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Chapter Text

Mirabel Madrigal had woken up at her usual time and did her usual morining routine. The sun light was coming down nicely and warmed Casita making her even more homely.

Around her Mirabel’s family had been surprisingly already up, everyone but her parent’s and Abuela tended to wake up after her, but maybe she should’ve said not surprisingly considering what happened earlier in the week.

A summer storm barreled against their mountain all but flooding the valley, if it wasn’t for her Tía Pepa and her own clouds things would have gone way worse.

Amidst their cleaning and rebuilding Dolores ran to Abuela with haste and worry on her face and quickly informed her about a caravan full of people in need that had came through the mountains.

An eclectic itinerant theater troupe from Bogotá had gotten lost in their tour and the Madrigals in all their kindness have offered them their hospitality and service for their stay in their Encanto.

Her Mamá had spent a lot of her food treating their wounds while her Papá and Luisa helped them pick up the remains of their caravan. To her and her Mamá’s chagring seeing her Papá with splinters everywhere. How did it happen? No one knows and Mirabel doesn’t want to know.

Isabela was doing her usual Señorita Perfecta shtick while Abuela shook hands, assuaged anxieties and made plans to manage them.

Her Tía Pepa and her side of the family were doing the same chores they tended to do, safe for Antonio wich decided to come hang out with Mirabel.

And speaking of Mirabel. She had found herself useful for once! The many actors and actress’ had had their costumes ripped apart so she finally could make use of her skills!

…she felt a little bit bad for finding happiness in the misfortune of others, but they were just clothes! No one died! No one was hurt!... No one was hurt badly!

And that was how she found herself sat on a bench next to a pile of those same costumes.

Anyone who would take a moment to look at her, and there was one person who was looking at her, would see Mirabel with at utmost peaceful face, the sunlight casting a shadow on her face wich would go away as she inspected her finished works. Her last one was some sort of greek toga, wich she gave a small before leaving it on the pile of weird costumes besides her.

“Raawwrrr!” Antonio roared and appeared from under the massive pile of clothes. He was wearing an apparently need-to-be teared dress shirt and a wig with peices of red fabric dangling from it as if to mimic blood. “I will eat you Mirabel!”

“Oh no! Please don’t do it, I don’t wanna be eaten!” Mirabel responded with words drenched in sarcasm wich Antonio couldn’t differentiate from normal words.

“Here I come!... Ugh… ugh… oh…” Antonio tried to jump on his cousin but found himself stuck from the waist down in the clothes pile. “Can you pull me out? Please?”

“I don’t know.” Mirabel pondered with exageration. Rubbing her chin and then pursing her lips and making a thinkeres grimace. “Are you going to eat me if I do?”

“No…”

“All right!”

The older cousin took the younger one from the pile and Antonio began to writhe and shake.

“I lied!”

Antonio chased after Mirabel at the high speeds that his short legs could take him and his older cousin entertained him running away from him.

The run around in circles. Antonio with the earnet intent of a five year old and Mirabel twirling and jumping away from him with the finnese of a klutsy teen. Wich is to say not much finnese at all.

“You can’t catc-AYYYY!”

“No no no no no no no no no!”

Mirabel and Isbela both screamed as the younger of the sisters crashed against their Mother and made her drop the tray of food and drinks she was carrying.

The three Madrigal women turned to the ground and began to pick up the cups and finger foods that had fallen while Antonio stood to the side tense with all the guilt his small body could contain.

“I’m so sorry! I should’ve seen where I was going!” Mirabel apologized as she picked up the fallen things.

“Oh! Now you say that!” Isabela sneered at her.

“Isabela.” Julieta reproached her with the tone only parents can do and the oldest Madrigal girl sighed.

“Didn’t you have to mend some clothes?”

“I finished them already.” Mirabel spoke with badly hidden annoyance and their trio got up and after picking up all the salvageable food stuff.

