#such as dancing at antonio's ceremony

[jacarandaaaas]

I wonder how long that party at the end of the movie goes on for😭 judging by antonios ceremony party I would say atleast until 2am💀

[misspjsuperior]

Tonantzin Guadalupe 🌵🌹

The original \/u| \//\ goddess I created in 2013 is Maria Rosa. Her design was inspired in major part between the miracle of La Virgen de Guadalupe and the concept of Mary Queen of Heaven.

I was recently commissioned to create a new (\/) Goddess inspired similarly between Guadalupe and Tonantzin by my chingona hermana Janet Bella Rosa who also knew Mi padrino Antonio 🙏 I felt his spirit guiding me to connect our visions! 💞

Tonantzin is an enduring Nahuatl title for the maternal aspect of any Aztec goddess, much like “Our Lady”, rather than the name of a particular goddess. I chose a blue background to parallel Her starry mantle of heaven and also represent Lake Texcoco since the eagle, snake, and cactus from its story of the founding of ancient Mexico there are present. 💙🌵 

Tonantzin in various forms is frequently depicted with eagle feet so I thought it appropriate to have the legendary golden eagle clutch the silvery moon below Her in place of Guadalupe’s cherub 🦅 🌙 Tonantzin is often known, by many names, to wear a skirt of snakes- the celestial Aztec earth mother Coatlicue’s particular name translates to “She of Snake Skirts”. So I couldn’t help but see the snake emerge from the opening in Her folds here. Frequently in Aztec art snakes emerging from or replacing body parts represents blood so I feel a menstrual element from how the snake manifested in this vision 🐍 🩸

Many believe that the apparition of La Virgen de Guadalupe on Tepeyac Hill unto St. Juan Diego, an Indigenous peasant originally named Cuauhtlatoatzin meaning “Talking Eagle”, was a vision of a new form of Tonantzin. Her local temple had formerly been on that very site, destroyed by conquistadors. When Cuauhtlatoatzin received these holy visions, the Goddess spoke to him not in Spanish but in his native Nahuatl language even though She identified Herself as The Virgin Mother of God. Even the Church documents testify that The Holy Mother assured him in his moment of doubt, in his Indigenous tongue, “Am I not here who am your Mother?” Indeed Tonantzin Coatlicue herself is said to have had her own divine conception via a feather 🪶 

The miraculous vision of Guadalupe that appeared upon Juan Diego/Talking Eagle’s tilma is often seen as a self portrait by Her and there are many analyses of the visual element’s encoding of Aztec symbolism. I took these theories and insights into consideration while creating this vision.

Even within the suppression of Spanish colonization ancient indigenous Mexican Curanderismo healing practices were able to persevere and often in the name of La Virgen de Guadalupe, under the protection of Her image.

Choose-your-goddess prints now include Tonantzin Guadalupe!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

“At home, on the evening of December 12th we may light a candle and place offerings of flowers, copal and chocolate in front of her statue or painting. In the public square, those who follow the Mexica spiritual tradition will join brothers and sisters for an all-night vigil of prayer, Danza, offerings, and songs to her, who is Tonantzin Tlalli Coatlicue, who was always honored at the hill of Tepeyac. As we salute the Four Winds and dance in the ceremonial circle, we honor those who have gone before us, the courageous people who kept traditions alive through the centuries despite the threat to their life if discovered. The feathers in the copilli, the ceremonial headdress worn by the dancers, will draw down the energy of the cosmos into Mother Earth, our beautiful Tonantzin Tlalli Coatlicue to help her heal from the many ways she is dishonored.

Nearby, children will play and laugh, faces smeared with the traces of candy and the cinnamon of churros, the delicious deep fried pastry covered with sugar and cinnamon while the sound of mariachi music adds to the feeling of a fusion of cultures and beliefs. If you wander the crowded street you will see a handful of Catholic pilgrims on their knees on the hard pavement slowly make their way to the entrance of the church in gratitude for answered prayers.

And, in spite of quiet official church disapproval, the local parish priest will invite Indigenous ceremonial dancers to participate during the special December 11-12 mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Inside the church, for a few moments, Mayan copal will blend with European frankincense, quetzal feathers will dance on the air, and elders with bundles of aromatic rosemary plants will cleanse the People’s spirit. The two cultures, reconciled at this moment, acknowledge their bond of love for the Woman Who is Cloaked with the Sun; a bridge of Light between peoples.”

- Maestra Grace via Curanderismo.org

[holdnarrytight]

A little encanto one shot:

The kids take Bruno out shopping

Please be warned this isn't really going anywhere it's just a (very long) writing exercise I did like two years ago and never meant to post anywhere. With that said, pleeeeease let me know what you think! I often write stuff on my phone's notes and never actually post them cause I'm sooo insecure of my writing. Please don't be afraid to give me very specific feedback on what I could improve, it'd make my day. I enjoy writing but I don't do it much cause I feel so embarrassed and like I'm no good

Part 1:

The dining room was filled with the sounds of the scraping of chairs, clinking of plates and chatter as the family settled down to have breakfast. Pepa had cooked today. She had been cooking more often in the past few weeks, insisting her sister should get some rest. Julieta eventually learned to accept the much needed help.

"Recemos, familia" Alma said after taking a seat at the head of the table. She offered her hands to Pepa and Julieta, who were sitting next to her. The chatter died down as the rest of the family took each other's hands and closed their eyes. Alma said a prayer of gratitude for the food on the table and the family's constant blessings. After saying their amens, they dug into the meal.

Antonio looked around the table at his family eating and talking unbothered, confusion etched in his features. He glanced at the balcony where Bruno's door stood now level with the others, but it was closed.

He got onto his knees on the chair and leaned against his brother's side, putting his hand up to hide his message. Camilo paused and leaned closer curiously to listen. "Otra vez no viene tío Bruno?" Antonio whispered into his ear. Camilo quickly looked around to check if his tío was anywhere to be seen, then shook his head.

"Nah, I don't think so" He continued to eat.

Antonio sat back, not touching his food but looking down at his feet distractedly and fidgeting as thoughts raced through his mind. Hours after receiving his gift all those months ago, he had been told by the rats everything he needed to know about his estranged uncle who he'd heard so little about. A fascinating and heart-wrenching tale that made sure from then on Antonio would do anything in his reach to make sure his tío Bruno felt included in the family.

The day Casita was officially finished had been the happiest day of Antonio's life. Even happier than the day of his ceremony, when he was so nervous. It was happier because that day was all about joy. The family was reunited, the entire village came over and surprised the family with a great party to celebrate the occasion, giving them the opportunity to relax and be on the other side for once, without doing all the planning and cooking.

They laughed, danced, played music, ate and chatted with friends and family.

That evening, each family member touched the doorknobs on their brand new doors, bringing the visual representation of their gifts back in an awe-inspiring spectacle of light as the rooms were once again brought into reality. Some of them looked different as a result of the self-reflection they had done. Mirabel even got her own room that day, and Antonio couldn't have been happier for her.

That evening his tío Bruno took his hand and sat with him on the floor in a quiet area with their respective plates in hand. Antonio told his tío all about his life, his friends in the village, his school, his favourite games and toys, his gift and his animals. Bruno listened attentively, asking questions and encouraging him.

Bruno, in turn, told him stories about his childhood in the village and his pet rats. He made silly voices, funny jokes and took interest in everything Antonio had to say; eager to get to know his youngest sobrino whom he'd never had a chance to interact with. When they were done eating, Bruno gave his nephew a piggyback to the heart of the party where his parents were dancing and joined the fun with the rest of the family.

It went like this all night long, until Antonio got tired and his papá tucked him into bed and went right back to partying.

After such special hours spent together, Antonio grew to admire and love his tío even more. He was looking forward to every interaction with him ever since. He thought they had become friends.

Unfortunately, since then Bruno had not been present for many family meals; still preferring to keep to himself. Antonio hadn't had many opportunities to interact with Bruno. Maybe life hadn't changed that much after all.

Camilo took a glance at his little brother to check on him. When he saw the look on Antonio's face, he put down his fork.

Camilo turned to Antonio and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. The child looked up at him with big, teary eyes.

"Hey, I know what you're thinking. Don't you go worrying about your tío. He's a grown-up, he's gonna be okay" He pointed a finger, keeping his voice down so the conversation would stay between them.

"But- but why does tío Bruno not wanna eat with us?" Antonio questioned, feeling hurt.

Camilo thought for a second, searching for the right words.

"Do you remember Scary Bruno?"

Antonio nodded sadly, picturing the silly impression of their tío that Camilo used to make. Seven foot frame, rats along his back. Mean expression and mischievous grin.

"That's how people used to see him. So they gave him a hard time because of it. But when tío came back, people learned to live with him, right? But he's still learning to live with people again" Camilo concluded.

"Do you get it?"

Antonio nodded slowly, processing the information as he started to understand and feel calmer.

"He just needs a little more...time and patience from us. Can you be patient for your tío?"

Antonio nodded again, determined this time.

Camilo patted him on the back and gave him a soft affectionate squeeze on the shoulder, as they both turned to their plates. Suddenly Camilo felt someone staring at him and looked up to see Mirabel, who he just now realized had been listening the whole time, smiling softly at him from across the table. He grinned back at her.

Just as he did, the chatter died down once again. The family seemed to have run out of things to say for now, and ate in silence for a couple of minutes until Agustin chimed in. "So, it looks like Bruno's not coming for breakfast this morning"

The first month Bruno was back, the family would always wait politely for him before starting to eat; sometimes going as far as sending someone upstairs to knock on his door and ask if he was going to come down to eat with the family. That is, until he thanked them for the gesture but insisted it's not necessary they wait for him. Since then, they lowered their expectations and allowed him the freedom to come down when he feels like it.

Alma glanced up at Bruno's door on the second floor "No, but it's okay. We need to give him time, he'll come to us when he's ready" She nodded, partially trying to reassure herself too. It was always hard for her to see Bruno so isolated. Him returning home and going straight back to his old habits brought back her old concerns for her son.

Another minute of silence.

"Mamá, speaking of Bruno" Pepa spoke up suddenly, making everyone's heads turn towards her. "Julieta and I washed his red chair yesterday. It was a lot of work." She sighed

"He kept saying 'no, no, that's okay Pepa' but we couldn't just leave it like that!" Pepa imitated her brother's tone and expression. "The thing was falling apart. You should've seen it!"

"Might as well have sent it off to the dump and bought a new one. Saved you the trouble" Felix cackled and Dolores and Camilo chuckled.

"Ay Felix no digas eso!" Pepa shoved his arm playfully and spoke in a warning tone. "You know what he told us?" She pointed with her fork, looking around at the other relatives to engage them in the conversation.

"He said that chair was the first piece of furniture he managed to get for the hideout" Felix choked on his juice and started coughing, and all of the kids burst out laughing at his apologetic expression.

"Right, Julieta? Didn't he?" Pepa nodded at Julieta, asking her to back her up.

Julieta nodded. "We tried to tell him we could get a new one, but he just wasn't having it" Julieta explained to the family. "Said it had sentimental value" She sighed.

Something clicked for Mirabel and she spoke up "I know what we should do! We should take him out in the village and help him pick out new furniture for his room, new clothes. It will be fun!"

Julieta tensed up and exchanged a knowing look with an equally tense Pepa "Uy, mija... You know what your tio is like. It's hard enough to get him to come downstairs; let alone convince him to leave the house" Agustín placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"But maybe if we try to-" Mirabel started.

"It's not like we didn't try. Mamá woud knock on his door every day, beg him to come outside but he wouldn't listen!" Pepa interrupted. "It was no use" Felix nodded knowingly, while abuela just sat in silence staring off into the distance, not wishing to discuss the subject.

"But what if it's different this time?" Mirabel argued.

"The point is, Mira... I don't think he's ready yet. It's too soon." Julieta finished with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry"

Mirabel, now frustrated, dropped the subject and picked up her fork. Her distracted gaze rested on the plate as, in her mind, she stubbornly gave the final word: "We'll never know if we don't try"

---

The family finished their breakfast mostly in silence and slowly started leaving the table to go about their day. Pepa, Julieta and Abuela picked up the dishes and took them to the kitchen. Camilo was the next to leave, presumably to lazily lounge in one of the hammocks like he usually does after having a big meal. Felix took Antonio upstairs. Agustín headed towards the living room.

As Luisa and Isabela, each on one side of Mirabel, were getting up; Mira knocked her leg against theirs under the table to get their attention. When they looked at her quizzically she cocked her head towards the table, signalling they should sit back down.

Dolores, ever vigilant with her curious eyes and her sharp ears, was now onto them. She dragged her chair closer and leaned forward as if by doing so she could hear them better. As if she needed it. Nevertheless, Isabela and Luisa did the same so now the four girls were all sat very close around the table.

"Do we agree that just because they said no, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try?" Mirabel whispered injusticed.

"What are you talking about?" Luisa said, confused.

"The Bruno thing!" Dolores hissed, evidently wanting to get to the point.

[it cuts off cause I never finished this dialogue]

Part 2:

Bruno Madrigal sat relaxed in his hammock. His legs crossed, a book in his lap. One hand flipping the pages every minute, the other dangling lazily from the hammock to caress his rat companions, occasionally scraping the sandy floor.

