#ch: felix delgado

[mjsmusings]

The Delgado Syndicate + Major Players

[ssweeneys]

@saltyarrows

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Love Potion Extravaganza Ch. 7

Thank you to the amazing @pizzansunshine for her editing expertise and enthusiasm to bring this to light and to the ending. I shall be posting the last two chapters tomorrow. 

Anyway the songs featured in this chapter is “Dear Joshua Felix Chan” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=73GceFQSMtI, “Face your fears (reprise)” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jSiHRszFm6s, “Maybe you won’t die alone”https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0kxIbo2aEOQ, “I love you as much as someone can love anyone” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=43dUnpEWiCw, and “I’m just a girl in love” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UMHz6FiRzS8.

Isabel began to saddle up Canella in preparation for her ride back to town. This was going to be great. She would tell Gabe that she shared his feelings, they would kiss, agree to fight for their love because it was worth it and no one could say otherwise and then go to Ophidan Island to explore the place and maybe kiss some more.

It would be utterly perfect. “Dear Gabriel Nunez,

It's music when I hold your hand.

I loved you from the moment

That I saw you, you're my hero

I believe in you.

There's nothing you can't do.

You make a difference in the world,

And you make all the difference in the world

To me.”  

Isabel sighed, leaning against Canella who nuzzled her hair like an impatient nudge for her to get going and do it.

But just as she was about to jump onto Canella’s back, a rogue wave of fear washed over Isabel. The love kernels song that gave her so much courage had faded away in her head and doubt replaced it.

He’s too old. You’re just a kid. A kid sister. Why would he ever feel that way about you. You’re delusional. You’re weird. Why would he want you? All you talk about is science. You have nothing in common.

Isabel stared at the stable wall, panicking at the thought of ever facing Gabe. Just minutes ago she had been so excited and now it seemed to be an impossible task. She hated how she did this. Overanalyzed and worried every single thing. Just like what Elena had told her on Ophidean Island, sometimes she shouldn’t think but just make a leap.

“But what if that leap leads me to crash and burn?” Isabel thought to herself.

A soft breeze wafted through the stables, so very unlike the usual smell of manure that perpetrated the area. In fact, the breeze smelled like the rose perfume her mom used to wear on special occasions. That familiar scent calmed her down somewhat and she remembered a song her mom used to sing when she had been a baby and scared of storms. It had been so long ago she was surprised that she even remembered the lyrics.

Like her mother advised her years ago, she took a deep breath in and exhaled. Then another. And she sang the song that she had almost forgotten. The one her mom would always sing whenever she read fairytale stories and the hero had to go face their final battle.

“Face your fears, Stare them down.

Don’t be scared. Stand your ground.

Because love is not as scary as it appears.

All you’ve got to do is face your....”

“BANG!” The door to the stables slammed open and Naomi and Olivia came inside, carrying two sloshing tanks of pink-tinted water.

“Isabel, we need a carriage. Where are the carriages? Wait I see the carriages!” Naomi said in a rush, half-running, half-pulling a tank behind her while Olivia struggled to help her lift it. “What is that? What are you doing?” Isabel asked. Honestly, she didn’t care what they were doing, the only person she was concerned about was Gabe. But at least it provided some time for her stomach to stop having the queasy nervous feeling.

“Love potion antidote. We’re going to dump it on everyone in the city.” Olivia answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be doing.

“Love potion?” Isabel repeated, feeling the queasy rolling of her stomach grow fiercer and for a whole different reason.

“Yeah the Delgados poisoned the waterways..” Naomi was about to explain the whole situation when she saw Isabel’s embarrassed face, staring at the floor. “Isa?” “I was going to confess my love for Gabe right now.” Isabel squeaked out. “And then we’d kiss and go to Ophidean Island on a rowboat and there would be roses and some geckos I guess...”

Naomi didn’t allow her to go on with her rambling fantasy and simply dipped a ladle into the tank and gave it to her to sip.

Isabel obediently drank the antidote that Naomi and Olivia had painstakingly made of honeysuckle, bitterroot and some pre-mixed potions for clear-headedness and reversal of former spells- that Mateo had thankfully made already.

They had done a pretty quick job of it after they had found the recipe and Naomi felt confident that they would be able to bring back everyone to normal. There had been one brief minute of panic when a rogue butterfly took the last honeysuckle from the palace garden, but Olivia managed to use a cloning spell to get another honeysuckle and leave the butterfly in peace.

They had doubled the amount of ingredients needed for the potion to fill two tanks. For the people in the palace they had just given them the antidote under the guise of punch but for everyone else, they needed to do something bigger. That was to go to one of the rooftops of the buildings, gather all the townspeople in the square and at Naomi’s signal Olivia would dump the potion on top of them. Maybe even throw some water balloons if she managed to fill them up in time.

