#madrigal triplets birthday

[im-just-a-br0adway-baby]

Encanto 2023 Day 17: Home

The anniversary of the Madrigal’s Miracle was both a celebration and a tough time for the family. On one hand, it was the triplets’ birthday and the anniversary of the magic that brought them their Casita in the first place. On the other hand, it was also the anniversary of their father’s death. It was the hardest day of the year for Alma in particular, because not only are her children getting older, but she was also reminded of the loss of her husband.

On the day of the triplets’ fifty-first birthday, Casita transformed its courtyard into a mini-theatre for the children to put on a variety show they were planning throughout the day. While they did so, Alma took the triplets out for lunch and to go shopping to make sure it was kept a surprise. While they were out, Julieta and Pepa found a little perfume shop in the village square that had all different kinds of scents to sample.

“What do you think about this? The bottle itself looks nice and I can smell a bit of a mint scent to it,” Julieta explained as she gave the bottle to Pepa.

“I love this mint one. It reminds me of whenever Casita changes its scent during the Christmas season to match the mood,” Pepa replied.

Bruno walked over to his sisters to see what they were smelling. “Are there any other scents they may have?” he asked.

“How about this one? I know perfumes tend to be too strong for you, but I think this one is a little bit milder,” Julieta said as she handed Bruno a citrus-scented perfume bottle.

“I like this one! Not only that citrus is my favorite scent, but it also reminds me of that time Casita made itself smell like citrus at the beginning of summer, that one time when we were kids to remind mama of the smell of her hometown in the summer.”

Pepa then picked up a vanilla-scented perfume bottle. “What about this one? You know how much I love vanilla scents!”

“Casita even makes itself smell like vanilla sometimes during the Christmas season, along with the mint scent,” Julieta pointed out.

“Maybe we should ask mama what her favorite scent Casita produces is,” said Bruno.

The triplets found their mother by the fabrics, trying to find one to make a dress out of for Luisa’s twentieth birthday next month. She turned around and saw her triplets running up to her excitedly, while also smelling a small combination of the scents they were smelling at the perfume shop.

“Hola, mijos! Are you ready to head over to have lunch?”

“Si, but we also wanted to ask you something while we walked to the cafe,” Julieta said.

Alma and the triplets began walking over to their favorite cafe Alma used to take them when they were children. Alma even took her grandchildren there several times a year and would go as a family often. The Madrigals have gone so often that the owner and his family became great friends with the Madrigals.

“Mama, we want to know, what’s your favorite scent that Casita makes? We were messing with a few perfume bottles in the shop and we were curious,” Pepa asked.

“That’s a great question; I love all the scents that Casita brings to us over every holiday, but my absolute favorite is the apple-cinnamon scent that Casita brings when autumn starts,” Alma explained to the triplets.

“I think that one’s my favorite, too,” Julieta replied.

“As much as vanilla is my favorite scent, I think the apple-cinnamon scent is my second favorite since that’s usually Casita’s signal for us that the autumn season is starting,” Pepa explained.

“Same here,” said Bruno.

“Do you ever wonder if Casita can make a birthday cake scent on any of our birthdays? I don’t think it has ever done that before,” said Julieta.

“I don’t know, maybe it might do that today. We’ll see,” Alma replied.

Once Alma and the triplets got to the cafe, the current owner walked up to Alma and gave her a hug. “Hola, Alma! How have you been?”

“I’ve been great, Mateo, gracias.”

“And I understand it’s your childrens’ birthday today? Feliz cumpleanos, Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno!”

“Gracias, Mateo,” the triplets said simultaneously.

“I see you’re going to be fifty this year?”

“Fifty-one; and I’m taking them here today because my grandkids are planning something extremely special for them when we get home later this afternoon, since this is their first birthday together again in ten years,” Alma explained.

“That is amazing! I’ll get you seated right away.” Mateo took out four menus for them and led Alma and the triplets to their seats outside the cafe. “I’ll get your server.”

Once Mateo walked into the cafe, Alma and the triplets decided to continue their conversation about Casita’s scents. “Not only that the apple-cinnamon scent is the sign of the autumn season starting, but probably smells the most homey to me,” Alma explained.

“I think any autumn-related scent smells homey to me,” Bruno replied.

Alma and the triplets continued their conversation throughout the lunch and spent some more time in the village square for a couple more hours before it was time to go home. Once they got back to Casita’s front door, it was locked. Casita purposefully locked the door to make sure they did not come in until everything was set up. Once Casita unlocked itself, Alma opened the door to see the courtyard transformed into a mini theatre, and the children on the stage, Felix and Agustin at a table on the side of the stage with the cake they made together, and most of the village in the audience.

“SURPRISE!!” the children, Agustin, Felix, and the villagers yelled once they saw the triplets walk inside.

The triplets cried in shock once they saw how Casita transformed itself. They even smelled the birthday cake scent that they were talking about in the village with their mother earlier that day. Did they predict this? Or did Casita just want to do something special since this was their first birthday in ten years with Bruno again.

“Mama, did you plan to have Casita smell like a birthday cake today?” Julieta asked.

“Don’t look at me, I wasn’t involved in the planning of any of this,” Alma answered.

The triplets walked to the front of the courtyard to see three empty seats with papers on them that each say “RESERVED FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY/GIRL” on them. They removed the papers and sat down in the seats. Felix and Agustin walked from the cake table and found their seats next to their wives.

“Do you like what we planned?” Felix asked.

“You planned this?” Pepa asked.

“We just planned to have Casita smell like a birthday cake. The kids planned everything else,” Agustin explained.

“We love it; we know we’re truly home when we’re with you,” said Julieta.

[3ternitymaze]

The Madrigal Triplets!

[caramella120]

Happy birthday time

[dororoxpenana]

I wish I was able to upload this last year but the app gives me so much trouble for some reason 💀

Anyhow, drew this to celebrate the triplets birthday last year and I love how it came out 🥺💚🧡💙

[foreveranevilregal]

Encantober Day 15: Midnight

There was a knock on Julieta’s door. Although it was late, almost midnight, she was wide awake. Groaning, she got out of bed to open the door.

“You guys don’t have to knock, you can just come in,” she said, returning to her bed.

Bruno shrugged. “We didn’t want to catch you at a bad moment.”

“Changing,” Pepa clarified. “He means changing.”

“Thank you so much for clarifying, Pepi.” Bruno rolled his eyes at her.

“Anytime.” Pepa stuck out her tongue at him.

“Guys, can you stop arguing for ten minutes?” Julieta pleaded.

They both stared at her incredulously.

“Is this really how you want to start off our birthday?”

“No,” Pepa conceded, flopping on the bed next to her.

Bruno shook his head, sitting on the other side of Julieta. “How much time do we have left anyway?”

Julieta peered at the clock. It was a bit hard to make out in the low light. “Nine minutes.”

“Oh. So after ten minutes it won’t be the start of our birthday anymore and we can argue again.” Pepa grinned.

Julieta looked at her somberly. “You know how mamá gets on our birthday. You decide if you want to risk arguing.”

“She’s not even around right now,” Pepa grumbled, but didn’t resist.

Heaviness swept down, crushing them like an uncomfortable blanket. Their birthday wasn’t the joyous occasion it was for most people. Sure, it marked the anniversary of their birth and the founding of the town, but it was also the day they had lost their papá.