His pets had been much more well-fed and groomed these days. The same could be said about him. In fact, a lot had changed in the weeks that had passed since la Casita was finally finished.

Reading was always one of Bruno's favourite pastimes, especially fiction stories that fueled his already vivid imagination; transporting him to happier worlds and serving as inspiration whenever he came up with his own narratives. This time around though, he wasn't reading in his little hideout in the walls like he had done every day for the last 10 years. He was doing it in his room.

The space has transformed considerably from before the house crumbled and continues to change every day, following its owner's feelings like every room in la Casita. The steps of the massive stone stairs seemed to be decreasing exponentially, and the mounds of sand parted to reveal green tiles with elaborate patterns underneath. The walls are no longer cold and grey but specked with pieces of emerald stones, decorated with areas of intricate carvings depicting Bruno's rituals and powers... And a few pencil portraits of his beloved pet rats here and there. He even had all his furniture moved from his hideout to the room, where the family managed to create a cozy little area for him. Overall, it looks more inviting and lived in.

Increasingly similar to what it looked like before everything started changing all those years ago. Still, it felt a little strange to him, being here. Sure, being back was a dream come true. Everything had worked out in the end: Mirabel is okay. The family is more connected than ever. The house was rebuilt. The miracle is still going strong. But his issues wouldn't be solved so easily.

He sometimes felt like crawling back into his hideout, where he's been living for so long. He was sure casita could conjure it up for him again if he asked, and the thought tempted him whenever he faced a challenge. Hiding is good. It's familiar. He knew every nook and cranny of the spaces between the walls that had been his home, and he was protected there. But he was vulnerable here, where anyone could reach him. He often thought it felt better to be invisible than rejected.

The room changed so much every week, and though it might be for better; it still takes some getting used to. It wasn't his home yet. But he knew it would feel like it again one day. Seeing the room's pleasant changes gave him hope, knowing it mirrors his deeper thoughts and feelings.

Just as he noticed he had zoned out and not registered a word of the last three pages, a knock came from the glowing door, startling him and making him jump up, still not used to visitors. His rat friends scurried away.

"Knock knock knock! Tío? Soy yo, Mirabel" Mira called enthusiastically.

A couple of muffled voices retorted from behind the door.

"...And sisters" She added.

Another muffled voice complained.

"...And prima! Ay!" Mirabel sighed, exasperated. "Can we come in? We brought you breakfast"

"Sí, Mira. Come in" he answered, getting up and putting his book away. The sandfall parted to let him through as he straightened his ruana, dusting off any rogue particles of sand.

He walked to the door, holding it open as Mirabel, Luisa, Isabela and Dolores came in, each greeting their uncle as they passed him.

Once they were all in the room, Isabela held out a small cactus in an argyle pot, smiling shyly. "Tío, this is for you"

His gaze shifted between the plant and his niece, absorbing the information. He reached for it and gently took it, surprised. A gift for him?!

"I planted it!" She exclaimed loudly, all giddy. A small crooked smile grew on his face upon her barely contained excitement.

Isabela had been one of the members of the family who had changed the most in the last few months. She experimented with her gift in a way she'd never felt free to, and the authenticity empowered her. She grew herbs for her mother. She grew vegetables and fruit trees around the village - although those were quite taxing on her. But Isa had also learned to appreciate growing plants the regular way, making gardening into a hobby. She brought botanical books home and took the time to learn about the plants she had been growing all her life. It was a way to feel more grounded and connected to herself. She now often wore her hair out of the way, up in a messy bun, an apron tied around her waist, and didn't mind getting a little dirt under her fingernails; much to her abuela's discomfort.

He turned the pot around in his hands, checking the details of the plant. As he did so, he noticed a pink flower growing on top on the other side.

The vision of the prickly plant growing the delicate flower reminded him of the duality in his and Isabela's gift. His, branded inherently negative for decades, eventually became the family and the miracle's saving grace. Hers, labeled only ever perfectly pleasant, now unleashed and used to explore her full potential, thorns and all. This represented them quite well.

"Isa... Gracias. I love it" he looked her in the eyes, feeling touched at her thoughtfulness. She smiled wider. "Plus this room could use a little decor too, ya know?" he gestured around the empty entrance, rolling his eyes and pulling a bored face. The girls chuckled, and he did too. Making them laugh felt nice. His sobrinos were his favourite people in the world. Talking to them felt easy.

If only the same could be said about the adults...

"Why don't you come in? I was just doing some reading but having my sobrinas around for a visit is much better, I think!" he chatted enthusiastically as he lead them through the parted sandfall towards his living area. The girls followed him, dusting themselves off and looking all around the ample space. Each family member had come to visit a few times since Casita was rebuilt, but the room's changes were always a surprise.

He pulled out a few cushions, fluffing them and laying them on the floor for them. "Sorry girls, these are all I've got for now" he laughed nervously, crossing his arms. "No couch, you see?" Bruno shrugged.

"This is perfect" Mirabel reassured kindly.

"Yeah. Thanks, tío" Luisa said, taking a seat along with Isabela.

Dolores, distracted by the amplification and echoing of their voices in the vast cave, was the last one of the girls to sit down, next to Mirabel; looking up at the high stone ceiling with such marvel she nearly missed the cushion.

Bruno sat in his old - now properly washed and cleaned by his sisters - red armchair. He set the cactus Isabella have him on a rickety table next to his chair.

A few of Bruno's rats came out of hiding to sit under his ruana. Some went to Mirabel instead, who chuckled and promptly started to pet and caress them. She had grown rather fond of them, having visited so often. She even knew their names by now. The other girls didn't quite share the same feeling for the little critters yet and preferred to keep their distance, as evidenced by Dolores slowly inching her cushion away from Mirabel.

A comfortable silence took over as Mirabel and Bruno played with the animals and the other girls took in the... interesting decor, for lack of a better word.

"Nice drawings" Dolores quietly pointed out the art around the hammock depicting the rodents in a variety of styles of clothing, some even enacting dramatic scenes. Everyone's heads turned to where she was pointing.

"Oh, those?" Bruno put down his animal friend, following Dolores' gaze to the pictures behind him. "Yeah, I've always liked drawing, and for the last few years these little guys were pretty much the only models I had" He gestured to his art, his eyes traveling over the mural of portraits before shifting back to Dolores

"Gotta work with what you got, you know?" He shrugged.

Mirabel, who had been working with what she'd gotten for a long time, especially agreed.

She saw a lot of her uncle in her personality. For one, they both loved their families so deeply they would put themselves last to help them, without batting an eye. Secondly, they were both artists. It was no secret Mirabel loved to cover all of her garments in colorful embroidery. But she could also sew, play the accordion fairly well and even tried her hand at writing every now and again.

After the reconciliation, Julieta fondly told her daughters all about how Bruno used to play the guitar and sing to the family when he was younger. She told funny stories about the times when he would make the village children laugh with his silly voices and imitations, and his mischievous, quick-witted sense of humour.

Sadly, Mirabel didn't have any memories of her tío being cheerful and joyous. The one memory she has of him is from the worst, most chaotic day of her life: when she didn't get her gift. From just before he vanished to protect her.

"Wow those are like, really good!" Luisa exclaimed, pointing out a few particularly realistic drawings to an equally impressed Isabela.

All this sudden attention was making Bruno feel a little flustered. "Well, I had a lot of time to practice, so..." He played with a loose thread of the fabric on one of the armrests, averting their gaze.

The girls sensed his discomfort with where the conversation was headed, albeit they couldn't help but wonder what it was like to live in isolation all those years.

The family had had several questions about what Bruno's daily routine and habits had been like in that period, but usually filed those away in respect for his desire to forget (which didn't mean they couldn't theorise amongst themselves).

They sat in an uncomfortable silence.

Luisa suddenly reached out and gently took his hand. "What... What was the hardest part?' She broke the silence. Her genuine tone and gentle expression as she looked him in the eyes conveyed that she wasn't just asking out of mere curiosity, but wish to connect.

Bruno blinked and stared off into the distance, searching for the right words.

"Definitely being away from you, my sobrinos..." He squeezed Luisa's hand with a little apologetic smile and she let go, encouraging him to go on.

"Don't get me wrong, I missed everyone; of course! But I had an entire life with mis hermanas, mamá... I had so little time with you all." He looked at each of them now, bearing a defeated expression. They listened closely to his every word, as it was rare for him to open up like this.

"I only had five years with you, Mira and even less with Camilo. And I wasn't even around that much then. All I could think about was how I should've spent more time with you. With all of you. And how foolish I was to let meaningless things get in the way of what we could've had. And then Antonio came along and I couldn't even meet him or hold him... It killed me."

He shook his head and hung his head low, as if rejecting all of those painful memories.

The girls sat in complete silence waiting for him to go on. Sensing their expectation, he finished with a warm smile:

"Maybe that's why it's so much easier for me to be around you than everyone else."

The girls looked at him in wonder, touched by what they had heard.

Mirabel was struck by the realization that, although she could barely remember Bruno's presence during her childhood as he was so isolated, he'd loved her so much he had sacrificed everything to make sure nobody would find the vision and she'd never have to feel the way he did.

"Tío, listen..." Mirabel started "the reason we came here, other than to bring your breakfast, was because... Because..." She stuttered. Her mother's warnings playing in her mind, making her unsure of whether she should go on.

He leaned forward in expectation.

Sensing Mirabel's struggle and barely containing her excitement, Isabela finished her sentence.

"We wanted to take you out into the village today!" She nearly squealed.

Bruno tensed up. He opened and closed his mouth several times, as if searching for something to say. Just as he was about to speak, Mirabel interrupted urgently with her hands up "I know what you're about to say! You're gonna say you're not ready, maybe some other day and all that; but tío, it's gonna be great, trust me!" She spoke very fast, and a little too loudly.

"We're all gonna be there with you and we can do lots of fun things in the village and have the best day ever and I know you're worried about the neighbors staring or being rude to you but we'll escort you everywhere and make sure that doesn't happen; plus what better bodyguard is there than Luisa?" She finished her frantic monologue by gesturing to her sister, evidently believing she'd finished with the best point.

"Can't argue with that!" Luisa shrugged, smiling proudly.

"Mamá and tía Pepa were talking over breakfast about the day you moved back into your room and we realised you still haven't done any shopping since then. We thought we could go out together and get you everything you need" Isabela explained rationally. "We could get stuff for your room, new clothes for you, and anything else you might like. And don't worry, we'll do the talking!"

"Plus... We have so much catching up to do, like you said" Dolores pointed out softly.

"Right?! We'll have the whole day to ourselves!" Mirabel finished excitedly.

They all grinned at him expectantly.

He thought it all over. Talking to his family still wasn't easy, but even the mere thought of going out in the village frankly made his stomach turn with anxiety and his hands go cold. In a second, he thought of all the ways in which this could possibly go wrong. They all involved neighbors cussing him out over negative visions he'd had decades ago, angry mobs chasing after him with pitchforks and torches, the works - his active imagination was perhaps being a tad overdramatic.

But as he imagined his sobrinas by his side and all of their loving encouragement, his heart swelled with joy and some of the fear melted away. His nieces are such good people that he knows even if the neighbors hated him, they would never do anything against him if it meant they could upset the girls. He'd have their good name to fall back on. With them, he was free.

The image became clearer and clearer: they would spend all day together. The girls would show him around the Encanto and tell him what's changed in the last ten years. He would, in turn, open up more and share stories about his childhood and the family. He'd learn more about his nieces. They could eat out for dinner at the end of the evening. They'd laugh together and have a memorable day. He'd be able to make up for some of their lost time!

As the anxiety turned into excitement, the picture in his imagination became so clear that it started to take on a powerful green glow and solidify in his mind's eye; and as he felt the familiar warm sensation behind his eyelids, he quickly shielded his face with his hand and turned away burying his face into the armchair's back rest so his nieces wouldn't see. Mirabel had seen him like this, but he wasn't ready to show the other girls yet. He was afraid of what they might think.

"Tío! Are you okay?!" Luisa lept from her cushion with her hands out, ready to help him. Isabela jumped and Dolores squeaked, spooked by his unexpected reaction.

Mirabel, now on her feet, softly pulled Luisa back by the arm. "It's okay, it's just a vision!" She reassured.

As Luisa stepped back and relaxed, Mirabel kneeled in front of Bruno as he blinked back into his normal state and faced her.

"What did you see?"

"You were right. It's a great day" he smiled.

Part 3:

As they opened the door of his room and stepped onto the landing, Bruno pulled the hood of his ruana over his head in order to avert the neighbors' stared. Isabela and Dolores slinked their arms around his, each on one side as they made their way down the stairs. Mirabel and Luisa followed behind.

"Oh, this is great! You're in such good hands with us, Dolores and I are always shopping and we know the best places in town with the cutest clothes" Isabela gushed and clapped excitedly.

"Hey, hey, hey, hold on!" Camilo, who'd been walking toward the kitchen, suddenly placed himself between the group and the door, hands up signaling them to stop. "Where do y'all think you're going without telling me?" He put his hands on his hips defensively

"We're just taking tío out shopping. Wanna come?" Luisa offered politely.

Camilo's expression changed from defensive to incredulous as his jaw dropped. "I just can't believe you guys were going on a family outing without me. I thought we had something special!" He pouted theatrically.