Their antidote had seemed to work when they gave it to Luisa and Francisco as they had gone into the kitchen, but Naomi still nervously waited for Isabel’s reaction.

Isabel wrinkled her nose at the sour aftertaste of the bitterroot, then her eyes widened and she cried, “WHAT WAS I THINKING?”

Naomi grinned and high-fived with Olivia, “It worked.”

Isabel looked at them with pleading eyes, “Please please don’t tell Gabe about this. I feel so stupid.”

Naomi nodded understandingly, “We won’t.” Olivia mimed zipping her lips.

“I’ll help you with that.” Isabel said and helped Olivia lift the second tank onto the carriage and then hitched Canella since she was one of the fastest and most dependable horse in the royal stable.

They made it to Avalor City in record time and before Naomi could worry about how they would be able to lug the two heavy tanks up to the rooftops without spilling the antidote, Olivia looked at her well-worn sketchbook and cast a levitation spell. It was a bit shaky at first, some of the antidote spilling on random passersby but she was able to get it on top of Cafe Angelica’s and on top of the bell tower without a problem.

“Hey! What was that?” A familiar voice shouted to the left of them.

“Woah woah.” Naomi heard Olivia cry and before she could turn around to help steady the young wizard in training, she heard a splash.

Naomi cringed at the sound of wet clothes but it turned to laughter when she saw it was Gabe that Olivia had hit. Gabe, drenched from head to toe, wiping the sour taste of the antidote out of his mouth.

“Naomi, what is this? Why are there tanks on....” His eyes widened and his face turned pale as if he was reliving some horrible trauma, “Oh no.”

Naomi jumped down from the carriage while the two girls stayed inside. Isabel staring at her feet, face all shades of red and Olivia giggling at Gabe’s flabbergasted expression.

“What is it, Nunez?” Naomi teased. She had a feeling that he was remembering some of his more ridiculous actions of the day.

“I’ve done something stupid. Very very stupid. Actually, several very stupid things.” Gabe blanched, covering his face with his hands. “I need to apologize to Elena, I have no idea what came over me. Training bra?! Why did I say that!?”

Naomi backed away from him just a little bit. She did not want to know what this training bra business was about.

“To be fair you were under a love spell. And if you want to help fix it, can you try to get everyone to the town square?” Naomi asked motioning for the girls to go up to the other two tanks.

Gabe was still shaking his head dazedly but he did what Naomi suggested. Most of the townspeople had gone inside for a siesta but at least Elena, Mateo, Valentina and Manuel were still by the fountain. Kissing and whispering sweet nothings.

Now that she had a solution to this Naomi looked at the two couples fondly instead of rolling her eyes at their overdramatic declarations of love. This would make such good blackmail material.

“Hi guys, I don’t mean interrupt this” Gabe began to say when Valentina jumped up with unexpected fervor.

“No problem! We were thinking that Manuel and I should elope here! Elena and Mateo were going to be our witnesses but you apparently need four of them. And here you are!” Manuel jumped up to join his beaming girlfriend, “You’re so lucky! You can-”

“That’s fine.” Gabe put his hand up. He didn’t want to hear the other guard’s obnoxious bragging on behalf of Valentina.

“It would be so cute! Us getting married. We should have a double wedding! Won’t that sound fun?” Valentina squealed.

Mateo and Elena who had been up to this point whispering to each other and cuddling, joined the conversation. Elena with, what Naomi regarded, a impulsive glint in her eye.

Elena whispered softly, “I would love to get married.”

Mateo took her hands into his own and kissed her, “It would be an honor to get to spend the rest of my life with you, mi amor. If you’d have me?” “Of course I’d have you.” Elena gushed. 

“WHAT!” Gabe and Naomi yelled in unison. Naomi had known the love spell was bad, but she didn’t think it would get this bad.

“Oh” Elena turned to them as if she suddenly realized they had been there the whole time, “Do you want to join? A triple wedding would be fun, don’t you think, guys?” The other three love-infatuated teens nodded in agreement.

“What? No-no no no no!” Gabe and Naomi stammered in unison at where this whole madcap plan was going. “We’re not a couple.”

“Why not?” Manuel asked as if that was the stupidest answer ever, “You’re single. He’s single. Do you want to die alone being eaten by cats?”

“I-I- We don’t like each other in that way.” Gabe tried to explain, “We’re not, at least, I’m not looking for a relationship.” “Because you’re bad at them?” Valentina immediately put in and before Gabe could reply with an indignant “No!” Valentina gave Manuel a look.