For them, the day was a whirlwind of emotions. The townspeople wanted to celebrate them, the miracle babies that had survived the attack, propping them up as a symbol of the bright future the town had. This got even worse after they’d been surprised with gifts on their fifth birthday. Suddenly, they were able to heal with food, change the weather, see the future. When the townspeople found out, they were whipped into an even bigger frenzy. Well, first they’d thought the gifts were curses from the devil and wanted to shun the children (those had been a rough few weeks), but once they realized that lightning wasn’t going to strike them all down (despite Pepa threatening it when she got mad), the celebrations grew even more enthusiastic.

They endured it politely, uncomfortable with the attention- especially Bruno, who was a wallflower on the best of days. It mellowed out a bit as the years went on, but it was always a wild and loud celebration. They might have grown to enjoy it, even though they didn’t have their papá around like all the other kids did, if they hadn’t been able to see mamá sitting in the corner.

Oh, she did her best to revel with the other partygoers. She would dance, and bring out the cake, and call for the party to continue. But when she thought no one was watching, she would retreat to a corner and fall apart. The last couple years, she had worn colors again, but before that, she was a dot of black in a sea of color.

They’d asked her why she always wore black, and she said it was to honor the memory of their papá. Incidentally, he had tragically passed away right on their birthday.

Knowing that kind of put a damper on the whole day.

The parties people threw for them were too much, but they couldn’t ask mamá to do anything, not when they knew what this day meant to her. So they began their own little tradition, celebrating together right at midnight. That was their real birthday celebration.

“Scoot over, you’re hogging the blankets,” Pepa complained, elbowing Bruno in the side.

“Seven more minutes, guys.”

They fell silent.

Bruno was the next one to speak. “So… we’re turning ten. Definitely not little kids anymore. It’s… exciting?”

Exciting wasn’t the right word for it. Daunting was more like it. If people had expected a lot of them before, the encanto miracle babies with magical gifts, it was probably about to get a whole lot worse.

“Yeah…” Julieta couldn’t really muster up the enthusiasm. “Maybe now mamá will let me use the stove without her having to supervise.”

“You do that anyway,” Pepa pointed out.

“Yeah, I said, let me, not that I wouldn’t do it otherwise.” She gasped. “Speaking of…”  She got up and went to the little cabinet where she kept her healing supplies, pulling out a little cake.

Pepa’s eyes lit up and she squealed, clapping her hands happily. “You made cake!”

Julieta smiled. “I couldn’t let the occasion go unmarked, now could I?” She set the cake down on the bed between them and frowned. “Oh, I forgot the candles.”

The drawer of her nightstand rattled. Surprised, Julieta opened it to reveal three star-shaped candles; one in each of their colors.

“Casita to the rescue,” Pepa said, sticking the candles into the cake, but then paused. “How are we supposed to light them?”

Bruno pulled a box of matches out with a triumphant flourish. “Casita’s got us.”

“Excellent.” As the triplet most comfortable around fire, Julieta lit the candles.

They watched the flames flicker with wonder in their eyes.

“Two more minutes now.”

“Can’t we just blow them out early? I want cake,” Pepa whined.

“You can wait two more minutes. A big ten-year-old is able to wait two minutes for cake.” Julieta did her best imitation of their mamá when she scolded them.

Pepa hit her with a pillow, making the flames swoop. “I’m not ten yet though. I’m still nine.”

“Only for another minute.”

“A minute without cake.”

“Get ready.” Bruno leaned down in anticipation.

They watched the hands on the clock tick along, finally meeting at the top. Twelve echoing peals boomed out, signifying midnight and the arrival of their birthday.

The triplets puffed out their cheeks, blowing hard on the candles until the flames were fully extinguished. Apparently, Casita had been playing tricks on them, because the candles should not have been that hard to blow out.

“Happy birthday, guys,” Julieta wished her siblings as she began cutting the cake into three.

“You too,” Pepa responded around a mouthful of cake. “Mm, is that dulce de leche? You make the best cakes, hermana. Please do this every year.”

“Seconded.” Bruno waved around a crumb covered fork. “Don’t tell mamá, but I think it’s even better than her cakes.”

Julieta laughed. “Thanks, Bruno. I definitely won’t tell her that.”

In the morning, they’d have to wake up and greet their mamá, whose sadness they were too old not to notice anymore. They’d acknowledge the gnawing absence of their papá, made even worse on that special day than usual. Then they’d have to spend the day being whisked from celebration to celebration by people who didn’t really understand what they were celebrating and act like they were having the time of their lives.

But right now, at midnight, they could eat cake together on Julieta’s bed; free of any expectations.

It was the best present they could ask for.

[holly-natnicole]

[Image Description: mybrainisn'tcurrentlyworkingsoI'lladdtheImageDeacriptionlater

Happy Birthday to them!! 🧡💚💙

[behnlettal]

Happy birthday Madrigal Triplets

[im-just-a-br0adway-baby]

It was a quiet, sunny morning on the first of April. Angel Dust was sleeping peacefully in his bed until he heard his door open wide and he jumped out of his bed. He saw Charlie, Vaggie, and Cherri Bomb at the side of his bed with a banner that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” on it. Angel opened his eyes when he saw the girls at his door.

“Happy birthday, Angel!” the girls yelled once he woke up.

Angel lifted his head to see the banner the girls were holding, with several balloons tied to the edge of his bed. “Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! I haven’t had a real birthday celebration since… I can’t even remember when!”

“Well, we have something special for you downstairs! Come on!” Charlie replied as Angel got up from the bed and went downstairs with the girls.

Once the four of them got downstairs, they saw Alastor, Lucifer, Husk, and Niffty by the table with breakfast prepared and a special chair just for Angel with balloons tied to it. He sat down and saw a little stack of pancakes that Lucifer made with a singular candle on it. He closed his eyes and blew out the candle while everyone else took their phones out to take pictures of him. He shed a tear before looking at his friends.

“We’ll make you a bigger cake tonight after dinner,” Husk mentioned.

“So… what did you wish for?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“I don’t think it’s gonna matter, anyway. It ain’t gonna come true,” Angel replied as he took the candle out of his pancake stack.

“Just tell us! We’ll try our hardest to make sure it does!” Charlie said.

“Okay, I’ll tell you; you know that I’m a twin, right?”

“Yes! Your sister’s name is Molly, right?” Vaggie asked.

“Yes; well, I haven’t seen her since I died, although I’ve seen my brother and dad several times since. So my biggest birthday wish is to see her again.”

The rest of the hotel crew looked at each other once Angel revealed his big birthday wish. If he hasn’t seen his sister since his own death, that could only mean that Molly was in heaven. Charlie pulled Vaggie to the corner of the lobby to talk to her while everyone else sat with Angel for breakfast.

“Okay, Vaggie, I know this may sound a little bit out there, but I think we should look for Molly. It will make Angel’s birthday extra special if he could see her again. And since they’re twins, it could make Molly’s birthday special to see Angel again.”

“I’m not sure about this, Charlie. If she actually is in Heaven, how are we going to get in contact with her?”

“It’s okay. I can call Emily after breakfast and I’ll see if she can find her.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Positive; when have my plans ever blown up in my face?”

“Is… that a trick question?”