Bruno chuckled quietly, entertained by his sobrino's act.

Isabela crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Oh, okay! So why don't you tell us where *you* were sneaking off to, then?" She pushed his chest with an inquisitive finger, slightly throwing him off balance. She knew from the look on his face he was about to sneak food from the kitchen again.

"Ow! Excuse me, but that's my business" He massaged the spot where she had poked him.

"Oh, so let me see if I understand. Where you go is your business, but where we go is public information?" She put her hands on her hips.

"I have my own life, you know?" Camilo crossed his arms, shrugging matter-of-factly. Isabela scoffed at his nerve.

...Aaaand bickering ensued, as usual.

Luisa blinked confused at how the conversation had escalated in seconds. Beside her, Bruno was standing there awkwardly shifting on his feet watching it unfold, not sure whether to intervene as the adult figure in the group (he felt he didn't have the authority to); while Dolores was covering her ears, her eyes shifting between Isa and her brother as they argued, not wanting to lose any of the free entertainment.

Isa let Camilo's teasing get to her so often, at this point Mirabel was starting to believe she just enjoyed bickering with him. It was just their way of socialising with each other, she supposed. They'd always been like this, after all.

Mira sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ay, Isa! Por favor, cálmate!" She pulled her sister back by the arm, breaking the conflict. "He's just teasing you, you know what he's like."

Camilo's smirk only grew as he counted himself the winner. Isa scoffed, pouted and narrowed her eyes dangerously at him as she stepped back, standing behind her sisters and taking a few deep breaths to steady herself.

"Okay, that's better I guess!" Mira said optimistically trying to lift the mood, pretending she couldn't feel Isabela glaring at Camilo from behind her.

"Guys c'mon, we've got something a little more important to be doing now than this!" Luisa tried to shift the group's focus back into the task. "Camilo, are you coming or not?" Her tone demanded a proper answer.

Camilo pretended to carefully ponder the question, then shrugged "Yeah, okay." He walked over to the group. Luisa, Isabela and Mirabel now lead the way, just wanting to get the pointless discussion over with quickly.

As they all stepped outside, Bruno patted Camilo on the back and offered him a warm smile, pleased he was coming along. The more sobrinos, the merrier.

He felt like he was being escorted by the toughest bodyguards, having his sobrinos' excellent reputations to fall back on for the day. Nobody could give him a hard time or make him feel alienated today. He knew they wouldn't allow it.

"Oh, hola tío." Camilo lifted a hand in acknowledgement just as he felt Dolores nudge him.

When he turned to her she was glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, with a subtle smile to let him know she thought the whole ordeal had been quite funny. He grinned back but noticed Dolores was now biting her lip hard to hold back from laughing.

Seeing her trying so bad was hilarious, and he covered his mouth with his hand to stifle the snorts threatening to let loose. Camilo started going red in the face, which in turn made his sister's body start shaking with barely controlled humor. Dolores' eyes started watering from containing herself, and Camilo squeezed his eyes shut to try and gain some self-control.

Isabela rolled her eyes, but the siblings didn't see it.

They sniggered and snorted back and forth like this until Bruno caught the pair by surprise by slinking his arm over Camilo's shoulder and pulling him closer, abruptly pulling the siblings apart in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

For some reason this was what made them finally burst out laughing and gasping for air, earning a glare from Isabela and confused looks from Mirabel and Luisa.

Even Bruno couldn't help but chuckle a bit too, albeit feeling a little guilty. Their loud, high-pitched roars were simply too contageous to resist; and the more the villagers stared bewildered and bemused at the racket, the harder it was to fight back. Eventually even Luisa, Mirabel and Isabela lightened up a little, too.

[yellowcry]

Special just the way you are

Eleven years ago, Mirabel wouldn't believe how far she had come today

@encantober-official prompt - Thread

Just a little more left!

Mirabel sat under the fluffy tree. The burning sun crawled against her skin, light wind ruffled her hair. The cold metal pins clanged against each other. This was her day off, so naturally she would spend it on her hobby rather than making embroidery for the local tailor. Nobody seemed really surprised when Mirabel said she was going to tie her life to embroidery.

Mirabel loved embroidery. This was something she realized back in the beginning of school when she was very young. They were taught some basic sewing skills. In the very least how to patch a clothes or embroider something small. And suddenly she found herself drawn to it. Her various skirts were growing in decorations. Same to her family, except for the fact that theirs was professional. But Mirabel didn't feel like she deserved it (sometimes she really wished to hug her younger-self), so she decorated her clothes herself. Stitch after stitch. Even after collapse, embroidery was always a constant. Like an old friend, ready to embrace her no matter the day. If she was anxious, if the walls felt like they would crush... Mirabel would pick her needle and embroider her feelings away. With the passing years the flow of the thread became easier. And the style became finer, more delicate. And she loved how this life was going. Simple but steady.

The woman closed her eyes, listening to the whispers of the faded leaves. After all these years, Mirabel was proud to say she came this far. Yes, pain of the past didn't let go completely. But compared to what was ten years ago? She was in a far better place. There were good days, there were bad days.

There was a heavy thud as somebody dropped besides her. 'Luisa' – she thought briefly. Simply from the estimated size.

"What cha' doin'?" Luisa looked down, resting her head in her hands.

"Oh just some knitting to relax." Mirabel shrugged. "Have you checked Paloma's dress design? Should I start working on the embroidery?"

This was one of the things that made Mirabel nervous lately. This was another gift ceremony to come. And, unlike Teresa, Luisa's daughter was very stubborn. There was no way to force her if she didn't want to comply. So naturally, Mirabel was worried. She was the one decorating her family's clothes for the last few years. And, obviously it included ceremony dresses. With all their white lace and sunny golden flows.

"Looks great to me. But I haven't asked her yet." And even when they asked, knowing her sobrina Mirabel was sure she would find something to complain about in the end. Making her redo the embroidery. Paloma just had to take Mirabel's attention to details and Isabela's demanding nature. The only really good thing is that she wasn't into insane level of energy like Luisa. "Why does my girl grow so fast? I'm so very not ready!"

And Luisa could agree. It feels like just yesterday Mirabel was knitting a blanked to wrap newborn in. Just yesterday Luisa seemed to be freaking out, unsure if she was ready to be a parent. Now she was so grown up. Even if there wasn't such pressure as it used to be back in the day. Ceremony was probably still the most important day for any Madrigal. And Mirabel couldn't allow anything but her best for such an important event. Call her whatever you want, but it was her sobrina. And it was a big event too, pretty much everyone would be at the ceremony. So, there was a worry of not doing it good enough. Failing her supposed job

The fact Paloma was so big already was unbelievable. Needing her very own ceremonial dress. All embroidered and decorated. Jewellery dancing in the snow. And even stranger for Mirabel was her own role at this all. Back at Antonio's ceremony, she would never think anyone dared to give her such an important role. Embellish costume that was the most important for them all. 

Of course, Mirabel did decorated clothes for her family included. But when ceremony was such an important event in life, Mirabel felt even more honoured by this. And also wanting it to be even better, even despite Luisa assuring Mirabel she shouldn't overwork herself (and interrupting her work sometimes to ensure Mirabel had rest enough). But then again, it wasn't just about Luisa. It was about a birthday girl. And Mirabel wanted to be sure it was the best day of her life. It was hard, of course. Sometimes thinking about upcoming celebration was just too much. A salt into old wound. Even it was over twenty years, Mirabel wasn't sure she would ever forget it. The trauma didn't define who she was, not anymore. But it was a ever-living presence. She wanted to be present at the ceremony. Just for her love to Luisa. But, just as it happened with Teresa, her parental cousins allowed Mirabel to stay over with them.  

But, after doing one more ceremony, after ten years since the last one, when Antonio was getting his own gift, it did calm Mirabel's anxiety a bit. It was all okay, she didn't feel as bad as the last time. And for now, Mirabel wanted to focus on what she had to do in the moment. Bringing the dress to life, painting in write and gold. Just to ensure she made the best dress of all time for her special little girl. And know Paloma would have fun at the party. No matter if it was successful or failed, leaving the girl with empty hands. Let her know her family loved her regardless.

[myplaylists-angeli]

That Playlist, Explained

The main focus of this playlist is to function as some sort of soundtrack for the cricket tournament on Weston’s arc. I’m not entirely sure how much the songs are historically accurate (aka “was this composition bopping in the local victorian theaters of that time (1889)?”) but let’s work with what we have: my passion for classical music.

Now my initial expectation was writing down the compositions names and writing what was my plan by choosing them… and somewhere after Pomp and Circumstance I had completely lost the plot and just begun narrating/summarizing the chapters. But the actual meanings are at the end if you want to skip it!

★ [Spoilers for the end of the arc!!] ★

1. Giselle: Act I - Entrée du Prince (Prince’s Entrance), by Adolphe Charles Adam [1841]

We open with the “Prince’s Entrance” at the ceremony of June 3rd in Weston, where the house representatives are yet to be presented. This is our little intro before the great show!

2. Pomp and Circumstance: March No.1, by Edward Elgar [1901]

Now enter the houses and their teams! 

“Their overwhelming physical prowess and teamwork are second to none… absolute champions! Top of the World: the Green Lions, the Knights!” 

 “Captivating spectators with their elegant plays…  a garden of fine plays! Brilliant Eden: the Scarlet Foxes, the Dramaturges!” 

“The House team, they say, throw their opponents into confusion by unpredictably tricky plays… a swarming of specters! Ghost Legion: the Violet Wolves, the Monk Sages!”

“They aim for an opportunity to win the championship with their strategic game plans… attack of the cornered rats! God-Only-Knows: the Sapphire Owls, the Academics!”

So come and enjoy for the ceremony of the Inter-house Cricket Tournament of 1889 is at the heights of its fire.

3. The Planets, Op. 32: 4. Jupiter - the Bringer of Jollity, by Gustav Holst [1914]

The first game is Sapphire Owls vs Scarlet Foxes. It’s epic, it’s joyful and we’re off to an impressive start with Soma’s cricket abilities, Edgar’s ~Crimson Rose Tornado!~ and Harcourt being himself. 

The game is impressive and it seems like everything is going in favor for the Scarlet Fox house…

4. The Four Seasons: Winter, by Antonio Vivaldi [1723]

… until it wasn’t. With a chilling sensation that creeps even the most sensible regions of one’s stomach, Bard’s horrendous meat-pie and Ciel’s plan dominate the game and guarantee the first victory for the Sapphire Owls!

5. Swan Lake: Act III - Spanish Dance, by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky [1877]

Going to the other side of the campus, a match between the Green Lions and the Purple Wolves. Cheslock makes a great move with his Rushing Violet Vapour — Purple Burnout!! and it’s highly effective until Herman hits it back. Victory to the Green house! And the cherry on top is… whatever the hell Gregory is doing on the field. Art goth kids, I swear to God…

6. Sun and Earth: Scene IV - “Winter” Polka, by Josef Bayer [1888]

Ciel gives his team a motivational speech: “Let’s win this! For us and for the Red House too!” (oh my, what a gentle boy!).

Now it’s official: the finale, Lions against Owls! But that will take a little while, so rest yourself and enjoy the show!

7. Radetzky March, by Johann Strauss I [1848]

Sebas… I mean, Master Michaelis puts his cheering orchestra in place to cheer for the Owls. And things seem to be going pretty well for the Owls, as they manage to hit the ball and mark the first points. There’s a flashback of Ciel explaining their strategy: every strong chord from the march, it’s a cue for the ball that’s coming!

8. L’Arlésienne Suite - No.2: 4. Farandole, by Georges Bizet [1872]

Here comes Edward for the bowl! He applied Cheslock’s move (Rushing Violet Vapour — Purple Burnout!!) and made a hit. And also cuts to Edward’s life flashback~ He doesn’t hold back, he doesn’t lose hope! Edward puts effort in everything he can do to come a little close to the geniuses he admires — even if Herman recognizes that this is no mid Midford on the field…!!

9. Concerto For 2 Violins in A Minor, L’estro Armonico: I. Allegro, by Antonio Vivaldi [1711] 

And on the other side of the field, enter the Headmaster and exits Sebastian from the orchestra. But unfortunately this left the Blue House in a bad spot without its musical cues and “cheering”... that’s it until Ciel makes up a new strategy! Now there’s something wrong with the Green House players — hm, and we’re informed that Sebastian thought it would be a good idea to invite Lau?

10. The Nutcracker: VI. Chinese Dance, by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky [1892]

Oh. So that’s why. A Surprise Brazen Harem of Woman!! — Ciel, or rather, Lau’s move for the Blue House. And the poor owl boys and their even poorer eyesight don’t even have a clue on what’s going on. That’s it… until Maurice raised a cry about their strategy. Time for a new plan, Ciel!

11. La Campanella, by Niccolò Paganini [1838] 

And Sebastian is still desperately trying to find the running Headmaster! 

While at that, a flashback reveals Ciel had news instructions for the Owls team. In a complex physics dynamic that’s too complicated to be summarized here (without copying a whole paragraph from the manga, that is), Lawrence makes a hit. You can see all Blue House players from here, in a new move: The Sword in the Stone~!!

