shouted, removing her face from her knees. Persephone hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Very well. I'll give you some time. You should get some rest, you look tired." She turned and headed for the door, pausing only to look back at Mirabel's hunched form. "I know this is all so overwhelming. But I want you to know - your father and I, we love you more than anything. We never meant to hurt you." Mirabel didn't respond, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Persephone leaves her, shaking her head before exiting the room. Hades of course is right outside the door, waiting for her. "Well? How did it go?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Persephone let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her flowing hair. "About as well as you might expect," she replied wearily. "She's devastated, Hades. Angry, hurt - I can hardly blame her." The Lord of the Underworld grunted, his piercing gaze flicking towards the ornate doors. "I figured as much." Persephone shook her head. “Leave her alone for now love, she needs time to settle. I know you were hoping there would be an instant connection, but if you try and push it, it will cause more harm than good.”

Hades let out a frustrated growl, his blue flames flickering angrily. "Time? That's all anyone ever wants from me." He clenched his fists, the air around him growing thick with tension. "I've waited decades for this moment, Persephone. To have my daughter back home, where she belongs. And eons more to even have a child."

Persephone placed a gentle hand on his arm, her touch immediately calming the restless energy that radiated from him. "I know, my love. But rushing her will only push her further away." She gazed up at him, her eyes soft with understanding. "Mirabel has just had her entire world turned upside down. She needs space to process everything." Hades let out a heavy sigh, the fight draining from him. "You're right, as always." He pinched the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowed in a mixture of sadness and defeat. “I just love her so much.”

[yellowcry]

Have my golden rule, got to keep my cool

She had never allowed herself to grieve properly.

@encantober-official prompt - Wall

Once before she used to be Alma. A young woman who thought she could have a bright future. She was married, and nobody in the world could bring her nearly the half of joy Pedro gave her. Everything was great. In a slowpace, they were ready to raise three little angels. Nobody ever thought that it could go so wrong.

And then...  well, it went wrong. Tearing her skin, leaving painful bruises when things shifted so drastically in what seemed to be just a few hours. When Alma carried on, despite unhearable agony in her body after giving birth three times in a row. She didn't know how she managed to get this far. Maybe adrenaline, maybe her maternal instinct pushed her throught. Demanding to protect the younth that wouldn't be able to survive. Regardless, they went forward. With just the candle flame showing what was to come.

The truth is, Alma died that night too. Her soul was torn apart, turned into a bloody mess that wasn't supposed to be alive. Water filled her lungs until she choked on it. Alma didn't come out without Pedro. Who did survive was Señora Madrigal. A newfound leader of the small community. Who held responsibility over a bunch of refugees. That time, she didn't have time to proceed what happened. Accept it. Señora Madrigal needed to ensure their community was safe. She pushed herself no matter how much she cried at the night. Even if her throat felt in a tight knot. If sometimes staring at the water, just for a second she could see that river hidden behind the mountains.

Señora Madrigal pushed these feelings in the back of her head. There were many things to worry about. Much more important. She couldn't let Pedro's death be useless. If it created a safe place for them, Señora Madrigal had to ensure it stayed this way. She didn't allow herself to slip and break down. At least not in front of anyone. She had placed stone walls around her vulnerable parts. And the longer time Señora had spent within them, the stronger it became. Her pain  was locked down, buried deeper than six feet underground. Nobody needed to know how much fear was wrenching her gut. When she felt like she couldn't breathe. When for a moment the only thing she could see was Pedro's body falling limp into the water.

Even if sometimes the only thing she wanted is to be Alma again. A young woman with a bright future and not someone weighed by a mourning shawl. Or a wedding right the second half of which was melted into the soft mug. The longer time had passed, more distant she felt from who she was used to be. The walls didn't crack. They stood as invincible as their house or the majestic mountains around the village. Alma could learn how to ignore her own mind begging her to run when something was too loud (when the blood was spilling out like a burst of coldness). She was the leader and she had to hold it together. Pushing her feeling down until they drowned. Never letting herself crack. She had no right, Pedro didn't die for her to whin.