“Just trust me on this, Vaggie. It’s going to make Angel remember this birthday forever.”

Vaggie let out a deep sigh and nodded. “Fine, I’m sure you will make this wish come true for Angel. I would never doubt you.”

Lucifer walked up to his daughter and girlfriend to see them still talking. “Girls, are you going to eat breakfast with us? Your pancakes are starting to get cold.”

“We’re coming, Dad.” She then leaned over to Vaggie. “I got this. This will be Angel’s best birthday ever.”

Charlie and Vaggie went back to the lobby to join everyone else for Angel’s birthday breakfast. While Charlie was still thinking about how to get Molly to Hell, she tried not to focus on that and enjoyed the moment with Angel and the rest of the crew. They talked and laughed together until they finished and cleaned up together.

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

Once breakfast was finished, Charlie and Vaggie made their way to their room and Charlie took out her phone to call Emily. She dialed her number to video chat her; it only took three rings for her to answer.

“Hi, Charlie! Hi, Vaggie! It’s been a while! How’s everything?”

“Everything’s great! You know, today is Angel’s birthday, and I wanted to ask you something that would really make his day!” Charlie explained.

“Wait! Before you ask me what you want to ask me, I have someone here that wants to say hi!” Sir Pentious then popped his head to see Charlie and Vaggie.

“Hi, Charlie! Hi, Vaggie!” Sir Pentious said with excitement.

“Hi, Sir Pentious! We miss you so much!” Charlie replied.

“How’s Heaven treating you?” Vaggie asked.

“I love it here! Emily has been such a great mentor and I’ve been finding my place here so well! I even made a new friend on my first day! And you wouldn’t believe this! She looks just like Angel Dust!”

Charlie and Vaggie looked at each other for a brief minute before looking back at Emily and Sir Pentious. “That was what we wanted to ask Emily! Today is Angel’s birthday, and he mentioned having a twin sister named Molly. His biggest birthday wish is to see her again, so they could both celebrate each other’s birthdays together,” Charlie explained.

“I can totally do that! I know who you’re talking about, and I know her birthday is today and she mentioned having a twin brother named Anthony. I didn’t know who she was talking about at first, but after seeing who Angel Dust is, I know now!” Emily replied.

“I was also talking about you guys with Molly when I first met her, and when she saw Angel Dust, she immediately recognized him. I didn’t know his real name was Anthony,” Sir Pentious added.

“Yeah, we’re sorry about that. He never really used his real name anywhere, but we know Husk knew the whole time because he accidentally called Angel by his real name one time a couple weeks ago and it shocked us. He probably has called him Anthony in private and it just slipped out of nowhere,” Vaggie explained.

“Well, we’re planning on meeting her for lunch for her birthday later today, so we can probably talk to her about coming down tonight for dinner,” said Emily.

“That sounds great! Sir Pentious, would you like to come too?” Charlie asked.

“I would love to! I’m sure Angel would be so happy to see me!”

“I know for a fact that he would. Emily, do you know how to get here? Would Sera be okay with you coming down here with Sir Pentious and Molly?”

“She’ll be okay as long as we’re back after a couple of hours. She knows that we’re friends and as long as you’re with us, we’ll be fine. What time do you want us to come by?”

“We would love it if you came at five o’clock. We will be doing this dinner potluck-style, so everyone is going to make something. If you each want to bring something, that would be awesome! Meet us in front of the hotel so we can show Angel our special present!”

“Perfect! We’ll see you then!”

Once Charlie and Emily hung up their phones, Charlie hugged Vaggie and jumped up and down and squealed with excitement. Vaggie hugged her girlfriend back once Charlie put her down and rubbed her back.

“We’re going to have Molly AND Sir Pentious here for Angel’s birthday! This is going to be the best birthday ever for him!” Charlie exclaimed.

“This is going to be awesome! Husk and Cherri Bomb are going to take Angel out this afternoon, so we have time to get the lobby ready for the potluck,” Vaggie replied.

Charlie and Vaggie made their way downstairs to check up on everyone before Husk, Cherri Bomb, and Angel left for the birthday outing. They could not stop talking about how excited they were about Molly coming by and how happy Angel was going to be when he saw her for the first time since he died.

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

Emily and Sir Pentious walked through Heaven to go to Molly’s house. It was a short walk from where Sir Pentious currently lived, so he and Molly would often drop by each other’s houses during the week. Emily knocked on the door, and at the door, was a white and pink spider humanoid that looked just like Angel Dust, only with long hair. She welcomed Emily and Sir Pentious inside.

“Hi, Emily! Hi, Sir Pentious! You’re here a bit early. Our lunch reservations are not for another hour,” Molly mentioned.

“We know, but we wanted to talk about something with you first,” Emily replied as the trio walked inside the living room and sat down on her couch.

“Do you remember when we first met, and I was talking about my friends, and one of them ended up being your twin brother, Anthony, and I just didn’t know it because I always knew him as Angel Dust?” Sir Pentious started.

“Yes, I remember that conversation,” Molly responded.

“Well, I just got a call from Charlie Morningstar, the Princess of Hell, this morning, and she mentioned that Angel’s biggest birthday wish is to see you again,” Emily added.

Molly put her hand on her mouth in shock. She did not think Angel would have remembered her after all that time. Her eyes began to tear, and she hugged Emily and Sir Pentious simultaneously.

“That would be such an amazing birthday gift! She wants us down in Hell? Tonight?”

“She would; we’re all invited. She’s planning a potluck tonight so she would love it if we each brought a dish.”

Molly smiled her bright smile when Emily mentioned bringing a dish to the hotel. She knew exactly what she wanted to make and bring to the party.

“Ooh! Do you guys know what to bring? I know what I’m bringing, and it’s gonna bring him back to when we were kids!”

“I don’t know yet, but we can talk about that when we’re at lunch,” Emily said.

“I don’t know either, but whatever it is, I’m sure Angel and everyone else would love it,” Sir Pentious added.

The trio continued talking about Angel Dust, Molly’s own birthday memories with Angel when they were alive, and what they were going to bring to the party for the next half hour until Emily looked at her phone.

“It’s time to go! We’ll talk more about this during lunch,” Emily proclaimed.

Molly, Emily, and Sir Pentious got up from the couch and made their way out the door to have their lunch. They even talked about how they were going to enter the hotel once they arrived. They figured that Charlie was going to do all the talking, and they would just enter once she was finished.

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

Angel Dust, Husk, and Cherri Bomb took a seat in front of the local cafe with several shopping bags in their hands, and Fat Nuggets on a leash. Angel figured he would also take Fat Nuggets for a walk on his birthday outing with Husk and Cherri Bomb, since has not been outside all day. The trio spent the day having lunch together, going shopping, and now they were having a light dessert at the cafe. Charlie also asked them to not come back to the hotel until four-thirty so she and the rest of the staff could have ample time to decorate and set up for the potluck. They put their bags down once they sat at their table and laughed together. Angel then tied Fat Nuggets’ leash to his chair.

“So, I know you mentioned this morning you would love to see your sister again. I know you talked about your family a lot with me, and you did tell me how much you miss your sister. Do you really think there’s a chance you will see her again?” Husk asked.

“I know I’m probably ain’t gonna to see her today; I don’t know why I even said that’s what I wanted for my birthday in the first place,” Angel explained.