12. Dance of the Goblins, by Antonio Bazzini [1852]

Now it’s Ciel’s time to bowl again — and Sebastian is on the search. And Ciel’s ball trajectory is… well, physically questionable against all laws of nature… but it’s within the rules, so shut up.

13. Pictures at an Exhibition: The Great Gate at Kiev, by Modest Mussorgsky [1874] 

The field complains about the foul nature of this move but Herman comes to the Blue House’s defense: “for the owl has come with might and main to hunt the lion”! (in his words)

14. 1812 Overture, by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky [1880]

But Ciel’s trick is still troublesome for a lot of Green House players, in a matter of mind manipulation and Over-the-Edge Tactics!! Devilish, indeed. Terrific, also. Now is Edward on the bat and he managed to make a six — now it’s on Lawrence’s hands. 

And later is in the… air? BUT NO! The ball has fallen directly into the wicket?! So Lawrence was literally up to something! — the field crowd melts at the sight. It’s the ~Hunter in the Dark~~!, sneaky and deadly as an owl. Now enters Herman in all his glory and preparation. Brain vs Brawn, afterall! The discussion of generations of human genes!

Lawrence throws but Herman takes the hit epicly, to the point of throwing it back so hard it could have BLOODY DESTROYED someone’s head in the crowd. That’s: Sword Excalibur!! 

At last, Ciel gives a pep talk to Lawrence to regain his confidence in himself and the game for the Blue House. Winning or losing… may he bowl without any regrets.

(pls put on 9:40 from here) 

In another epic set of panels — that’s it, scenes — Lawrence bowls one more time… but oh no, Herman accidentally hits Ciel while preparing to bat. As other Green House player comes to the field, Ciel seizes his eye on the ball and ends up throwing it right into the wicket! Umpire and it’s out!

The match is over: VICTORY to the Blue House! (put music on 12:30)

As if imaginary canons blow their shots into the distance, every single student on the field comes together to jump Ciel onto their shoulders. Finally, after so much effort and time, the Sapphire Miracle happens yet again! And by the hands of a second generation of Phantomhive? Incredible! One hell of a winning match!

And here comes Master Michaelis to rescue a wounded Ciel from his team’s hands to receive treatment. But the boy is the most happy about his house winning and finally being recognized as capable as anyone else. So sweet, this little boy! An absolute angel in disguise had come for the Blue House’s cause…!!

15. Devil’s Trill: III. Allegro assai, by Giuseppe Tartini [1713~1740]

… well, that was the expectation. 

Sebastian treats Ciel’s wound while a little bit of explanation unfolds. They really said “fake it until you make it”, all in good faith for the wellness of their investigation. Remarkable? Remarkable. Still in this moment of calmness before the party — and then, a storm — they discuss some important things.

16. Die Entführung aus dem Serail: Act 3. “Bassa Selim lebe lange”, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [1782]

I guess you can see them now, the “Little-Lord Cox” and the boat with his teammates, sailing through the Thames river in front of Windsor Castle, while good ol’ Vicky watches the English youth bestowing another glory to the country’s name… and maybe falling straight into the water can be a good sign? It is the most elegant display of nerdy behavior if I say myself — I would probably get the same ending. 

So may the festivities begin!

17. In the Dark of the Night (Epic Version), by Alala

Oh. What is this? Perhaps… do I hear a twist coming up? About the Headmaster? About the P4? Or maybe, there’s someone else behind in the darkness? Well, this is talk for another day. Don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re so under bloody pressure, mate!

★★★★★

Now, here, what the compositions are meant to be:

1. Giselle: Act I - Entrée du Prince (Prince’s Entrance), by Adolphe Charles Adam [1841]

Due to the regal and pompous status of Weston College, I thought using Giselle’s Prince Entrance would go very well as an intro.

2. Pomp and Circumstance: March No.1, by Edward Elgar [1901]

Pomp and Circumstance is a solemn and popular British march known throughout the whole world, especially for their movements. I thought it was only fitting that the houses would enter at such timing. 

But it’s not historically accurate!

3. The Planets, Op. 32: 4. Jupiter - the Bringer of Jollity, by Gustav Holst [1914]

Holst’s Jupiter had this Scarlet Fox feel to it that I couldn’t simply ignore, so here we are! But it’s not historically accurate either!

The Four Seasons: Winter, by Antonio Vivaldi [1723]

Technically this was meant to symbolize the Purple House but as I was reading and it became that whole debacle about Bard’s pie, I thought Winter’s ominous sound would go better with it lol

Swan Lake: Act III - Spanish Dance, by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky [1877]

And this one is now symbolizing Purple House’s game. I wish we saw more of them…

Sun and Earth: Scene IV - “Winter” Polka, by Josef Bayer [1888]

Not a big meaning for this one. I think it was in my spotify favorites list and it sounded nice. Also it’s funny to think it comes before the main story lol

Radetzky March, by Johann Strauss I [1848]

This one actually appears in the manga/anime!

L’Arlésienne Suite - No.2: 4. Farandole, by Georges Bizet [1872]

I don’t understand much of Bizet but this also sounded nice and proper for this scene.

Concerto For 2 Violins in A Minor, L’estro Armonico: I. Allegro, by Antonio Vivaldi [1711] 

Also no big plan for this one but it’s a nice intermission for the next big thing that’s about to happen. 

The Nutcracker: VI. Chinese Dance, by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky [1892]

C’mon. Like… c’mon. Someone had to. With this context?? Obvious disclaimer that this isn’t actual Chinese instrumentalization or music. Funny enough, it’s a couple of years “futuristic” for the story, so also not accurate.

La Campanella, by Niccolò Paganini [1838] 

I like La Campanella and it goes amazing with this scene. 

But also, there were rumors at Paganini’s time that he had made a pact with the devil for his violin skills. Although it is theorized that probably his “mephistopheles-like” appearance and long fingers may be results of Marfan syndrome or Ehlers–Danlos syndrome — also a complicated lifestyle as a musician.

Dance of the Goblins, by Antonio Bazzini [1852]

I never heard of this one before but as I was listening (and obviously looking at the title), I thought it would fit perfectly with this situation. After all, if Sebastian is a hell of a butler, Ciel is one boy of a goblin.

Pictures at an Exhibition: The Great Gate at Kiev, by Modest Mussorgsky [1874] 

Mussorgsky is very grandiose in his compositions, especially in the Pictures at an Exhibition, so I thought it fit Herman’s speech. 

1812 Overture, by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky [1880]

This is a known battle overture with literal cannons with it and it screamed “that last part at Owls vs Lions game” with all its chaos, violence, epicness and victory at the end. 

Devil’s Trill: III. Allegro assai, by Giuseppe Tartini [1713~1740]

It’s… almost self-explanatory by the title. But for those who don’t know, Tartini had a nightmare/dream once that the actual devil showed up to his, in his bed, to simply play the violin and made the most complicated, devilish-structured but perfect music on the instrument. Tartini spent the rest of his days trying to replicate the sound of his dream, “without success” in his words.

Die Entführung aus dem Serail: Act 3. “Bassa Selim lebe lange”, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [1782]

It came like a nice addition since the next major arc, the Emerald Witch, is in Germany. Plus, it’s one of my favorite Mozart’s songs from the Amadeus movie — alongside Symphony 45 Allegro, Dies Irae and Confutatis. 

17. In the Dark of the Night (Epic Version), by Alala

No, think of another slender, sinister and bony-like guy we have seen before… 

[foreveranevilregal]

Encantober Day 18: Sleep

It was the night of Antonio’s gift ceremony. Tensions were running high in the Madrigal household. All day, Pepa had endured snide little asides from various townspeople about how they hoped this gift ceremony wasn’t as bad as the last one. As if reminding her of her fear would help anything! Somehow, she resisted the urge to throttle that oblivious Osvaldo and instead focused on picking out fireworks for the celebration; something bright for her little boy so filled with brightness.

She had been running around all day, finishing up last minute things. It took longer than she thought since she hadn’t slept well the night before. Too many worries about what could go wrong today swarmed in her head to allow her to rest. To keep up her flagging energy, she snuck off to the kitchen for a cup of coffee after breakfast…and lunch. The cup she’d had with breakfast just wasn’t enough to stave off her exhaustion. Sure, her hands were trembling, but at least there was no way she’d fall asleep with how hard her heart was pounding.

Everyone was feeling the tension. All the Madrigals were doing their part to make sure tonight would go smoothly, but there was an undercurrent of unease running through the house. Stupid little things just kept going wrong. Isabela’s beautiful flowers wilted as soon as she hung them up. Luisa dropped the piano- the resulting discordant thud thrummed through the courtyard. Even Julieta had burned the arepas; something that hadn’t happened since they were children. Pepa guessed it was because they were feeling stressed too, but she couldn’t afford for anything else to go wrong.

Eventually, all the issues got resolved. A quick mist with some water perked the flowers right up. Julieta made more arepas, perfectly cooked this time. And the piano was fine where it was. They could just dance around it. The crises were fixed. Nothing else would go wrong tonight.

Her heart did a little pitter-patter when she saw Antonio enter the room. His cream suit fitted him perfectly despite his recent growth spurt, making him look very handsome and grown up. Ay, she couldn’t believe her last baby was growing up! It felt like only yesterday when she held him in her arms, rocking him to sleep. Now, he was preparing to receive his own Madrigal gift that would shape his life and allow him to contribute to the community.

She noticed with a wistful smile that he had some crumbs crusting around the corners of his lips. Licking her thumb, she used it to wipe off the crumbs. Maybe her little boy was still little after all.

The anxiety that she’d mostly managed to keep to a low hum crescendoed as the time for the ceremony finally arrived. Feeling overwhelmed, she watched with detached determination as he climbed up the stairs, his eyes darting nervously around the crowd. Her lips pressed together worriedly as he finally reached the top of the staircase. Would everything turn out well? Would he get his Madrigal gift, like the rest of his family members, save one? Or would he also be skipped over like Mirabel? Was it possible their family just wasn’t going to get gifts anymore? Had their blessings finally come to an end?

The questions bounced around her head frantically as he took the candle from his abuela. Her stomach twisted into knots, observing, horrorstricken, as the candle slid down through the grip of his sweaty palms, and Pepa knew. This was it. No more Madrigal gifts. For some reason, the tradition was over, and she didn’t even dare to look over at her mamá. Pepa already knew how disappointed she would be when Antonio tried opening his door and nothing happened. And then Antonio would look to her for guidance and comfort when she had none to give him. What could she possibly say to make it better?

The sheer terror she felt ripped her out of the dream. Her eyes bolted open and she gasped for breath. It was the middle of the night. Everything was pitch black and quiet. Félix slumbered soundly next to her.

He turned to his side, facing her, and reached out an arm towards her.

Impulsively, she grabbed his hand for comfort. It was big and warm, and she traced the lines in his palm to try and soothe herself.

Félix frowned in his sleep. “You awake, Pepi?” He murmured, his voice heavy with sleep.

“Yeah,” she whispered, surprised she could say anything at all with how tight her throat felt.

“Did you have another nightmare?��

Another nightmare? No. Just the same nightmare she’d been having all week. Antonio’s ceremony was coming up in a few days, and the worries plaguing her had rolled in from the horizon like a terrible storm. “It’s nothing,” she deflected.

Félix fumbled around in the darkness, wrapping Pepa in a clumsy hug. “Go back to sleep,” he encouraged.

Wind whipped her hair against her face. She couldn’t blame him for not waking up. He’d been working so hard lately, and he slept like the dead to recover. Unlike him, she was a light sleeper, and bad dreams tended to wake her up. It had been like this since she was a kid. Pepa had accepted that she just wasn’t destined to get a good night’s sleep. But she hadn’t had the same recurring nightmare so many times in a row since before her wedding. The first time she’d had this nightmare, Félix had listened to her sweetly, but couldn’t understand why she was so worried.

“So what if Antonio doesn’t end up getting a gift?” he had asked. “Will we love him less? Hell no! And if we don’t see him any differently, why would it matter if anyone else does?”

Because mamá’s opinion haunted her like a specter her entire life, Pepa had thought to herself. She knew Félix wouldn’t understand. His parents, and her mamá, all adored him. Pepa’s relationship with her mamá was more…complicated. No matter how much she tried, Pepa never felt good enough for her. The best thing she had done in her mother’s eyes was marry Félix. It felt like that decision finally gained her approval. Of course, Pepa agreed with this assessment, but it also served as a painful reminder that her mother’s approval wasn’t so freely given. Félix didn’t understand what it felt like to jump through hoops to gain his parents’ favor, so he never understood why her mamá’s opinion mattered so much to her. He took for granted what he got so easily.

Sighing in frustration, she got out of bed. Having experienced many a sleepless night, she knew lying in bed and trying to fall back asleep would be pointless. She was far too anxious to try to sleep. Her body was flooded with energy, like a windup toy that someone had decided to wind way too many times. Sleep simply wasn’t possible with the thoughts screaming for her attention and the relentless pounding of her heart.

She slipped out of the room, closing the door behind herself quietly so as not to wake Félix. Moonlight bathed the hallway in a silvery glow, giving it an ethereal feel. For a moment, Pepa felt like she was wandering through her dreams. But the hallway was deserted, so silent that it threatened to swallow Pepa whole. She traipsed aimlessly up and down the hall, touching the doors of each of her children’s rooms lovingly, making sure to be extra quiet at Dolores’ room. Idly, she wondered if Dolores could hear the incessant beating of her heart, then shook the ridiculous thought away.