Even if by now nobody could remember Señora Madrigal as Alma. As a young cheerful and optimistic woman. And not a pillar who controlled everything. Not someone responsible for each and every thing. Her youth was long gone. Pushed aside to allow her to rise from the ashes like burning Phoenix. Thick as blood in front of her eyes, the walls kept the worst moments of her life behind. There was no need to look at the past, it would never bring Pedro back. The only way was to keep working hard. Make sure that his sacrifice didn't go pointless. Protect the miracle so no one else would know this stinging pain of loss. It wasn't about her. Everyone needed safety. Ten of thirty years, the walls didn't break. They pushed the memories back. Not a single tear would ever shred from her eyes. At least not when anyone could see it. They all knew Alma as a steady pillar that never breaks. Always hard and stoic in the face of life challenges.

(She had lost count of how many times she woke up feeling like she couldn't breathe. Vision tainted in red)

Even if her heart still ached. Even if Alma didn't feel safe deep inside. Always scared that if the miracle faded, somebody would come to slaughter them. And she would lost the rest of her family. Again all alone with nobody to hold on. So, instead Alma didn't allow herself to question. With hard work, the miracle would he safe. And nobody would suffer. They didn't deserve to go throught the same thing as Alma did. Nobody deserved seeing their loved ones dying. (And Alma wasn't sure if her soul could survive this again). And as long as their Miracle knew it wasn't taken for granted, they would thrive. Nobody had to lose their life like she did. No matter how hard it was, she wouldn’t let herself crumble in pieces. The past was in the past. And nobody needed to know just how strong the bleeding was. Even after all these years. Not quite an aching wound, but a small cut that just couldn’t stop dripping with blood.

As long as they kept pushing, the miracle would be fine. Everything would be alright.

[igetthedisneybox]

In your Encanto au, does Mirabel ever get a room? If so what's in it?

I'm thinking in mine that she has some stars on her ceiling since I've seen and liked the idea of her having star gazing as some kind of hobby.

Maybe butterflies among them or something

(This got longer than I thought it would)

I do think she gets a room. After all, she can't stay in the nursery once the great-grandkids start a comin'.

Some people have therorized that Mirabel's door is actually the new front door, since she's front and center, but I don't think that's quite true.

I think the door is all the Madrigal's doors, because "the miracle is all of you." not just Mirabel, all of the Madrigals are the miracle.

So, her door ends up kinda squished between Alma's and whoever's door is on her right (there's an order to the doors, I just don't wanna find it). When Alma dies, her door will disappear, and and Mirabel's will shift slightly to the left.

The reason why she gets one now instead of when she was five...I'm working on it.

It'll probably have something to do with the way the miracle is perceived by the family. When Mirabel was five, the miracle was very simple, and tightly constricted to the candle. At fifteen, the miracle is very much a flowing changing thing, connected to the family rather than Pedro or the candle.

ANYWAY, her door portrays her standing similar to Abuela, the difference being she's not holding a candle (since in his tweets Jared Bush said the candle is no more).

She's surrounded by the symbols of her family (even the great-grandkids) and is smiling wider than Camilo on his own door.

Inside, the general structure of the room is the same as the nursery. The room itself isn't too much bigger on the inside, but the ceiling is very tall.

The wallpaper changes colors with her mood (like Abuela in the concept art) and the butterflies on the walls fly around by themselves.

The crown jewel is her sewing machine, which isn't magic or anything, just it's a really good sewing machine.

The right wall is completly taken over by bolts of fabric and a rainbow of threads. She has a spot for her accordian and guitar.

Once more technology is introduced from the city, she puts up photographs of her family on the walls, and the butterflies seem to keep them pinned there.

This got long lol, holy shit

[jacarandaaaas]

thinking about if pedro lived and alma died:

my personal hc for if pedro lived and not alma is that he would deal with the trauma differently to her. both are obviously struggling and neither is dealing with it in a healthy way but it’s different. We see in the movie almas way to deal with it is to serve others, serve others so she can shelve her grief even further and push her family to do the same. for pedro, I believe he wouldn’t have this approach, since he couldn’t stop alma from sacrificing herself I feel like pedro would be extremely overprotective. unlike alma he doesn’t want the madrigals to dedicate themselves to the town but he actually just wants them to be safe at all times. which results in a little bit of a helicopter parent. pedro is prioritizing his family but at the same time he’s clipping their wings (butterfly puns aha) he’s very strict on how often they use their gifts and constantly worries about them overdoing it (even if they did like 5 things max). so the family rarely use their gifts and feel like they can’t really be themselves because he’s always so worried. but that’s just how I would view it! I based this mostly on how protective we see he is in dos oruguitas!