“Well, you didn’t expect it to come true, right? That’s why you said that?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“I guess.” The cafe server came by their table and gave the trio their coffee and croissants as Angel took a bite, then a sip. “It’s just that my favorite memories from my life were my birthdays with Molly. My mom always made sure our birthdays were special, even when we were babies.” 

Fat Nuggets squealed and Angel picked him up to scratch him underneath his chin. Once he put him down, he took out his phone to show Husk and Cherri Bomb an old picture of Molly and himself on their first birthday. They were sitting in their little wooden highchairs together with toddler Arackniss standing between them, resting his arms on the trays of the highchairs. There were banners behind each highchair that said “ANTHONY” and “MOLLY” on them. The twins were shoving cake in their faces and on Arackniss’s face as well. Husk and Cherri Bomb could not help but laugh at the picture.

“It seems like you and your sister were really close,” Cherri Bomb said, still laughing.

“We were; and all of our birthdays together were so special. I think around the time we were in high school there was this one teacher that didn’t know us and thought we were dating? She mentioned this to another teacher and she let her know we were twins, and she felt so embarrassed.”

Angel, Husk, and Cherri Bomb laughed again before the trio took another bite of their croissants. “But my favorite birthday memory with Molly was when we turned ten, and our family took us to the carnival that was back in town that year. Molly used to be terrified of most of the rides, but she would calm down when I held her.”

“That is so sweet,” Husk replied. “I’m sure she cherishes those memories with you just as much as you do.”

“I hope she does; and, knowing Charlie, I’m sure she’s doing everything in her power to find Molly right now.”

“I thought you said you didn’t think that wish was gonna come true?” Cherri Bomb mentioned.

“I know, but I know Charlie very well. When someone tells her they want something, she’s gonna try and get it for them.”

“Do you think she’s gonna find her?” Husk asked.

“I don’t know, but if she doesn’t she’s gonna cry about it for the rest of the week. If she does, out of some miracle, I’d be surprised.”

“I wouldn’t; Charlie’s the most driven person I ever met, and she always saw you as a big brother that she never had. I’m sure she will find her.”

Husk and Cherri Bomb hugged Angel before he took his phone out and checked the time. “Shit! It’s almost four-thirty! Charlie and the gang are probably finished setting up and waiting for us!”

“And we still have to make our dishes for the potluck! We should get going.”

“Wait! Before we go, I want a few more pictures.”

Angel then set up his phone for a silly selfie together and held it up to make sure Husk and Cherri Bomb were also in the shot. Husk picked up Fat Nuggets and placed him underneath his chin before Angel flashed the picture. After they made a few more silly poses together for several more pictures, Angel put his phone away and the trio grabbed their shopping bags. He untied Fat Nuggets from his chair and he, Husk, and Cherri Bomb began to make their way back to the hotel.

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

Charlie and Vaggie finished setting up the lobby as Alastor, Lucifer, and Niffty finished up in the kitchen. When Alastor, Lucifer, and Niffty came out with their dishes in food covers, they each placed their dishes on the big, round table in the middle of the lobby, covered with Charlie’s special, sparkly tablecloth that she only takes out for birthdays and holidays.

“Okay; Angel, Husk, and Cherri should be back soon, so Vaggie and I will get started on our dishes, and Husk and Cherri can catch up with us,” Charlie explained.

Right on cue, Angel, Husk, and Cherri Bomb made their way through the door. They dropped their shopping bags before giving the rest of the crew hugs and kisses. 

“Do you want us to start making our food soon?” Husk asked.

“Sure; Alastor, Niffty, and Dad finished theirs, and Vaggie and I just finished decorating, so we were just about to start ours,” Charlie replied.

Husk and Cherri Bomb made their way to the kitchen with Charlie and Vaggie as Angel took everyone’s shopping bags and made his way upstairs with Fat Nuggets. He put Husk’s and Cherri Bomb’s bags in front of their rooms and made his way to his room, putting his bags down and taking Fat Nuggets off his leash. He went into his closet to find an outfit to wear for the potluck. He was always the type to have a different outfit for every event for his birthday, even if there were multiple events on the same day.

“Whadaya think, Fat Nuggets? Should I wear one of the new outfits I bought today? Or is that not the best idea? Charlie did plan a potluck, and I don’t wanna mess up these cute outfits immediately.” Fat Nuggets squealed. “You’re right; it’s my birthday, so I should show off one of my new outfits now for everyone. Husky and Cherri even said they wanted to see me in one of these today.”

Angel dug into one of his shopping bags to take out a sparkly, pastel-colored loose top and a pair of black leggings. He spent the next half hour changing and touching up on his makeup and hair before going downstairs. Once he finished getting ready, he made his way to the stairs and saw his friends finishing up the touches for the potluck, but Charlie was nowhere to be seen. He raised his eyebrow, but he still began going down the stairs to see the rest of the crew looking up at him. Husk and Cherri Bomb peaked through the kitchen doorway with their dishes and dropped their jaws.

“Wow! Angel… you look…” Husk stammered as he blushed and put his dish on the table.

“You look gorgeous!” Cherri Bomb continued.

“Yeah… that.” The rest of the crew stared at Husk as his face turned a darker shade of red. “Why are y’all staring at me!? I just think he looks pretty!”

“Sure, okay,” Alastor said sarcastically.

“We know,” Niffty added.

“So… where’s Charlie? Wasn’t she just here?” Angel asked.

“She’s outside; she invited a few more people that haven’t seen you in a while and wanted to meet them in front of the hotel before coming in,” Vaggie said as she put her dish on the table.

Angel raised his eyebrow again suspiciously. Charlie invited some more people to the party? Maybe his wish would come true after all. But, Angel did not want to jump to conclusions just yet. But then again, he did not know anyone else in Hell that he was super close to besides everyone that was already in the room.

Outside the hotel, Charlie met up with Emily and Sir Pentious and saw that Molly ended up coming with them. She tried her hardest to hold in an excited squeal so everyone that was inside could not hear her, thus, spoiling the surprise. Once Charlie was finished getting her silent squeals and giggles out, she took a deep breath and looked at the Heaven trio.

“Happy birthday, Molly! I’m so glad you could make it! I’m Charlie, by the way, the Princess of Hell.”

“Emily and Sir Pentious have told me a lot about you. I’m so happy you got the chance to become friends with Anthony. Sir Pentious also told me he’s been so much happier since he started staying here. He was always such an energetic and talkative kid, but when we were alive, so many people were put off by his dirty jokes, so I’m so glad he has friends that accept him for who he is. Thank you for being a great friend to him, Charlie.”

“You’re very welcome, Molly. Did you have a great birthday?”

“I did, Emily and Sir Pentious took me out to lunch today and Emily told me about your plans to have me see Anthony again. Emily also told me about the potluck, so we each made something.”

“That’s great! Before you come inside, I’m going to make sure everyone’s situated. I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

Molly, Emily, and Sir Pentious nodded as Charlie made her way back inside the hotel. Angel, Lucifer, Husk, Alastor, Niffty, Vaggie, and Cherri Bomb were sitting at the table together, waiting for Charlie to come back inside.

“Okay, everyone, before we start dinner, I just want to say, happy birthday again, Angel! I know that your birthdays since you arrived in Hell were… not the best. That’s why I wanted to make sure your birthday was extra special this year. So, I managed to get a few guests that haven’t seen you in a while, and someone I became friends with in Heaven that really wanted to become friends with you.”