She did a few laps around the upper floor of casita, trying to burn off the nervous energy before she could work up the nerve to see Antonio. Her feet felt like lead as she trudged around, absolutely exhausted, but too keyed up to sleep.

Eventually, she dragged herself to the nursery. Its door was cracked open, allowing Pepa to peer inside. Antonio wasn’t in his bed like she expected him to be. Instead, he was curled up next to Mirabel, his wild curls barely peeking out over the blanket. The sight warmed Pepa’s heart. Those two loved each other so much, it was almost as if Mirabel was another big sister to Antonio.

Pepa smiled wanly. She was struggling to form coherent thoughts. The desperate need for sleep clouded over her mind. All she knew was, she found it comforting that Antonio had Mirabel. Even if he didn’t end up getting a gift, he wouldn’t be alone in his situation. He’d have a wonderful role model to help him through it.

And, Pepa thought with a yawn, she was so tired of caring about what her mamá would think. She was a grown woman with a husband and children, for crying out loud. If her mamá dared say anything bad about her kids, well…that wedding day hurricane would look like a light drizzle.

Satisfied with this thought, she went back to her bedroom. The abject terror she had been feeling had left her body. All she felt now was a deep tiredness that pulled her down into the mattress. She loved her family. Nothing else mattered. The thought finally lulled her to sleep.

[toaverse]

Unpopular Opinion:

I don't think Pepa is a good mother, I mean look at Antonio and Mirabel they are close, both shared nursery, It looks like Mirabel took care of Antonio when he was a newborn, during the gift ceremony Pepa didn't know where her son was but Mirabel did.

So I think Pepa needs to try better.... I don't know about Felix

Strongly Agree | Agree | Don’t Know | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree

Not to mention that she praised and danced with Isabela, while never interacting with Dolores, her own daughter, except for a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. And Camilo was made responsible for comforting his own mother.

Sure, Pepa praised Antonio before and during his ceremony, but that's his big event, so it doesn't really mean anything when she doesn't interact with her kids outside of their big events.

When your own children don't trust you as a figure to seek comfort (Antonio in the ceremony and when he hid under his bed) or even feel responsible for you (Camilo trying to calm her down) than you're not exactly a good mother.

As for Félix, he isn't any better. We only see him scolding Camilo and another blink-and-you-miss-it moment where he gave Antonio a thumbs up, but he's glued to Pepa's hip for 98% of the film, and doesn't interact with his children other what I already mentioned.

Send me unpopular opinions

[phoenixlionme]

Encanto: Madrigal Family Relationship Analysis Part 15 - Pepa and Antonio

As the above gif perfectly demonstrates, Pepa and Antonio have a very loving relationship. Being her youngest, Pepa practically dotes on and gives many affectionate kisses/hugs to Antonio, which he happily accepts without shame. She nearly caused a tornado worrying about his party not being perfect, nearly tears up (and nearly causes rain) when she lovingly tells her son how grown up he is, and reacts positively towards his successful ceremony. Before Mirabel rushes in about the cracks, Antonio can be seen dancing with Pepa (and Felix) at his party, indicating that he feels very comfortable and safe with her (and his father). When the Casita crumbles, Pepa can be heard in the background comforting a crying Antonio. Tie-in materials reveals Antonio likes to ride on her shoulders (as well as Camilo’s) and Pepa worries about her son being very quiet for his age. Given his young age as well as being a protective mother in general, Pepa is very protective over Antonio and will react negatively if she someone has harmed or attempted to harm him. As for Antonio, he loves his mami dearly and finds her emotional weather powers both terrifying and amusing but would NEVER criticize her for it. I also believe that Antonio’s mere presence can instantly calm down Pepa’s erratic mood swings.

[hurt-comfort-lover]

Mirabel AU / Mirabel Angst / Mama Mirabel / Part Nine

Back at the party, Tonito was having a fun time with his friends and his animal friends. He was so excited to have his own gift and his own room. The only sad part is that he wouldn’t share a room with Mirabel anymore. He looked around and realized he couldn’t find his Mira. He tugged on his mami’s dress.

“Mami, where’s Mira?”

“I don’t know Tonito, why don’t you ask your sister?”

“Ok, gracias.” He said as he ran off to find Dolores, he found her in the back dancing with Camilo. He tapped his sister gently, and she turned around and smiled at him. Though it faltered when she saw the look on his face.

“Do you know where Mira is? I can’t find Mira,” he said with tears in his eyes.

“It’s a bit loud but I should be able to find her,” Dolores said as she closed her eyes and listened. Camilo gently patted Antonio’s head.

“Until she finds her, you can hang out with your super cool older brother.”

“I want Mira,” he said. Camilo deflated a bit,

“Ouch, child’s honesty I guess.”

“Lo siento ‘milo, I just want to see her.”

“I know, no hard feelings,” Camilo said.

“I hear her in the nursery, she’s crying,” Dolores said nonchalantly. Camilo gave her a look.

“What?!” Antonio exclaimed. 

“What? I don’t know what you expect. This is the first ceremony since her failed one,” Dolores said. Antonio scrunched his eyebrows,

“I’m going to the nursery.” He said as he walked off. Camilo followed him, 

“Wait! Mami will kill me if we leave you alone.”

“Then you can come with me,” Antonio said. They walked to the nursery and Antonio knocked on the door. He could hear her sniffling from the outside.

“Please just… leave,” she said as she wiped the tears off her face. She didn’t want her Mami or Abuela to see her like this. 

“Mira, why are you crying?” Mirabel jumped, realizing it was Antonio. She quickly opened the door, her eyes were red from crying, and there were tear stains on her cheeks.

“Tonito? What are you doing here? You should be at your party.”

“I was sad 'cause you weren’t there. Why are you crying? Is it because I got my gift?”

“NO! Never Tonito. I’m so very happy you got your gift, I’m so proud of you. You need to go back though.”

“Why can’t you come?” He asked with pleading eyes.

“I would just ruin the mood,” she laughed pitifully, “I was just sad but now I’m ok, so you can have fun at your party all right?” Mirabel said.

“You wouldn’t ruin the mood,” Camilo added.

“Hola Camilo, and gracias but it’s ok. It’s better if I stay here.” Tears began to well into Antonio’s eyes and Mirabel bent down and gave him a hug.

“Don’t be sad Tonito, if it’s what you want, I’ll come. It’s your birthday, remember?” she asked as she released him from the hug.

“So you will?” He pleaded.

“Si, but not for long.”

“Gracias Mira, I want you to meet my new animal friends!”

Antonio continued to chat with Mirabel, listing off all their names, and what species they were. Camilo was looking at Mirabel though. The sad empty look in her eyes, made his stomach turn. He could never imagine being in her place, as terrible as it sounded. Before they got back to the party Abuela stormed up to the three of them.

“Mirabel? Didn’t your Mami tell you to rest in your bedroom?”

“Si, bu-”

“And instead you take Antonio away from his party?”

“No-”

“Just…!” she sighed. “Go back to your room, I’ll take Tonito back to the party,” Abuela finished. Camilo was about to argue, but Antonio got to it first.

“I left the party, she didn’t take me.”

“Why Tonito? If there was something the matter you should’ve told me or your Mami.”

“I wanted Mira to be at the party with me.” He said as he held her hand tighter. 

“Si, Tonito. Mirabel, just don’t mess anything up por favor.”

“Si Abuela,” Mirabel said as Abuela walked away. Camilo was confused and almost angry for Mirabel. What did Abuela mean by “don’t mess anything up”? They got back to the party and Camilo was still thinking when Dolores flicked him on the forehead.

“OW! What was that for?!”

“What are you thinking about? You’re acting weird.” She said,

“You didn’t have to flick me to ask that.”

“I know.” She smirked, “Now what’s the matter with you?”

“Mirabel,” he said.

“What about her?”

“When Antonio brought Mirabel back with him Abuela accused her of taking Antonio away from the party, when she found out what happened she just told Mirabel to not ‘mess anything up,’ it doesn’t sit right with me.

“Abuela just doesn’t like Mirabel,” she said bluntly.

“That’s not fair though. What did she do?”

“Nothing. It’s not Mirabel’s fault, she couldn’t control it. Abuela just doesn’t like her. Probably thinks of Mirabel as a bad omen since she didn’t get a gift I guess. I’m not saying it’s right, but it’s the truth.”

“Can’t we do something?” Camilo asked.

“I’ve learned that in these kinds of situations, you shouldn’t get involved. It’s not our business so we shouldn’t interfere.”

After everyone had left and she had helped clean up, she went to go to bed, but before she could go Antonio asked her if he could stay with her until he fell asleep. So that’s what she did. She sat by his bed, next to his jaguar, waited until she heard his little snores, and went to the nursery. She grabbed out a notebook Senora Gabriela gave to her, and wrote down all the negative thoughts she had. She hoped that if she wrote it down, then maybe the thoughts would finally calm down. It only made her spiral more though, as she wrote down every negative thing that went through her head.

‘You’re not special’

‘Nobody likes you’

‘You’re a waste of space’

‘You don’t deserve the family you have’

‘You aren’t good enough’

‘You should just disappear’

She stopped, realizing that it was only getting worse. She shut the notebook and threw it in her closet. Then she went to sleep.

The next day she woke up by herself, she would have to get used to that. She did her daily routine, and breakfast began. She happened to sit next to Luisa, who looked off. Though she doesn’t spend much time with Luisa anymore, she was still her hermana, and she was worried for her. As breakfast ended, Mirabel decided to check on Luisa, and so before Luisa could run off, she stopped her.

“Hey Luisa, could I please talk to you?”

“I don’t know sis, I got a lot of work to do…”

“Por favor, just this once.” Luisa looked at her hermanita's pleading eyes and caved. They went off to the side, near where the donkey pen was. 

“So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

“Please be honest with me.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“Are you feeling ok?”

“...” Luisa looked to the side anxiously, she didn’t want to lie but she didn’t want to respond.

“Luisa, I know we’re not as close as we used to be, but I still care about you. Just being able to talk about it will make you feel better, trust me.”

“Last night during the ceremony I felt… weak. I’m ok now, but what if it happens again? Then I’ll get behind on my chores and I’ll let everyone down.” Mirabel looked at her sister with sympathy,

“You are more than just your strength. You are beautiful, smart, kind, and ambitious. You always try to help everyone, but sometimes you need to help yourself before you help others.”

“I don’t have time, Abuela will get mad at me if I miss out on my chores…”

“Start off with something small, take a lunch break, and yes I do know that you skip lunch. You may be strong, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have limitations. I think you’re carrying way too much,” Mirabel said. Luisa squeezed her sister tight, thanking her for letting her vent. 

“Luisa, I’m sorry to ask but, if it is the magic that’s being affected, where should I look first?”

“Tio Bruno’s tower. I heard that he had a terrible vision before he disappeared. That’s all I got.”

“Gracias Luisa, take care of yourself.”

With that Mirabel was off to Tio Bruno’s tower. First the cracks, and now Luisa losing her gift temporarily? Something was going on, she needed to stop it before anyone got hurt. She snuck around while everyone was getting ready for Isabella’s proposal, and made it to Tio Bruno’s room. It was tall, really tall. By the time she got to the top, she was practically dragging herself. Then she found a gap between the cave and the stairs, so she took a deep breath and swung over it with a vine, just barely making it. She went through the cave until she came upon a room with green shattered glass scattered on the floor. She had found the vision and started putting the pieces in her bag. She sped up as sand started filling the room, she jumped out with all the pieces before the room flooded, and made it out of the tower.

She went to her room and saw Tia Pepa grabbing the rest of Antonio’s things. She said hi and told Mirabel to go help set up dinner for Isabella’s proposal. Mirabel obeyed and decided she would figure out the vision after the proposal. As she headed towards the dinner table, Abuela stopped her in her tracks.

“What did you tell Luisa?!”

“What do you mean?” Mirabel asks.

“I- I was trying to take a break as you said- but I got behind. So I stopped my break and I started picking up the donkeys and… THEY WERE HEAVY!” Luisa cries as she covers her face.

“Luisa-”

“Don’t. Mirabel do not talk to Luisa until I figure out what’s going on. Instead, help set the table for dinner, Luisa clean yourself up and get ready for dinner with the Guzmans.” Abuela says, before she leaves she looks at Mirabel.

“And whatever you’re trying to do- stop.” She finishes as she walks off.

Everyone sits at the table as dinner begins. Mirabel and Dolores do not know what the vision is, Mirabel has not put the pieces together yet, literally. Mirabel was mostly silent through the dinner, as Abuela and Isabella chatted with Senora Guzman and Mariano. Everything was going smoothly until Senora Guzman asked Luisa to pull the piano over so Mariano could play. Luisa sniffles and nods as she trots over to the piano, while Luisa left, Senora Guzman decided to say hi to Mirabel.

“Hola Mirabel, it’s nice to see you again.” Senora Guzman smiles at Mirabel, to which Isabella scrunches her eyebrows.

“You already know Mirabel?” Abuela asks.