[im-just-a-br0adway-baby]

Encantober 2023 Day 27: Grave

The lake near the Encanto was considered a special memorial for Alma. She considered it to be Pedro’s grave, since that was where he died and the miracle was born. Alma would visit the lake often to remember Pedro and have taken the triplets there on several of their birthdays to remember him.

The day after the triplets’ fifty-first birthday, Alma decided to bring the entire family to the lake to have a memorial service together. She wanted to do one for a while, but when Bruno disappeared, she felt like she could not do so. Now that Bruno was back, she decided this year was the best time to take her sons-in-law and grandchildren to the lake where Pedro died and the miracle was born.

Once the Madrigal family got to the lake, Alma brought a big box with her filled with lots of things, but she did not tell the rest of the family what was in there. They were for each part of the memorial service, and she would reveal them during each part. The rest of the Madrigals set up some towels to sit on, since they were having lunch together there too.

Once the family got settled down, Alma stood at the center of the family’s towels so everyone could see her. “Family, after ten years of waiting and planning, we can finally commemorate the life of Pedro Madrigal with the entire family.” The rest of the family applauded during the break of silence. “We will start this memorial with a speech from Bruno Madrigal, since we waited for him to come back to do this.”

Bruno stood up and the rest of the family applauded again once he stood next to his mother. “Gracias, mami, first of all, I just want to address how happy I am to be back. When Mirabel found me in the walls, I didn’t want to say anything to her, but now that she promised to bring me back home when she saved the miracle, I can say that coming back was the best decision I ever made. When mami first took Julieta, Pepa, and me to this lake the day after our gift ceremony, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. None of us did, but I was the least verbal at the time, so I couldn’t verbalize what I was feeling.”

The family applauded when Bruno paused. “When mami told me she wanted to do this for several years and waited for me to come back to do it, that was when I realized how important I really was to this family. Mirabel, you were the one who made me realize how important I was to this family and made me understand how my disappearance has affected this family negatively. Gracias, sobrina.”

The family applauded as Mirabel stood up and made her way to Alma and Bruno. “Gracias, Tio Bruno; while I do understand the feeling of being useless to the family, But when Abuela affirmed that Abuelo sent her me to help this family, that was when I also knew how important I was to this family, and wanted Bruno to know the same thing.”

The family applauded one more time before Mirabel and Bruno sat back on their towels. Alma brought out the box and stood back in the center. She took out a small candle from the box and held it up for the rest of the family to see. She walked closer to the lake and turned around for the family.

“As you know, the miracle is represented by the candle. The candle also represents the legacy that Pedro has left for us. I have one candle for each of us to say something we wish we could experience with Pedro.”

Alma turned around and kneeled down and put the candle near the water. “I wish I would have experienced the growth of our children and grandchildren together.” She then released the candle into the water. “I now want to do this in age order with my blood relatives. Married relatives will go after their spouses.”

Julieta stood up and grabbed a candle from the box. They all took one and kneeled down and said what they wished they could have experienced with Pedro. They each went in age order with the spouses going after their spouses, starting with Julieta and ending with Antonio.

“I wish I could have had you as a father figure to guide me through my life.”

“I wish I could have gotten to know you as a father-in-law.”

“I wish I could have had the father daughter relationship with you that I craved for so long and guide me through my feelings.”

“I wish I could have gotten to know you and guide me through the Madrigal family.”

“I wish I could have had you around to share the plays I wrote and been my support system throughout my life.”

“I wish I could have had you to share my flowers with.”

“I wish I could have had you to tell secrets with and share what was on my mind.”

“I wish I could have come to you for comfort when I was stressed.”

“I wish I could have had fun with you and joke around with you.”

“I wish I could have had you to look up to and guide me through my life.”