Charlie went back outside to get Emily, Sir Pentious, and Molly as Angel held Husk’s hand as hard as he could. His gut feeling was telling him even more that his wish was going to come true, but he still did not want to jump to conclusions just yet.

“Are you okay?” Husk asked as he was feeling the pain of Angel holding his hand tighter than he usually does.

“I’m fine, I’m just excited because maybe Charlie really did it.”

Charlie came back inside with Emily, Sir Pentious, and Molly. Angel and everyone else’s mouths dropped wide open once they saw Molly and Sir Pentious. They tried to find a place to put their dishes on the crowded table, but once they did, Angel got up from his seat and tackled Molly in a hug. They squealed as loud as they could and jumped up and down together. Alastor began to static and held his ears down until the twins finished.

“Are you quite done?” Alastor asked.

“We are, sorry, this is probably the best day ever!” Angel replied.

“So, Tony, introduce me to your friends! Sir Pentious was just telling me about them and all the fun things you’ve been doing!”

“Wait, before I do, I want to say hi to Sir Pentious.” Angel then gave Sir Pentious a hug and the rest of the crew except for Alastor got up to give him a hug.

“We missed you so much! You need to tell us all about Heaven!” Cherri Bomb said.

“I’ll tell you all about it at dinner. But for now, I think Molly has a lot of new friends to meet right now.”

“Well, I know you met Charlie already, and this is my best friend Cherri Bomb. She was the first friend I made here before I came to the hotel; and this is Charlie’s girlfriend, Vaggie, and her dad, the Big Dick in Charge himself, Lucifer. These are two other great friends, Alastor and Niffty, and… my boyfriend, Husk.”

Angel tried his hardest to hide his feelings for Husk for the longest time, but the rest of the hotel knew from how they looked at each other that something more was going on between the two of them. But now, he was feeling more comfortable telling everyone that he and Husk were official. He walked over to Husk and gave him a kiss on the lips.

“Were you planning on telling us today?” Charlie asked.

“I wanted to wait until we were both ready, and we thought today would be the day,” Angel replied.

“He’s really cute, I told ya one day you’d find someone!” Molly teased as she lightly punched Angel’s arm.

“Yeah, even though I found him after I died.”

“It still counts!”

Molly hugged Husk and started to pet him until he flinched and moved away from her. “Sorry, Molly, I just… don’t like being pet in front of people,” he mentioned.

“Oh, sorry, Husk.”

“Y’know, Angel has been telling me all about you and the rest of your family. You must’ve been really close when you were alive.”

“We were; even after we became adults we were attached to the hip.”

“We can clearly tell when you came into the door,” Alastor interrupted, still staticed up with annoyance.

Sir Pentious slithered up to Angel and gave him a hug. Cherri Bomb followed by hugging Sir Pentious and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed and gave her another kiss on the lips before going back to hugging Angel.

“So, Sir Pentious, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Did Charlie end up finding you too and invited you?” Angel asked.

“Kind of; she called Emily to see if she knew Molly and I was with her, soI said ‘hi’ and she invited me to the party.”

“Well, I’m so happy you’re here! You made my party even better!”

The entire crew sat down and set up for the potluck. Everyone took their covers off their dishes to reveal them, but what stood out to him was Molly’s dish. She made the lasagna that their mother taught them to make when they were alive. They each made their own versions when they were alive and they always ended up turning out just like their mother’s. Angel cried and put his hands over his mouth when he saw Molly’s dish.

“I knew you would react that way when you saw my dish,” Molly mentioned.

“It’s just… it’s been such a long time since someone even made ma’s lasagna for me. I have made it for everyone else, but I miss when it was made for me. Thank you, Molls.”

Angel hugged his sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and Molly hugged him back. “No problem, Tony. When Charlie said we were doing a potluck, I knew exactly what I wanted to make, because I knew you’d appreciate it.”

The crew began to pass around each dish so everyone could get a serving of each. There was so much food, the crew figured they would be having leftovers for the next three days. The potluck was spent catching up with each other and Sir Pentious telling everyone the stories of his time in Heaven so far, and how he met Molly in the first place.

“It’s so funny, actually, I passed by Molly and I thought she was you for a second, so I thought you were redeemed too. She looked at me and had no idea what I was talking about, so I told her she reminded me of a friend, and I told her about my time in Hell and all of you guys, and once she saw the picture of you, that was when she realized that was you!” Sir Pentious explained.

“I also mentioned to him how much I missed you and how much I wanted to see you again. I’m guessin’ you said something to Charlie because Emily told me she called this morning about this,'' Molly continued.

Angel rolled his eyes playfully and looked at Charlie. “Something was tellin’ me Charlie took my wish literally. She was always one to go outta her way for anything. I just said that because I didn’t think it would come true.”

“Well, it did, and I did it just for you. I care about you so much, Angel, just like I care about everyone else in this hotel,” Charlie explained.

“Thank you, Charlie; I didn’t necessarily doubt you, but since I haven’t seen her in Hell, I didn’t think I was gonna see her.”

The crew continued talking and catching up as they continued eating. There was so much to catch up on, the potluck lasted for almost two hours. Seeing Angel at his happiest in a long time made Charlie feel fuzzy inside, knowing she made her friend’s birthday wish come true. Once the potluck was finished and everyone cleaned up, Charlie and Lucifer went back into the kitchen to get the cake. It was the biggest cake they ended up making for anyone. Once the father and daughter placed the cake on the table, Angel and Molly stood up to blow out the candles together. The rest of the crew took their phones out again to take pictures of them before they came back to the table to slice the cake. The crew continued talking as they ate their cake until it was getting late. Once they were finished, the crew went on the hotel’s rooftop to sit and relax. It was time for Emily, Sir Pentious, and Molly to go back to Heaven, so Angel gave his sister one last hug.

“It was so great seeing you again, Molls. I hope I get to see you again soon.”

“It was great seeing you again too, Tony. Your new friends are so great, and I hope to see you again soon too.”

“We got each other’s numbers now, so I’ll call you tomorrow. And thank you again, Charlie, for inviting Molly here. You made my birthday extra special.”

Charlie cried tears of joy and hugged Angel. “You’re very welcome, Angel; and thank you, Molly, for coming to celebrate Angel’s and your birthday tonight. You too, Sir Pentious and Emily. You also made today special for Angel.”

“Thanks for inviting us, Charlie; we hope to come back to visit again too,” Sir Pentious mentioned.

Before the trio could leave, Molly stopped them to take one more picture with the entire crew. She held her phone up in a selfie, with Angel behind her and hugging her as tightly as he could, and the rest of the crew posing around them. The crew continued making different fun poses as Molly continued taking photos until several were taken.

“I’ll send ‘em to all of you, okay?” Molly confirmed.

“Okay, I really wanna see them. Oh, and if I ever do get redeemed, I’ll let Emily know to look for you first,” Angel replied.

Once everyone hugged each other goodbye, Emily, Sir Pentious, and Molly made their way back to the portal to Heaven. The rest of the crew waved goodbye and Angel shed a tear before hugging Husk.

“So, Angel, did’ja have a good birthday?” Husk asked as everyone else made their way back downstairs.