“Who doesn’t know Mirabel? She’s always running around the village playing with the kids in the village, at Senora Gabriela’s Bouique, or she’s offering to help someone. Speaking of, thank you so much for mending Mariano’s suit jacket,” Senora Guzman says.

“Ah I see, that’s good,” Abuela says indifferently with a smile.

“Yeah, I never got the chance to thank you, Mirabel. It’s thanks to you that I had a suit jacket to wear today.” Mariano says with a smile.

“No need to thank me, it’s not that big of a deal,” Mirabel says bashfully as Isabella rolls her eyes. Luisa is struggling to pull the piano, she drags it with all her weight, and slowly but surely it’s moving.

“We should get back to talking about the proposal, Luisa what’s taking so long?” Abuela asks.

“I’m-” Luisa pants, “almost done,” Luisa says as she drags the piano towards them while crying, falling multiple times. Mirabel quickly gets up to help her.

“Luisa, it’s ok if you need some help. Let me grab this side and you can grab the other, si?”

“Ok…” she says sadly as she grabs one side. Together they both pick up the piano and put it down beside Mariano. Senora Guzman looks confused.

“Luisa, is everything alright?” she asks.

“Si, everything is fine! No need to worry.” Abuela answers for her as both granddaughters sit down. 

“Gracias Luisa and Mirabel,” Mariano says gratefully. Senora Guzman wasn’t too keen on letting that be the end of it, but she was interrupted before she could speak.

“Let’s get on to the proposal por favor,” Abuela says. As she talks, cracks form on the floor of the casita. Tia Pepa sees, causing a small cloud to form above her head as she whispers “clear skies” while messing with her hair.

“Are those cracks? Alma, what’s going on?” Mirabel looks at Abuela in frustration, because she told Abuela this was happening and she didn’t listen to her.

“Mirabel what did you do?!” Abuela yells as everyone else looks in shock.

“What?” Mirabel asks, shock evident on her face. 

“How is that fair? Mirabel wouldn’t do that,” Mariano says. Isabella crosses her arms and looks at Mirabel.

“Not on purpose. She always tries too hard and then messes everything up,” Isabella says with venom in her voice. Antonio’s face goes from shocked to offended on Mirabel’s behalf. 

“You shouldn’t say that, she’s your hermana,” Mariano says.

“What do you expect? She can’t really do much to help without a gift.”

“What is wrong with you? She’s not even the only one here without a gift. Your Abuela doesn’t have a gift, your papi doesn’t have a gift, my mami doesn’t have a gift, I don’t have a gift.”

“It’s different.”

“No, it’s you that’s a different person from the Isabella I thought I wanted to marry. I withdraw my proposal, this is over.” Mariano says sternly as Isabella’s face drops.

“Wait- Senora Guzman please tell your son to not make any rash decisions. Isabella didn’t mean that” Abuela says as more cracks form on the walls, and the clouds grow darker.

“I agree with my son, and I respect his decision. How could you just accuse your granddaughter like that? Then let her older sister say these terrible things about her? I’m sorry Alma, I don’t know what’s going on with your familia, but I don’t think we can make this commitment.” Senora Guzman says. Meanwhile, Mariano had tried to leave but Mirabel stopped him.

“Por favor, don’t be mad at Isabella.”

“Why? After what she said about you-”

“I don’t want to ruin her proposal. She may not be the best hermana mayor, but she’s still my hermana. I don’t want your relationship to end over a fight about me.” Mirabel says timidly.

“Lo siento Mirabel, really, I am. However, I believe in true loyalty, if she can’t be loyal to her own sister, what chance is there for me?” He asks.

“I understand, still please think about it. Isabella isn’t always like that, she can be kind and compassionate as well. She loves this familia as much as I do.”

“I’ll do it for you. Good luck.” Mariano says as he walks out with his Mami. Through all the chaos Mirabel is able to escape, she runs from the disaster that was the proposal dinner. She runs straight up the stairs near the doors and stops to take a breath. She hears a noise and looks to see it’s a rat climbing into a painting. Mirabel nudges the painting and finds a secret passageway, it’s dark and foggy. She sighs, relieved she found a place to hide, and sits down on the floor. She pulls out the pieces of the vision from her bag and slowly pieces them together. It reveals a picture of Mirabel behind Casita, flipping from being cracked and not cracked. Mirabel looks in shock as her heart falls into her stomach. Is… is she the reason Casita is cracking? Her hands begin to shake as her inner demons flood her head. Her breaths are small and shallow, and tears threaten to fall down her face. A figure is seen behind her and touches her shoulder, making her jump. She sees a man in a green cape pulls his hood off to reveal her Tio Bruno.

“Ah! Sorry- sorry I didn’t mean to- uh-” He stops not knowing what to say. Mirabel was so surprised that she stopped shaking and her breathing slowed.

[lcveaffairs]

(—) ★ spotted!!  KARTER WINDSOR on the cover of this week’s most recent tabloid! many say that the 33 year old looks like MICHAEL B JORDAN, but i don’t really see it. while  the FORMER PRINCE / REALITY TV STAR / INFLUENCER is known for being CUNNING my inside sources say that they have a tendency to be UNRELIABLE i swear, every time i think of them, i hear the song DOGTOOTH BY TYLER THE CREATOR  { he/him / cis male} - penned by IVY, 21, CISFEMALE, SHE / HER

hi luvs !!! i'm ivy :)) so happy to see you all ! please excuse my bad timing and bad impulse control , i just kept typing HAHA but can't wait to write with you !!

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 :

name : karter antonio windsor age : thirty - three birthday : june 4th sign : gemini - gasp !! birthplace : london , england career : formerly , prince ! now . . . reality tv star & social media heartthrob !

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 :

soo for those who hadn't already guessed , karter completes the windsor siblings trio ! he was formerly prince of uk until a few years ago , when their parents relinquished the royal title & moved them all to america !

but let's take a few steps back. before all this , honestly , karter had very few complaints with his royal life. he always felt like he was made for a life of luxury and attention , and he'd practically come out the womb trying to charm those around him. he enjoyed his privilege and wasn't shy in using it , often grinning at all the house staff when he'd act up and asking them not to tell his parents about whatever trouble he got into.

the more stiff , less idealized parts of royalty didn't appeal to him , however. in fact , there were probably pictures released of him falling asleep during royal ceremonies & trying to escape LMAO ! it was w relatively selfish intentions , honestly , his thought always being why put so much effort into something that matters so little to me ? i wouldn't be surprised if his parents constantly had to wrangle him growing up !!

but his redeeming quality def was his charisma as i mentioned. though most can agree he wasn't the most poised prince , he was very approachable & generally not ultra uppity ? and for that , he did best in public appearances , service projects , etc. basically he was like ... i want you to adore me but not worship me !

anyways , when he got to america the best way i can explain it is modern giselle from enchanted HA ! like ... he was so overwhelmed w all this newfound freedom , not only from moving but no longer being a royal ? and well ... he went crazy.

karter wasn't even there a week before the paparazzi had pictures of him club hopping , dancing over everyone , and being an absolute mess !! sure , there were those who he knew were only talking to him for his status , but he didn't mind. in fact ... part of him liked how his title could make people's heads turn , for better or for worse. because at least they were looking at him.

i find it entirely canon that when approached by the paparazzi regarding his chaotic life he said - " if you want the royal story , read my parent's book ! but if you want to know the karter story , just turn on tmz ! i'm sure you'll find me there. "

yeah .... guys he's one of my most chaotic muses yet HAHA !!!

but soon the appeal of mindless partying wore off , and so did the intrigue of the former prince moving to town. he wanted more attention , and didn't want it to stop with his title.

so , in 2021 , he starred in a too hot to handle-esque reality show , very steamy & scandalous vibes ?? i probably don't have to explain that he had an absolute field day but ! it also blew him up once again , w him developing a new sub-set of fans who now knew him as reality tv karter , not just former prince karter !

on the show i imagine he was the epitome of this gifset , but also always saying the most off the wall quotable things during his confessionals ? and essentially became one of those people you love to hate.

so ever since , he's been wiggling his way into the mainstream influencer / celebrity culture for his own projects ! since he's done numerous modeling gigs for big companies , had small roles on several entertainment networks , and currently is guest starring as a returning contestant for the reality show he starred in !

he wanted to give acting a try but is lowkey terrified no one would take him seriously & they'd only gonna cast him for comedic relief roles. not because he wouldn't like it but like ... he would hate to feel like that's all he can do ??

fitness has always been incredibly important to him , though , and when he moved to america he had a desire to do something of true meaning that would allow him to generate his own income. his big project right now though is trying to open an exclusive gym in hollywood , where celebrities can work out amongst each other without the prying eyes of the public ! it's still in the works , but he's looking for help to get him started up !

so most of his own income has come from public appearances & sponsorships , and since most of that is getting saved up for the gym he's living relatively below his means.

his relationship w his parents has also grown incredibly complicated now , as he hasn't exactly been the model son of the year , and at the age of 33 is still making a life of clubbing and chaos. but more than that , he's been more distant from his parent's lately , as he feels close association always is going to group him as a royal and not as his own person ? so he's been more distant than usual , and he feels guilty as hell , but hasn't done much about it , either.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀 :

I SWEAR i try so hard to keep these short and they never are ... here's to making sure i keep this personality section reeeal concise !

ok so i think i got most the obvious things out the way via his background , but as you can tell this man is a lothario !! full of charisma , heeeavy flirt , adores attention but doesn't know how to keep a relationship to save his life.

honestly though ... smarter than he comes across ! those who first meet him might think he's a himbo , because he can come across as pretty aloof , but well-meaning ! the truth is though , he is smarter than he seems , he just doesn't like to share everything w the public , but wants them to feel like they know everything. by " dumbing down " his image to a party guy he keeps the headlines about him predictable and frequent , but keeps them away from the things that truly matter to him in life.

in the romantic sense , though , he is horrid at relationships bc he a.) he doesn't want one b.) he can't tell he can come across as such an asshole sometimes by being so blunt ?? he doesn't want a relationship , and since he can be self-centered , doesn't understand that other people may ? he also sees himself as a walking red flag after all the news about him so doesn't expect those to approach him to be in the market for something seriously anyways.

part of him hates this , though , because he feels like he can't be taken seriously. numerous brands he's tried working with clown him bc of his background , and he struggles to make true friends in america bc he feels like they're all either clout chasers or just see him as someone to party with !!

that being said , he can come across as emotionally guarded bc he doesn't know who he can trust. but when he trusts you ?? ugh this man is fiercely loyal ! almost to a fault. bc on that token , he can be incredibly protective and will go to war for those he loves.

when you truly get to know him below his exterior , i would say he radiates golden retriever energy. very clingy & affectionate , dotes heavily on those he loves , as well as constantly poking fun of his loved ones in healthy doses.

when they first moved to the us , he had intended to adopt a german shepard who would accompany him on his runs , only to realize he'd said the wrong name when he asked them about the dog rescue. well out came this little yorkie and well .... he felt too bad to complain , and now he has a 8 pound dog named zoe who he accidentally fell in love with and yes she still accompanies him on his runs !!

sidenote i need to remind myself ivy u literally won't have anything else to write w people if you keep typing !! so i'm gonna stop myself here because otherwise i won't shut up !! pls i would love to plot w u all and i'm so excited to be with you MWAH !

𝐖𝐂𝐒 :

costars !! i'm keeping the premise relatively vague on purpose , but at some point in 2021 karter starred in a show similar to too hot to handle !! so i would love it if some of his costars were still around , esp if they had drama on the show ? or alternatively , someone who the show did evil editing on to make it seem like they had a rivalry when they were actually cool w each other !

roomies question mark ?? if this doesn't happen i'll probably have it be canon he lives on his own ! but tbh i could see karter being in the chaos spawn that is a content house ! probably 25+ leaning since idk i don't think he needs to be living up w people too much younger than him efjjefoijeoi ! but i think it could be so fun to have a hype house vibe except like ... they're all a little older and so it gives it a bit of a different vibe !

exes !! you'll soon see i love a messy plot so any sort of ex would be great. bitter , still a little in love , a relationship that never really became a thing , high school sweethearts ( if somehow they were in the uk lol ! )

current fwbs , messy or not ! he has both drama-filled and more tame situationships , so this could go anyway !

the one that got away ? i feel like there's max oooone person who karter truly thought he could love at some point or another. but maybe sh*t happened and they didn't make it out together. would totally love a more angst leaning plot where there could potentially still be lingering feelings but not necessarily !!

if there's any other muses from the uk , i'd also love to see childhood-oriented / long-term connections ! he's also probably much closer to them than most others in hollywood which would give a different side of him for sure !

enemies / frenemies !! i definitely think there's people who don't like karter and i would love to see some muses he has a more tense relationship w !! honestly he's drawn to people who don't like him bc he's ultra-competitive and it makes him want them to like him that much more. but on the other hand , maybe also someone he has a mutual nemesis-sort of relationship w , and who's twitter feuds are constantly making celeb gossip news ?

former tour guide also !! i assume karter's probably been to america at some point before moving , but regardless it was definitely a culture shock not only moving but to no longer be treated as royalty ?? so i think it'd be super fun to have someone who showed him the ropes around ( maybe even hollywood specifically for those who were born into the life ) , and grow close in the process ! we could also do flashback threads for this of their adventures if u would like !

any and everything else. <3 if i can think of anything better , i'll add it , but truly i love nearly everything & totally like just talking it out as well !! never feel afraid to hit me up bc if you don't have an idea , we can plot it out 'till we do !! <3

[tombeane-blog]

On Her Way To The Sea

September, 2023

I'm going to my high school reunion next week so I thought it was time to practice re-living my youth....