“I wish I could have played with you and shared fun memories with you.”

Once each family member shared their wish for Pedro, they each put their candle on the water and watched them float away. They backed away from the lake to watch the candles float away and put their arms around each other.

“Each of you had a wish for Pedro you wanted to give. Each of them were unique to your own experiences and wished to share memories with him.”

For the rest of the day, the family gave speeches about what they thought Pedro would have been like if he lived to see and raise them, and during lunch, Alma talked about all the best memories she had with Pedro when they were married and dating. It was the best remembrance Alma ever had for Pedro, now that she has her entire family remembering him together for the very first time.

[adoptedmadrigal2]

The beginning

The beginning of something new. Things are gonna get wild

Pepa, Julieta and Bruno vowed they'd stay close to their home as adults. Not long after they turned 20, Pepa and Julieta both got married to their high school sweethearts Felix, and Agustin.

They both got married in 1990; Julieta just after new years on her and Agustin's five year anniversary, and Pepa that summer on her and Felix's four year anniversary.

1995 came around and they had bought a large house and were getting ready for their babies birth. Ironically both young women had gotten pregnant around the same time, about three weeks to separate them.

"Mama! What are you doing here" Julieta said as she opened the front door

"I came to bless the house before any new arrivals make their grand entrance. I have no doubts that your baby will make things dramatic. Juli do you know how much of a pain you were to birth?" Alma said as she came in and sat her bag on the counter.

"She was the dramatic one? I thought you said I was the dramatic kid," Pepa said recalling a prior conversation

"She was the dramatic birth, you were the dramatic child. There's a difference. Julieta came into this world being dramatic you never stopped pepi." Alma said

The soon to be grandmother pulled out a very old looking candle.

"This candle blessed mine and your father's house. It kept the four of us safe the night he died. It was like the house came alive just to protect us. It's now time to pass the gift along." Alma said to her three children, Felix and Gus watching from the staircase off to the side.

She placed the candle on the floor and sprinkled the top with something that resembled sugar. Then she lit it.

"what's going on?" Julieta said when the candle began to flicker.

The candle shone so brightly no one could tell what was happening, but when it dimmed once more the candle looked restored and had engravings on it.

"why are the doors glowing?" Agustin asked looking at the doors along the second story.

Pepa, Bruno and Julieta approached one of the three glowing doors.

First was Julieta who touched the knob and watched the door shine and engrave itself. The design was medicinal looking. She didn't know what it meant but waited for her siblings

Bruno went next. His door engraving an hourglass design Bruno's green eyes glowed for a moment and then a small green tablet appeared in his hand. He didn't look at it but waited for Pepa.

Pepa grasped the doorknob at last and watched as weather patterns engraved themselves, she was confused and above her head sprouted a small grey cloud.

"Bruno? What's that?" Pepa asked

"I don't know. But it says something," he told Pepa

"well? Are you gonna read it?" Julieta said impatiently

"it says 'to my children. I may not have been there to see you grow but I'm proud of how far you have come. This is a blessing for all generations of madrigal children starting with you three. To my oldest Julieta, you have the gift to heal ailments with food. My only son Bruno, you can read the future and show pieces of the past. And lastly to my little red Pepa, your mood controls the weather in whichever room you're in. I wish you the best, Pedro'" Bruno reads

"Dad?" Pepa said. The cloud above her was drizzling slightly

"Soo... I can see the future now." Bruno said

"Your father always dreamed of magic and magical abilities. When I sprinkled a touch of his ashes on the candle it miraculously brought his dreams to life for your families and furthermore." Alma told

Bruno's eyes shone green unexpectedly and another tablet showed up in his hand.

"do you want to know what you're having?" Bruno asked

"I know I'm having a boy" Julieta said

"it's a girl, I'm telling you," Agustin refuted

"team girl all the way" Pepa said, Felix nodding behind her

"you're both having girls," Bruno said.

"what?" Julieta squawked

Here's to the beginning of something wonderful to come.

Two dramatic births later and Isabela Melody, and Dolores Alayne were finally here. Ready to take on the world, and become the beginning of something beautiful.

Hope you enjoy ❤️