Angel gave Husk a long kiss on the lips. “I didn’t just have a good birthday, Husky, I had the best birthday ever.”

[glitternightingale]

Encanto Big Bang 💖

Here's my submission for the @encantobigbang 2022/23! Yayyy!!

I picked my favorite scene from @starlightomicron's fanfiction:

The Madrigal Triplets have finally found each other again and celebrate their first birthday together after their long separation. What traditions have stayed the same and which ones are just in the making?

And, of course, my crack interpretation of another scene:

[livelaughloveluci]

Ik what it looks like with my blog but DON'T BE FOOLED

...I was downright obsessed for two years.

Especially with the man in the meme.

And I still love it/him 💛

How many people are still in the Encanto fandom? Show of hands! (Cause it's kinda hard to find people, that I don't already know, that are still in the fandom)

PROSHIP DNI WITH THIS POST AND F*CK OFF!

[empty-cryptid]

Some episodes I want to see if an Encanto TV series is made:

Beach day

Family road trip

Young triplets

An episode focused on each grandkid- we get to see their rooms and their stories

Young Alma and Pedro

Rat sidestory

Madrigals make a play

Triplets doing something like baking or cooking together

Bruno, Félix, and Agustín have a guy's night

The first triplet birthday after Bruno returns

Christmas episode

Colombian traditions and holidays like Día de Los Santos Inocentes

So much can be done with this family. Not making a series would be a mistake.

Any more episode ideas to add to the list? 📺

[jacarandaaaas]

I remember seeing something in your tags where you said you had a few ideas for episodes for the Encanto series. Do you mind sharing them with me? if you want of course. (I've already written the basic premise for seasons 1-4 but I'm happy to hear any ideas you got)

ooh of course! these are just some brainstormed thoughts nothing substantial but

- mirabel gets her new room (because we didn’t see it in the movie)

- julieta cooking with her daughters as a bonding exercise

- bruno goes out into the town with his sisters and they talk to the townspeople about everything

- mirabels having nightmares/flashbacks of casita falling on her and starts thinking there’s cracks everywhere

- antonio and Dolores doing literally anything I love them

- alma falls back into old habits but the family’s there to steer her in the right direction

- luisa gets a fun part in her room! (Based on the concept art)

- the husbands + bruno have a boys night out !

- isa and Dolores have a heart to heart when they plan to spend the day together

- camilo and Bruno put on a play for the whole community and the whole family helps!

- pepa brings bruno around to try new things since he’s missed so much

- madrigal grandkids have a sleepover

- triplets flashback to when they first get their gifts and it’s the first week of absolute CHAOS in the encanto

- day of little candles themed ep where alma and the family go to the river and alma tells them all about pedro (maybe a flashback to life before dos oruguitas)

- isabela adjusting to her new identity and the villagers still subconsciously think of her as her “perfect” version

- someones birthday and the family throw the best party ever

- mirabel and bruno reflect on what’s changed and how the future can be scary

- this one’s entirely self indulgent but mirabel goes to the local seamstress to get advice and ends up being taken on board as an assistant

- camilo and Marco get all the town kids to partake in the ultimate encanto football match

- luisa having a day off where the family do everything for her (she deserves it)

- christmas ep because why not!

- flashback to grandkids as younger for some preteen Dolores and isa moments

- antonio starts school and is super nervous and struggles a bit but he has his family for support

- mirabel not being used to having attention on her all the time and feeling like she has to live up to new expectations because she’s “the miracle” (this isn’t her being a leader or anything this is literally just her brain assuming they expect stuff from her)

- triplets bday!! (Can be from any time)

- mirabel and Antonio have a picnic

- Dolores and Mariano get a date set up for them by camilo

- madrigal sisters talk about their feelings from when mirabel went missing

- agustin and julieta have an anniversary coming up so agustin wants to make it the most special ever (shenanigans insue)

- pepa and felix go out for the night and pepa is insanely talented on the dance floor

- all the parents go away and Bruno is left to babysit

- isabela wants to make some friends after not having many due to her wanting to keep up appearances

- Dolores wants a new outfit and goes to mirabel for help

- luisa stands up to the donkey man

- julieta and alma moments

I cant think of more on the spot so if anyone wants to leave suggestions in comments!

[caramella120]

Happy birthday time

[gamerbearmira]

Alright, I don't want to brag about anything, but... I really enjoy all the content about the Cocooned AU and few days ago, while re-reading that... I thought of something :

What if, instead of pulling just grandkids... Casita trapped ALL of the Madrigals in their rooms... before falling apart and the family disappearing.

The people, obviously, search over the area for months, but find nothing. Félix and Augustín's families are devastated. Not only had the magical family disappearanced... but also had their sons, daugthers-in-law, grandkids and so on. Félix's family decides to stay low for awhile, while Augustín's completely leaves Encanto, as staying gives them too much pain...

Until, months later, a new little boy is born. To Félix's family, many say he looks like his deceased/disappeared relative and, as if in a joke, they decide to name him after him...

All would go back to normal, unless something else happens... when somebody says there's a couple by a river outside the mountain. A man and woman, in late stages of pregnancy. The villagers, seeing the couple has so threat and in quite vulnerable condition, take them in, until, exactly on birthday of long gone Julieta, Pepa and Bruno, the woman gives birth... to healthy tiny triplets. The fact the couple's names are Alma and Pedro don't help any bit.

While the new parents are happy about their children and that they were born in good condition... the Encanto starts to wonder, who are these people and, some very hopeful, if the Madrigals' magic was able to save them and sent them back, before everything went down the hill. And it all seals when the small house, the two had built on a hill near edge of the small town, starts to glow and comes to life.

And that's when the villagers know. La familia Madrigal is back. But would they tell Pedro and Alma about past life... or, in fear of causing other catastrophe/fall incident, they stay quiet and let the family live their lives, in the dark of their past

NO PLEASE BRAG❗❗ you know how excited I get when I learn someone's reread my stuff like 🤭🤭

NO, BUT THIS IDEA...is so good omg. You know I have thought about that too if all the Madrigals caught a body in that au. Lil' Félix, I'm crying. They probably is was a nice tribute to the real Félix and a sort of morbid joke but like. When Alma and Pedro came back and then Alma had TRIPLETS?? (Who I assume were named Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno lmao). And then their house came to life and has magic. Like they're definitely back.

Also?? Does Agustín’s family come back?? I mean I assume it’s a similar situation to Félix. And I assume if they can leave the Encanto, then news might have spread, and anyone who previously had lived there would recognize the meaning behind “The Madrigals are back”. So would they return?? I mean I assume they would 😭

And I’m not sure, maybe they would stay quiet?? I think it would’ve been pieced together what caused the fall of Casita, at least some, or maybe it’s just paranoia that it’ll happen again, but maybe the villagers just. Don’t say anything about it.

EITHER WAY. I’D LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THIS IF YOU HAVE ANY BUT NO PRESSURE 💪💪

W village for taking in Alma and Pedro

[overly-dramatic-artist]

Week One: Introduction!

@encanto-extended-edition

OMG how have I never done a proper introduction of my girl??? Anyways…

Full name: Angela Leilani Yaamil Morales Estrada

Age at the time of the movie: 48 years old (December 8th, 1901)

Angel was initially a name holder for the reader insert in my fic, “Why did it have to be me?” She was never intended to become a full fledged OC, but thanks to several supportive friends, Angela evolved into what she is now.