Two young ladies from Brazil are forever intertwined, although as far as I know they never met.  

Overnight, one became globally famous and her name is known to this day.

The other also became famous overnight and is still talked about today but outside of her home country, almost no one knows her name.

Rio de Janeiro, 1962 - A 17 year old girl walks to the beach each morning.  

36 year old Antonio Carlos Jobim and 49 year old Vinicius de Moraes,  two Brazilian Bossa Nova composers sit in the Veloso bar sipping Brahma beer and musing about their latest song collaboration. 

The duo favor the place for the good brew and the even better girl-watching opportunities. 

And these two older married guys are totally enchanted by a 17 year old girl young enough to be their daughter and granddaughter.

Vinicius de Moraes describing her later...

“She is a golden girl, a mixture of flowers and mermaids, full of light and full of grace, but whose character is also sad with the feeling that youth passes and that beauty isn’t ours to keep.  She is the gift of life with its beautiful and melancholic constant ebb and flow.”

After watching her day after day, they collaborate and compose a Portuguese song about this 17 year old titled, 'Menina que Passa’'.

"Tall and tan and young and lovely..."

In March of 1963, Stan Getz, a renowned jazz saxophonist, teamed up with Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto in New York to record the songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim.

They wanted "Menina que Passa’' to please the American audience so it was re-written on the spot in English.  

"...and when she passes, each one she passes goes...ahhhhhh"

The only problem was that there was no one available with a good enough command to sing the song in English except for João’s Giberto's wife Astrud, who had come along to the studio just to sit and watch.

Although she had never recorded professionally, she was an experienced vocalist having sung on stage with her husband.  

What followed catapulted the 22 year-old singer to worldwide fame.

The song was described as: "Astrud’s child-like vocal, devoid of vibrato and singerly mannerisms, was the perfect foil for her husband’s soft bumblebee voice. Jobim tinkled piano. Getz blew a creamy smooth tenor. Four minutes of magic went to tape."

"The Girl From Ipanema" became the second most recorded song in history, just behind "Yesterday" by the Beatles.

Astrud Gilberto was reportedly paid just $120 which was the standard rate for her contribution – although Stan Getz was apparently insistent that she should be paid nothing.

He made a fortune.

This became the pattern of her entire life.  She became globally famous for a while and was semi-famous for decades to come.  She performed and recorded for the rest of her life but never benefited financially in a major way and was taken advantage of by pretty much everyone she performed with or was managed by.  

She later lived a quiet life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and passed away this past June.

And the girl from Ipanema?  Heloísa Eneida Paes Pinto Mendes Pinheiro better known as Helô Pinheiro lives to this day.  

Although little known outside of Brazil, Helo has had a successful life as a Model, TV personality, Brazilian Playboy Playmate, Olympic Torch Bearer, Business Owner and Entrepreneur.

"When she walks, she's like a samba ,

That swings so cool and sways so gentle ,

That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ahhhhhh"

"But each day that she walks to the sea,

she looks straight ahead, not at he."

During the Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro a gorgeous Brazilian Super Model in a sparkling dress strutted down the catwalk accompanied by a Bossa Nova classic, paying homage to, "The Girl From Ipanema".

The Super Model?  Gisele Bündchen.

There are songs that take you back to a certain place - like slow dancing in a darkened gym with the smell of fast-dance-induced sweat mixed with the aroma of sweet perfume.

And there are some songs that generate those same feelings but are created by something that never, ever happened.  

This one did 60 years ago and still does.

[jacarandaaaas]

in the mood to share a sad hc ! whilst we see antonio is happy at his ceremony I’ve noticed that antonio seems a little bit down in this scene despite dancing.

Why? well I hc that in the nursery mirabel and antonio would talk a lot about what they would do for antonios party! maybe they even practiced their dancing? so I feel like antonio would have wanted to do the dance they had practiced together for his party! except when it times for the music and dancing to start he looks around and his best friend is nowhere to be seen and he doesn’t see her for the rest of the night. So he never got to dance with her :(

[adventure-oc]

What’s there to understand ?

Lyrics

(Lyrics in the background)

Between the parts of the song

___________________________________________________________

"But mama." Camilo asked as she took some of Antonio's toys. "Why do you hate me that much ?"  A dark cloud appeared as the woman looked at her masked son in shock.

"Que ?! I don't hate you mijo. Who told you that ?!"

"You, of course. Considering what happened during the last ten years..."

"My question first. What do you feel when you see me ? Is it because I refused my Gift ?"

"Camilo, not now. We have to be ready for the Guzmans."

That line was the last straw for Camilo.

"It's never the moment with you anyway. I just wanted to ask what you think of me, but apparently it's too much to ask of you." He was about to leave, his vision and the ruby safely hidden in his already full bag, and ignoring the now thundering cloud, when his father barged in, an angry look on his face.

"It was a real problem !"

"Félix !" Pepa exclaimed out of anger and shock, her voice covering Camilo's exclamation of confusion.

"We have to talk to him, Pepi. We have to."

"What do you mean by "It was a problem" ?" Camilo asked.

"We couldn't understand you, Milo. One moment, you wanted a Gift, and then, nada, nothing. You changed your mind."

He didn't really change his mind, well, at one moment and then, but he wasn't going to tell them that.

"Can you give me a clear answer, Si or no ?" Camilo didn't flinch at all when Félix grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Well, we are your parents, but we don't understand you."

Pepa then interposed between the twos, wagging her finger at her husband in the rhythm.

What's there to understand, stand, stand, stand ?

What to understand about you ?

But,

It was your ceremony

It was your ceremony

Everything was ready and no mistake were made

No mistake during that day

But you went up with a frown on your face

Surprise 

You telling this story, or I am

I’m sorry mi vida, go on

You refused your magic door

Why did you do thaaat ?

In doing so it became flat

Nothing fantastic anymore.

Anger during your birthday

It should've been a joyous day, 

But, 

What was there to understand, stand, stand, stand ?

What to understand about yooouuu ?

Camilo : Alright, I get it. I’m so hard to decipher and you, so forgetful that you forgot the reason why I did that. I’ll ask someone else about what they think.

He opened the door, leaving the dancing couple alone, but stopped when he saw Dolores in front of him.

Camilo (half-exhausted, half-serene) : What do you want Lola ?

Dolores : …I want to be part of the song.

Camilo : (Sigh) alright, but for that you have to tell me what you understand-

Dolores : -about you, I know. Listen to me about what I hear about you.

For years I heard children laughing and your friends being so loving 

But some people were always gossiping and complaining

We associate you with the sound of clattering paintbrushes, clac-clac-clac

A very young child immature, dirty and lazy

Refusing to help because he’s selfish

Unlike the family he didn’t really flourish

But didn’t you already ?

Camilo (frowning before smiling) : I’m not sure. But thanks, Dol. It helps me a lot.

Dolores (grining) : Anytime, hermanito. Anytime.

Camilo was about to go to the kitchen when he bumped into someone carrying some tapestry rolls.

Camilo : Sorry, Mira.

The girl humphed and was about to leave when she saw Dolores with a grin on her face.

Mirabel : …What the heck is going on ?

Camilo : I just wanted to ask people what they understand about me, and it became… singsongish.

Mirabel (smiling in a creepy way) : Really ?! I want to say something- no wait, I’ll sing it !

Camilo (backing away) : Thanks, but no thanks, prima. I will ask tio Bruno or tia Julieta about me.

But before he could leave, the sewist grabbed his arms and dragged him to another part of Casita.

Mirabel : Sorry, primo, but I practiced a long time and I want to say it NOW !!! Because to me, you’re a…

Burdensome boy

Masks hard to peck

Because you’re complex

You’re ruining the space

An ungrateful boy 

With every disgrace (But !)

What’s there to understand, stand, stand ?

What to understand about you ?

As Camilo walked away from Casita (and Mirabel), he recognized his friends in the village and looked ready to be part of the song.

Arturo : You and your masks are parts of a strange play.

(Yeah, yeah !)

Angelica : You’d buy candies for children and reward them.

Valentino : But with your craziness, you make people’s hair gray.

(Yeah, yeah !)

All (with people approaching ) : Why ask about these problems, 

When you can solve them ?

Camilo was highly surprised when he was back in Casita and saw Isabela descending from the ceiling on her swing of vines.

Isabela : You made sure my destiny would be perfect

Like tio Bruno prophesied years ago

Your presence makes such an effect 

That we can’t ask you to stay low.

(Oye, Mariano’s on his way)

Dolores : Because of you, the man of my dreams

Is out of my reach

I want be with him-

Isabela (glaring at Camilo) : Cousin. I want not a sound out of you ! (And my only wish…)

Dolores : ...Is to be with him !

Camilo : Yeah, that’s hard.

To see if I’m good or bad 

Will I achieve or fail in my mission ?

Please, let me understand, dear vision !!!

(Hermana, your fiancé’s here !)

Time for dinner !

As people danced as they prepared the table, Camilo walked to his room and was saddened when he saw Luisa’s door flickering and the latter struggling to lift a vase, which was normally so easy for her to carry. He took the ruby he found out of his pocket and glanced at it, before closing the door behind him. 

Burdensome boy (It was your ceremony, It was your ceremony)

Masks hard to peck (Everything was ready)

Because you’re complex (and no mistake were made)

You’re ruining the space (No mistake during that day)

An ungrateful boy  (But you went up with a frown on your face)

With every disgrace (Surprise)

He kept looking at the vision he assembled and spun to find either Casita broken or healed. As time passed, the different parts of the song influenced him as his family and friends danced around him, chanting their verses at the same time.

You telling this story, or I am

I’m sorry mi vida, go on (Oye, Mariano’s on his way)

You refused your magic door (Burdensome boy, masks hard to peck)

In doing so, it became flat (I’m okay, I’m okay)

Anger during your birthday (I’m okay, I’m okay)

(He’s here !) 

At this moment, Camilo gave up on understanding the vision and sat on his bed with his hands in front of his face. 

What to understand, stand ? (Why can’t I understand ?)

Nothing to understand about you !

I should’ve understood myself !!!!

[my-little-safe-corner]

First, a note. I actually forgot a door right where I put the label “1st floor”. There is a little green door there, I put a picture in the section titles “Camilo’s dance hallway”

Ok disclaimer all these screenshots came from YouTube so my apologies in advance for the quality of some of these.

The 3rd floor

The “3rd floor” is just a few rooms. On the right is “Bruno’s tower”, or more specifically, the entrance to Bruno’s tower (aka his magic door).

In the middle is the room that they keep the candle. Based on the flashback to when Abuela was young, this seems to be her bedroom. There are no stairs to enter from the outside, so it stands to reason that it is only accessible through her magic door, though we do not know what the bottom level of her room looks like.

There is also an area on the left that has some windows (on the outside) but it’s unclear what this is, who it belongs to, and how to access it. It’s possible all of this is Abuela’s space, but I also have the theory that it may be Antonio’s, and that taller magic rooms manifest their height on the outside of the house (Bruno’s tower is obvious, but Isabela seems to have a bit of a tower as well).

Bruno’s tower - 2nd floor

There’s this weird empty space near the stairs next to Luisa’s room. It seems to just be a wall, and based on the outside I’m simply assuming it’s part of Bruno’s tower and it’s inaccessible from the main part of the house.

Mirabel’s magic door

Each kid is on the same side of the hall as their parent (Pepa’s kids are all on the “left”, Julieta’s are on the “right”). Based on the weirdly large gap between Luisa and Isabela’s doors, it’s safe to assume that Mirabel’s was supposed to be in between them (which is why I drew an empty spot despite not labelling it.

During the flashback to Mirabel’s ceremony we actually see Abuela’s photos in the background (the ones where she poses with all the kids). This seems to just be an error though, since these photos are between Abuela and Pepa’s doors, and Pepa’s door is clearly not visible in Mirabel’s flashback but is VERY visible when Antonio gets his door.

It’s also possible that they just moved the pictures lol. If that’s the case, then is means the pictures used to be on the wall outside the nursery.

Inside the walls

Unfortunately, I could not map out the path Bruno and Mirabel take inside the walls. The sequence is all over the place, so the only things I know for sure are the entrance point (just beside Dolores’ door) and Bruno’s wall-room (which we know if behind the family tree mural in the dining room).

In all technicality, the inside of the walls shouldn’t be as easy to navigate as the movie shows. There should be a lot of doors and windows that block a walking path, but it’s possible we just don’t see them (this could also be why Bruno does so much parkour; he’s avoiding the windows).

Pepa’s corner room?

On my layout of the first floor, I labeled the corner room as “Pepa room”. This is NOT her magical room, but instead the area we see here

We never see this room again and have no idea how it connects to the house, since we don’t have any other angles and we never see any doors leading to it. We do see a door on the right of the area I labeled “walkthrough”, and since we never see what’s inside that door, it lead me to believe it might be this isolated room where Pepa can go calm down (notice the raindrops, weather vane, and picture of Antonio. This is a room she goes to a lot).