Just like with his trumpet coming out of nowhere, Manuel had a lute and was circling the two of them, sweetly singing, “Gaze at the person across from you now. Feel the sweet spark of connection...

If you don't screw up this moment somehow

Maybe you won't die alone.”

Elena and Mateo seemed completely oblivious to the matchmaking of their Paraisian counterparts and had returned to lovingly cuddling with one another. Valentina joined her boyfriend in circling the two, picking up with the next verse, “And now her defenses are starting to fall. Smile and return her affection.

If you don't manage to ruin it all

Maybe you won't die alone”

And as much as Naomi was interested in seeing if Gabe was going to hit Manual before the next verse or before the chorus for insinuating that he did not have the skills to attract a lady, Naomi didn’t let them continue. 

“Gabe, it’s Carla!...With Alonso?”

On the far end of the Via Mercado, they could see the highly-annoyed malvago stomping off to the exit with a prince trailing after her like a puppy dog.

Carla cursed herself for taking so long to get dressed in her malvago robes. She had been all set to flee back to her home and take the antidote to get rid of all these annoying, conflicting feelings about Gabe when just as she reached the lobby of the hotel, Alonso found her.

He had yelled dramatically from the steps that he was in love with her, he needed to know her name, he needed one last kiss before she left.

She had tried to dissuade him, reminding him that hadn’t been part of their agreement. It ruined the whole sexy stranger meetup. And she really didn’t want to experience another of his dry, close-mouthed kisses again.

However this prince was being incredibly persistent and clingy and staying two steps behind her. Either he didn’t know she was wearing a malvago robe or he was too enamored to care, he followed. As much as her parents liked a chance to get close to royalty, she had a feeling that bringing a prince home was not what they had in mind. They were more of the manipulate them and discard them type.

At least his song was better. This one was all complimentary at least. If albeit incredibly needy. “I want you, I need you. You cut me and I bleed you. 

You're like some kind of sonnet

All I want to do is read you,

And I love you ”

Carla rolled her eyes, “I know.”

Alonso repeated, “I mean I love you.”

Carla clenched and unclenched her fists. Would he leave if she smacked him? “Yes, thanks.”

Now, even Alonso was sounding a bit annoyed at her curt, dismissive responses, “I said I love you.”

Why couldn’t he take the hint? “You did.”

Alonso grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him and his hopeful expression, “And now don't you want to tell me something, too?”

Carla sighed and took his hand to get into a tango position. He left her no choice, she needed to break his heart.

“I love you!

As much as a person like me can love anyone.

I mean I love how when we hit the hay. It's more than just okay.

I'd absolutely say more like middling to fair.”

Alonso smiled, then turned confused, “Yeah! Wait, what?”

“Carla!” A fierce voice cried out from the corner of her eye.

Carla hated how her heart leapt right to her throat at the voice. It was Gabe! She turned around and he was striding toward her looking as intense and fierce as always. Stupid Naomi was there too ruining the view. But then she realized- if they were coming towards her and not distracted by making out with each other... they were not under the potion!

Alonso tugged at her sleeve again and she realized what a precarious position she was in. Surrounded on all sides by good guys and if Gabe managed to get ahold of her, he would take her in passion. Passionate fury right to the dungeon.

She really wished she had just stuck with her parent’s instructions to make sure everyone was under the love spell. Going off and doing her own seduction plans made this whole day a nightmare.

Alonso tugged at her skirt and she pulled away, “Will you stop? I’m not that into you!” “But?” Alonso pleaded reaching for her, almost knocking her tamborita to the ground.

“Watch it!” Carla grabbed her tamborita and then she realized- Duh she had magic! She could have left this place whenever she wanted.

“Alright, Delgado, your plan is over.” Naomi pointed an accusing finger at her.

“What plan?” She asked playing dumb, feeling the handle of tamborita and trying to remember the exact spell she needed to do.

“The love potion plan, you admitted you did it.” Gabe chimed in. “Love potion plan?” Alonso looked back and forth between them.

“I didn’t execute the love potion plan. I’m as much of a pawn as you are.” Carla purred, “After all,

“I'm just a girl in love!

I can't be held responsible for my actions.

I have no underlying issues to address

I'm certifiably cute and adorably obsessed!”

All of them were staring at her as if she was certifiably insane as she sang and tap-danced. Tap -danced away from them to be exact so she would have enough room to do her spell.

“They say love makes you crazy

Therefore, you can't call me crazy

'Cause when you call me crazy

You're just calling me in love!”

Gabe moved forward, having enough of her shenanigans and slippery escapes but she pointed her tamborita and shouted, “Blam!”

A dark plume of smoke went up, shooting the trio backwards a couple of feet. Coughing they waved for the smoke to clear. There left some withered grass and sooty trees and no Carla in sight.