Angela is born to parents Guillermo and Anamaria in 1901, and shortly after childbirth, Anamaria sadly passes away, leaving Angela to be raised primarily by Anamaria’s parents, Quinuama and Raymundo. She is the youngest of six cousins on her maternal side, and she knows very little about her father’s extended family. The passing of Anamaria puts Guillermo in an inconsolable depression, leaving his daughter to be brought up by her grandparents due to his emotional absence. Her family owns and runs a tailoring shop in the Encanto, renowned for their fine fiber arts and beautifully crafted clothes. Angela is best known for her impressive bead work and crocheting, as she enjoys fixating on tiny details.

At age five, she befriends the Madrigal triplets, the four of them becoming close companions, but especially between Angela and Bruno. The two of them grow close over the years, considering the other to be their best friend. I’ll save the juicy details of their companionship for Week two, but to summarize, their friendship takes a dramatic twist following the breakup of Angela and her fiancé when she is 19.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, she joins the church choir at a young age, and quickly blossoms into a vocal star, devoting her time to organizing musical events and writing songs. Later in life, she takes to traveling outside of the Encanto, something inside her yearning to know more about the world and escape the limitations she feels trapped in. She gains herself a notable reputation as a performer in multiple social clubs and lounges, her name taking her across South America, and eventually across the sea.

Angela’s personality and mannerisms are based a lot on my own. She is extremely caring and compassionate for others, but often has a hard time deciphering her own emotions, and will usually bottle up her complicated feelings to save herself from causing trouble. She is often lovingly criticized as being overly dramatic by her family and friends, causing her to become extremely cautious and anxious about how she presents herself to others. Sometimes, something small will set off her temper, and she gets very cold and unresponsive as a defense mechanism, or if something makes her deeply upset after a buildup of repressed feelings and stress, she will fall apart into tears. Often times, her stimming gets interpreted as flirtatious behavior, and her attempts at masking usually have the same effect (hair twirling, too much eye contact, smiling and nodding).

A few little bits of information and trivia:

The bracelet she is almost always seen wearing was gifted to her on her fifth birthday. It had originally belonged to her mother. It is made up of pearls, jade, and a thin gold chain. Her rosary is constructed of similar materials.

Leilani was her intended name in canon, as Guillermo wanted to name her after his mother, but Anamaria immediately called her baby ‘her angel’ when she was born, so the name Angela was chosen instead and Leilani was bestowed as her second name.

I imagine her voice sounding like that of Angela Aguilar when she’s younger, and evolving into a vocal powerhouse like Beyoncé or Selena.

She is terrible at cooking. Her grandmother and aunts had tried to ingrain the kitchen skills into her at a young age, but it stressed her out because she wasn’t naturally gifted in it. She can make a good cup of coffee, but it’s best to leave to crafting of fine foods in the hands of someone more capable and confident.

💖Some amazing art from some amazing people💖

@prophetic-hijinks @egofan4evr @lvnamuraart @dororoxpenana 💖

[heliphantie]

Phantie’s Encanto: Los pequeños trillizos

Following is a part of my personal headcanon about the childhood dynamics and personalities of Madrigal triplets. It's movie-compliant, with some elements related to production materials and some answers given by director and crew to audience, like the rest of my fanon.

Lots of text and pictures under 'read more':

Three Madrigal children, born at the same time, have got traits of their parents split between them. Oldest, Julieta, fully inherited gentle, caring and selfless nature of her father Pedro. Middle sister, Pepa, impulsive and passionate, got strong will and persistence of her mother Alma. Youngest kid, their brother Bruno, has got golden mean of personality between two – his father’s protective loving heart and his mother’s stubborn, resilient character.

When the three were born, there were no children of their age in the entire village: just some older ones, and only couple of years after setting, new babies started to appear. This way, already inseparable triplets, always under watchful eye of their mother, had spent their early years all to themselves, in the company of each other, and couldn’t imagine to part their ways in any foreseeable future. But even in their unity, they soon started to see differences between themselves, each one stepped on the path to their fate.

Julieta, first triplet to see the light, embraced duty of firstborn child seemingly since her infantry. The most empathetic and sensitive, she always provided comfort and care not only for her mother and siblings, but for newborn children all around the growing town, mending their injuries, calming their disturbances, filling for their parents when they had no one to take care of babies while busy with chores, in between helping her mother with household and remaining loving big sister for two siblings, fairly troublesome at times. She never seemed to get tired of her business, despite nobody ever forcing work on her, yet everyone felt defenseless once she came to offer her help, due her irresistible kindness and genuine commitment. No wonder she soon earned title of “everybody’s mother”, spoken discreetly to not cause bashfulness in her. And since she was small, nobody in Encanto ever had doubt that she’s destined to grow up a successor of her mother, future leader of the town and keeper of household of her own. So, inevitably, talks and speculations began to spread out on the matter of her eventual choice for husband, though at the same time, everyone had to admit that, most likely, she will remain too good for whoever daring enough to make move, and even luckiest one bound to face pressure trying to stand on par with her finesse and nobility.

And while people around the town continued to marvel at her maturity, closest ones, her uterine siblings, were able to see beyond it. It could appear that oldest daughter, responsible and sound-minded, would be at complete control of her own feelings and wellbeing, but Pepa and Bruno, typically carefree under the wing of big sister, suspected in secret that her tender heart might turn into her fatal weakness. Worried that one day advantage can be taken of her selflessness, they decided to try and become self-sufficient in order to protect and guard one person who always assured their own safety.

In the end, no one was surprised that on her fifth birthday, Julieta, whose happiness lay in providing security and peace for her encirclement, was granted gift of healing people with her very touch and pieces created with her hands, and gained ability of her own being staying intact and sound in any circumstances, never catching any illness in already safe environment of magically secured town*. But, mused her siblings, this doesn’t mean that her heart is as invulnerable and unbreakable as her physical form, after all, if it wasn’t, she would not be that wonderful loving person they know.

If you ask about vulnerability and insecurity, Pepa knows it quite well, and anyone who happen to hang around her, gets clear impression of it too. Thankfully, it’s lot easier to hide your internal sensitivity by acting as openly assertive and fierce as possible, so no one can suspect you’re wearing your fragility on your sleeve. Not carrying responsibilities expected from oldest child also comes in handy sometimes. What she lacks in elegance and feminine softness, Pepa makes up for with flashy and visible manifestation of her personality. And it’s indeed a big relief, when in place of twisted stomach, you get small whirlwind, or wake up in your bed soaked wet from simple rain unconsciously created in bad dream, spared from embarrassment. Downside is, you still can’t keep your feelings completely unseen, and cause inconvenience for those around you, but it’s not as bothersome, if you’re don’t get worked up over other’s condition, especially harmless temporary kind.