You may be wondering if this is instead Pepa’s magical room, but I don’t think it is. We see this room just after Mirabel runs down some very tight stairs inside the walls. The fact that stairs could fit in the walls here led me to believe that they were in the walls of Bruno’s tower (perhaps the part I marked as “inaccessible” on the 2nd floor), which just so happens to be above this room on the layout.

Either way, the fact that Mirabel ran DOWN stairs from the second floor means she was now on the first floor, which means this is not Pepa’s magic room.

Patio

We see the family gather to eat breakfast on this little patio area outside. There are two doors that lead here, one from the dining room and the other from the kitchen.

I couldn’t include pictures because I hit the limit, but you can see the dining room doors very clearly during the dinner scene. The doors are directly across the family tree.

Pedro’s portrait and the entrance

Just before Antonio’s gift ceremony, we get to see how the stairwell with Pedro’s portrait connects to the house.

Mirabel and Antonio come down the Pedro stairs and into the room with the flower curtain. When the curtain opens, we see Antonio is standing in the entrance foyer (if you look closely, you can even see the door to the nursery above him).

The one error

Surprisingly, this movie did a very good job of making the character move around the house in a logical way. Every time I saw a character go from one area to another, I’d follow their path on my map and find that it worked! The ONLY time there is ever an error is at the very start of the movie. Mirabel slides down the Pedro stairs before we see this:

We see the nursery door in the top left and the foyer below it, and Mirabel is walking through the “general living space” (in other scenes, we see this area sometimes has hammocks, couches, and a coffee table set up). Based on the way she’s walking though, she would technically be going into Pedro’s staircase.

When I first started mapping this out, this scene actually threw me off because I assumed she was going to the dining room. But after going through every other scene in the movie, I realized that this scene was just a little wrong.

To make this all make sense, we can just assume that she simply wandered around between shots.

Camilo’s dance hallway

During “we don’t talk about Bruno”, Camilo has a little sequence in this… random hallway

Thanks to the quality of these screenshots, I had to boost the image on the top right to show that there’s a door behind him.

I initially had no idea where this hall is supposed to be, but I figured it out; it’s the area I labelled “walkthrough” on the first floor (directly under Abuela’s room). The walls are the same, the green door is in the right place, and even though it’s not in the screenshots, Camilo DOES pass those wall sconces during his dance. The floor is even the same, all he did was move the furniture out of the way.

Anyways, that’s all. Thanks for reading!

If this gets enough love (or I see a demand for it) maybe I’ll make a fully coloured version with detail and stuff.

Floorplan of the Casa Madrigal (Encanto)

I didn't see anything about this online, so I went through the movie and managed to map out the house as best I could. Keep in mind that the bedroom sizes aren't accurate since they are magic.

If you care to read some very in-depth analysis about this house, check out everything under the cut

First, a note. I actually forgot a door right where I put the label "1st floor". There is a little green door there, I put a picture in the section titles "Camilo's dance hallway"

Ok disclaimer all these screenshots came from YouTube so my apologies in advance for the quality of some of these.

The 3rd floor

The "3rd floor" is just a few rooms. On the right is "Bruno's tower", or more specifically, the entrance to Bruno's tower (aka his magic door).

In the middle is the room that they keep the candle. Based on the flashback to when Abuela was young, this seems to be her bedroom. There are no stairs to enter from the outside, so it stands to reason that it is only accessible through her magic door, though we do not know what the bottom level of her room looks like.

There is also an area on the left that has some windows (on the outside) but it's unclear what this is, who it belongs to, and how to access it. It's possible all of this is Abuela's space, but I also have the theory that it may be Antonio's, and that taller magic rooms manifest their height on the outside of the house (Bruno's tower is obvious, but Isabela seems to have a bit of a tower as well).

Bruno's tower - 2nd floor

There's this weird empty space near the stairs next to Luisa's room. It seems to just be a wall, and based on the outside I'm simply assuming it's part of Bruno's tower and it's inaccessible from the main part of the house.

Mirabel's magic door

Each kid is on the same side of the hall as their parent (Pepa's kids are all on the "left", Julieta's are on the "right"). Based on the weirdly large gap between Luisa and Isabela's doors, it's safe to assume that Mirabel's was supposed to be in between them (which is why I drew an empty spot despite not labelling it.

During the flashback to Mirabel's ceremony we actually see Abuela's photos in the background (the ones where she poses with all the kids). This seems to just be an error though, since these photos are between Abuela and Pepa's doors, and Pepa's door is clearly not visible in Mirabel's flashback but is VERY visible when Antonio gets his door.

It's also possible that they just moved the pictures lol. If that's the case, then is means the pictures used to be on the wall outside the nursery.

Inside the walls

Unfortunately, I could not map out the path Bruno and Mirabel take inside the walls. The sequence is all over the place, so the only things I know for sure are the entrance point (just beside Dolores' door) and Bruno's wall-room (which we know if behind the family tree mural in the dining room).

In all technicality, the inside of the walls shouldn't be as easy to navigate as the movie shows. There should be a lot of doors and windows that block a walking path, but it's possible we just don't see them (this could also be why Bruno does so much parkour; he's avoiding the windows).

Pepa's corner room?

On my layout of the first floor, I labeled the corner room as "Pepa room". This is NOT her magical room, but instead the area we see here

We never see this room again and have no idea how it connects to the house, since we don't have any other angles and we never see any doors leading to it. We do see a door on the right of the area I labeled "walkthrough", and since we never see what's inside that door, it lead me to believe it might be this isolated room where Pepa can go calm down (notice the raindrops, weather vane, and picture of Antonio. This is a room she goes to a lot).

You may be wondering if this is instead Pepa's magical room, but I don't think it is. We see this room just after Mirabel runs down some very tight stairs inside the walls. The fact that stairs could fit in the walls here led me to believe that they were in the walls of Bruno's tower (perhaps the part I marked as "inaccessible" on the 2nd floor), which just so happens to be above this room on the layout.

Either way, the fact that Mirabel ran DOWN stairs from the second floor means she was now on the first floor, which means this is not Pepa's magic room.

Patio

We see the family gather to eat breakfast on this little patio area outside. There are two doors that lead here, one from the dining room and the other from the kitchen.

I couldn't include pictures because I hit the limit, but you can see the dining room doors very clearly during the dinner scene. The doors are directly across the family tree.

Pedro's portrait and the entrance

Just before Antonio's gift ceremony, we get to see how the stairwell with Pedro's portrait connects to the house.

Mirabel and Antonio come down the Pedro stairs and into the room with the flower curtain. When the curtain opens, we see Antonio is standing in the entrance foyer (if you look closely, you can even see the door to the nursery above him).

The one error

Surprisingly, this movie did a very good job of making the character move around the house in a logical way. Every time I saw a character go from one area to another, I'd follow their path on my map and find that it worked! The ONLY time there is ever an error is at the very start of the movie. Mirabel slides down the Pedro stairs before we see this:

We see the nursery door in the top left and the foyer below it, and Mirabel is walking through the "general living space" (in other scenes, we see this area sometimes has hammocks, couches, and a coffee table set up). Based on the way she's walking though, she would technically be going into Pedro's staircase.

When I first started mapping this out, this scene actually threw me off because I assumed she was going to the dining room. But after going through every other scene in the movie, I realized that this scene was just a little wrong.

To make this all make sense, we can just assume that she simply wandered around between shots.

Camilo's dance hallway

During "we don't talk about Bruno", Camilo has a little sequence in this... random hallway

Thanks to the quality of these screenshots, I had to boost the image on the top right to show that there's a door behind him.

I initially had no idea where this hall is supposed to be, but I figured it out; it's the area I labelled "walkthrough" on the first floor (directly under Abuela's room). The walls are the same, the green door is in the right place, and even though it's not in the screenshots, Camilo DOES pass those wall sconces during his dance. The floor is even the same, all he did was move the furniture out of the way.

Anyways, that's all. Thanks for reading!

If this gets enough love (or I see a demand for it) maybe I'll make a fully coloured version with detail and stuff

[jules-has-notes]

2016 VoicePlay spring events — love all around

A busy winter for VoicePlay rolled into equally packed spring months, full of concerts, educational outreach, personal projects, and growing families.

.

Here, there, and everywhere

The guys began their spring with a few weeks working on new music at home, during which they fit in a colorful corporate gig alongside Layne's sister- and brother-in-law.

.

The second weekend in April was an absolute whirlwind. They started just outside Denver at the annual CHSAA music festival, where they got to spend two days with student vocal groups, and found a reminder of a friend.

.

From there they headed east for the Boston Sings festival and the CARA ceremony. They didn't win for their "Phantom" video, but they did get to see Deke receive his well-deserved lifetime achievement award in person.

.

The next day, they drove out to Worcester for a matinee concert and a radio interview with Bonnie Johnson on "Colors of Jazz" before flying back home.

.

Snow-verdue

The next weekend, the boys traveled back to Wisconsin to make up the second show that had been cancelled by winter weather earlier in the year. One stalwart young fan was so determined to see them that she and her prom date skipped the big dance in favor of the show.

a sleepy soundcheck, but a lively show

audience participation — photos by Sarah Kay

.

Love you lady, bye bye

During a brief few days back at home, Eli proposed to his girlfriend Ashley before the boys hopped on the Disney Magic for the first of four cruises they'd booked over the next couple of months.

The other work didn't stop just because they were at sea, though. Some of their downtime was spent creating new arrangements and rehearsing for upcoming video shoots. (They did get up to some shenanigans on board, of course.)

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A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

After the Magic ended, they had a few days at home before hopping aboard the Disney Wonder.

Give it up for auditioner Tom and his well-timed platypus!

During the few days between the second and third cruise gigs, they filmed the video for "My Shot". Also, Eli and Ashley acquired a new little buddy, a pup named Anna (after the Frozen character).

Then during the three weeks between the third and fourth voyages, VoicePlay recorded their "Aca Top 10 — Bro Country" video with Chris Rupp, released the "Aca Top 10 — Old School Rap" video, and held a launch day event for "My Shot" at Full Sail University.

.

Hey, baby

Just before they were scheduled to set sail again, Layne and Cyndi welcomed their daughter Doris to the world. (Her new uncles were pretty excited, too.)

the Steins welcome their littlest little one

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A little help from their friends

With that happy event, the contingency plans for Layne's paternity leave kicked in, including a few local friends. On their final cruise of the season, Max Herskovitz stepped in on percussion. Erik Winger also subbed for Tony so he could focus on finishing preparations for the impending public launch of PattyCake Productions.

onboard with Erik and Max // in Tampa Bay with Antonio

The weekend after they returned to dry land, the guys scooped up buddy Antonio Fernandez once more and trundled down to the Gulf Coast for a concert in Pinellas Park.

By the time they were ready to head up to Ohio for camp at the end of June, Layne was back in the mix (at least for non-oceanic matters), but that's a story that deserves its own post.

[crystal-wind]

JUST RELEASED!

Brand new beautiful and stunning artwork by Lisa Iris!

The Gift of the Sacred Pipe

White Buffalo Calf Woman, sacred to the Great Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation, is more than an ancient legend. She is a promise fulfilled: returning as a white buffalo calf, when the earth is in turmoil. Since 1994, several white calves have been born. Their arrival is both “a blessing and a warning” as they herald great changes.

White Buffalo Calf Woman’s story begins with two scouts searching for game, to feed their starving people. As the scouts looked across the plains from a hilltop, a light appeared and floated towards them. The light became a beautiful woman, dressed in white buckskin. One hunter reached out to claim her, and was consumed by a cloud and left as a pile of bones. The other hunter, who greeted her with reverence, was told by this vision: “Good things I am bringing, something holy to your nation. A message I carry for your people, from the Buffalo nation.” The scout was told to return to his tribe and instruct them to raise a medicine lodge for her arrival.

In four days, White Buffalo Calf Woman appeared to the people, descending from a cloud, bearing a gift. It was the Chanupa, the sacred pipe, along with tobacco mixed with red willow bark.

“With this holy pipe, you will walk like a living prayer. With your feet resting upon the earth and the pipestem reaching into the sky, your body forms a living bridge between the Sacred Beneath and the Sacred Above. The pipe holds them all together.”

The smoke rising from the red bowl was the breath of Wakan Tanka, The Great Mystery.

White Buffalo Calf Woman stayed with the people for four days, teaching them sacred ceremonies, the Four Directions, songs, and dances. She promised that her spirit would return in troubled times, when a white buffalo calf would stand upon the earth. She then departed, and in the distance, She transformed into a buffalo: first black, then red, yellow, and white.

A herd of buffalo appeared, offering themselves to ensure the survival of the people. The buffalo herd provided not only food, but also shelter, clothing, weapons, tools, medicine, and connection to The Creator. This sacred cycle of giving and receiving engenders respect and gratitude. All things sustain each other, and respect for all of our relations creates balance in the world. White Buffalo Calf Woman embodies the return of harmony.

Mitakuye Oyasin

Aho.

Art and Story by Lisa Iris: https://www.lisairis.ca​

All Lisa Iris artwork is protected by copyright.

Copyright Antonio © 2023. All rights reserved.

CrystalWind.ca - https://www.crystalwind.ca