You can be true family weirdo all you want, especially with support of your utterly ridiculous brother, who appears even more content with himself all the time, your main and often single playmate who effortlessly brushes off your grudges and turn them into laughter. One thing, however, causing distress to bring up around either of siblings, is what you can’t help but notice you are kind of black sheep among the flock: you are evidently not that fine compared to both of your siblings, mild-tempered, petite, cute (no, it’s just sister, Bruno is hideous, naturally!), with pretty dark curls, coffee-colored skin, and gentle deep eyes, all while you stick out like sore thumb with your stupid shaggy red hair, lanky skinny build, and silly face turning hot red at slightest sign of agitation or resentment. And what makes it all so ludicrous and upsetting, none of this could’ve been that much of disadvantage if it didn’t get in the way of your innermost desire – experience of miraculous romance like one that resulted in her own existence, except with guarantee of living happily ever after, and even if not, doesn’t mere opportunity to live through it makes up for all hardships it can bring? If only she was born gifted with everything to be worth of it, something her lucky siblings apparently take for granted and don’t sweat about at all. Brooding about her tragic predicament since she was four, upon entering adolescent years, Pepa completely came at terms with it and concluded that, if her incessant wishing is bound to bear fruit and true love waits ahead, it could be none other but one that accepts her the way she is, seeing all her flaws as virtues (philosophy her brother regards with skepticism, but nobody asked him!). Growing surrounded by miracles, it’s only natural to expect such occurrence of fateful love!

One can ask, wait, why even worry about what can or can’t happen in future if you have around somebody who can unveil your future for you and get you prepared for inevitability of success or failure? For that, there are two answers. First, precisely because of it. When you have cherished dream in the very core of your soul, possibility of ripping it off of you is lethal, and none of common sense warning you of probable futility of your dream makes ultimate awareness of it less painful. Second, inevitable embarrassment on both sides that comes with entrusting such intimate matter to your brother. Both sisters had agreed to never asking Bruno about details of their future, and all three mutually decided he has right to refuse taking a peek into their personal lives, no matter how desperate they can become to see it. The law remained unbreakable as long as it concerns individual fates of girls and not a necessity of precaution on bigger scope. As for what may lie ahead of himself, very careful experiments involving insignificant requests of closest in time events, proved that, apparently, seer can’t see his own future, neither can he accidentally peep his own involvement in any upcoming events, probably, just because said events generally are none of his business anyway… In any case, experiments ceased here. Doesn’t really matter, what can happen, said he, grinning with reassure, if we stick together through thick and thin. And if it happens so we have to part our ways, it’s only if we manage to find happiness of our own. In any case, we’ll never be lost and unhappy.

If Julieta’s forte was her graciousness, and Pepa preferred to put her trust into her guts, Bruno was undisputably the brain of three – astute and perceptive, he usually occupied position of observer, but if it called for action, approached it with precaution and ready tools. While his sisters were busy with housekeeping and daydreaming, he utilized free time to performing remained domestic tasks or taking any chance in education on available matters. Even after he received his gift and stable position in community, he wisely figured that work of soothsayer doesn’t demand full-time occupation, so he continued trying various activities with purpose of finding a calling outside of it, and though he proved decent capability in many things, he didn’t feel enough enthusiasm for most of it, but eventually has found that few most satisfying pastimes for him were self-expression via paint and paper, all accessible reading, and taking care of any living creatures in close proximity, most approachable of which turned out to be rodents living in Casita’s walls.

To the chagrin of the kid, he soon become aware of cruel irony of his gift being something that, in the turn of events that would allow him to get a taste of it before his fifth birthday set his destiny in stone, could bring him to decision of wishing something else for said gift, something that would truly encourage him for lifetime of using it. Gaining abilities of animal whisperer, for example, or becoming a magical painter and being able to bring everything he draws to life! Moving paintings, isn’t it exciting? Or maybe ever something more modest than that, like being able to see not through the time, but beyond the mountains, all the way to the remote places he, probably, never going to reach otherwise… But in reality, things turned differently, all because of his own overly pensive mind. Listening to the story of his father’s sacrifice, not for the first time, right before the celebration of his birthday, he, yet again, got so lost in contemplating possibility of safe outcome that could’ve keep the family intact… if only there was a way to prepare for escape in advance, to foresee danger… so these thoughts continued to run circles in his head even when he reached his hand to the doorknob of the shimmering door of his new room. It was not the first time when the house expanded on its own when there was need for it, and it was common occurrence for all life of the kids, what unexpected could happen?..

Of course, he knew since forever, that his position in the family is peculiar, him being single and eventually oldest male member, due to demise of his father, meant certain unspoken obligations. It was never discussed directly, he got not a word about it from his mother, but it was apparent for him – he’s expected to be successor of his father, misty, enigmatic figure, only tangible trace of whom existed in the form of large portrait hanging at the stair’s head on the way to his old nursery, that remained abandoned yet waiting for somebody to come and revitalize it, but in meanwhile, it served as welcoming quiet place for the boy to find occasional resort from all the hustle. The portrait depicted slightly haze image of dignified, sophisticated yet humble looking young man, his face frozen in serene yet somewhat apologetic smile, and the boy who stared at it couldn’t make anything out of it, let alone grasping in that face something he could identify with. His expression, though, it’s somehow reminiscent of big sister, concluded he with wandering smile, as if in response to the painted man. Talking to pictures would’ve been definitely handy… How else I supposed to figure what you wait from me? Portrait also expected something from him, but what it was he had no idea. Only one thing he was certain of, his duty to provide a shoulder his sisters, his family, could lean on, no matter if he ever going to take over mysterious identity of his father or not.

Although nobody assigned to him the duty of protection, he accepted it wholeheartedly and regarded as his purpose in life as long as it demanded. Sisters were his whole world, or, at least, embodied his major connection to the people. Naturally pensive and, someone could say, timid, he could let himself breath and entrust his worries to his oldest sister, and with middle sister he could unleash childish urge to just run around and enjoying life as kid of his age does. Something he couldn’t even admit to himself, with his big sister, mature and motherly beyond her age, he felt much more at ease than with his real mother, who, he always suspected, silently compared him with his nebulous father at every turn, and he couldn’t shake off the sense of disapproving from her. But Julieta had no such frame of reference, nor she cared if he gets to measure up to figure of Pedro, and loved him as he was, with all her candid heart. And with Pepa, he could not think twice to speak his mind and bother himself with politeness out of fear of causing offence that will remain unexpressed, as she wasn’t someone to bother herself with tolerance and always got back at him, sometimes with things like ball lightning, which didn’t cause much trouble either that couldn’t be mended with his other sister’s curative meals. Though he also had to deal with more grating aspects of Pepa’s personality, her propensity to overreact and involve those around her into the drama she’s main heroine of at the moment, and most tiresome of all, difficulties of consoling her without going through handful of insults in response, all while keeping himself from escalation of conflict (“You only take mercy of me because you’re a doormat!..” – “You’re not going to make yourself pleasant to people by acting like a grouchy hag!”). But all differences aside, one thing that inescapably brought the two together was their shared affection for their little big sister. Pepa could never allow herself to get consumed with envy for her sister’s superior grace, Bruno could never doubt that, if that time comes, he’s going to stand up for his second mother to the end.

* Remember the fact Pepa’s gift originally was supposed to make her indestructible before authors settled on weather control for her? As I assumed Julieta’s healing gift has potential of giving her immunity to any physical harm as well, it occurred to me, in the universe of movie, the trait could be implicitly passed to Juleta (thus, in a sense, their gifts are switched around in final version). We just can’t see it due its less obvious nature. And because inheritance, same trait potentially can be secondary effect of Luisa’s gift of physical strength.