“Then why did you not take them to Abuela? Those people want their costumes. They don’t want you and Antonio running around like-”

“Isabela!” Once again Julieta reproached her eldest daughter wich sighed once again at her Mamá’s voice. Julieta then turned to look at Mirabel and said tiredly but not unkindly. “Mirabel if you could please get those costumes to the Church? Your Abuela is there with the Director and Manager of the troupe, thank you Mirabel.”

Mirabel looks at her mother and sister leave without her, god knows where, and sighes dejectedly. Her mood evidently down.

“I’m sorry, Mira.” Antonio says while handing her the costume he had taken off. He sounded as downcast as he looked. “I’ll help you with-”

“Nope!” Mirabel said and popped the p at the end. She bent at the waist and flicked her cousin’s nose. “You are going home! Tía Pepa must really want to see you.”

“But-”

“Butts!?”

“No!” Antonio giggled. “But-”

“Just go, pequeñin.” Mirabel said as she rustled Antonio’s hair and sent him his Merry way to Casita. Mirabel sighs once again and moves to pick up and carry the big pile of costumes wich, now that she takes a good look at it, will take her at least two travels to the church or she risks falling down or the costumes falling down.

She begins to organize and pick up the costumes hoping to get at least half of them in her arms until she hears a voice coming from behind her.

“Would you want some help with that?”

Mirabel turns and beside her she finds a teenage boy. She can only assume him to be some years older than her for she has look up to find his face. With big round glasses, some baby fat still clinging to his face and no visible facial hair on his tanned skin he would the picture of the gangly teen if not for the… mass he had on his torso.

“Um- I- I don’t- I- I- What?” Mirabel stammers and her face reddens.

“Would you like my help with the costumes?” The teenage boy repites and uses his hands to point towards the Church. “It’s really far and it’s a lot of costumes so…”

¡Oh! ¡Si si si si si! ¡Gracias!” Mirabel quickly says and takes a step to let the boy grab a bit from the pile.

“Great!” The boy grabs all but a handful of the costumes in his arms. “C’mon then!” He says with a smile as he begins to walk.  

Mirabel sees him walk for a bit…

…and for a bit more…

…and then the bit becomes quite a bit…

…and then she shakes her head, grabs the rest of the costumes and quickly runs to catch up to him.

“I didn’t get your name!” Mirabel gasps when she catches up to the boy. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

“Julio, nice to meet you.” Julio offers her his hand from under the pile of costumes and she shakes it. “I’m with the troupe. I actually was asked to help you bring the costumes.”

“Why didn’t you do that earlier?” Mirabel asks him with confusion on her face.

Julio cringes and with a small voice says. “You looked happy while you were fixing them and I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

“Oh, well that’s nice!” Mirabel says while feeling funny and quickly changes the subject. “What do you help with in the troupe?”

“I help with the choreography.”

“Really?”

“Yes!” Julio smiles a non-chalant smile. “Do I not look the part?”

Mirabel quickly tries to come up with an answer for her surprise.

You are so gangly.

You are so… big.

You are so…

“Aren’t you a bit young to do that?” It’s what she finally settles on.

“Aren’t you a bit young to fix like a hundred costumes?”

“I’m fifteen!” Mirabel yells.

“And I’m sixteen.” Julio says back.

The two teens laugh at the argument they had found themselves with. One putting forth one activity the other was too young to do and the other rebutting it, and like so they arrived at the Church’s entrance.

Two agitated voices could be heard from inside the Church and both teens winced when they heard them. They made haste to enter and non of them noticed the young girl waiting by the entrance filing her nails.

“I must ask you again to reconsider!” Alma yelled at a group of two in the middle pews. “Think about the people who live here! About their livelyhoods.”

“What about our livelyhoods?” An equally loud and yet unchanging voice yelled as well. “We have to be in Cartagena in a week for a show. We can’t just stay here.”

Alma Madrigal was visibly annoyed and Mirabel looks surprised when she found her Abuela argueing with someone who looks barely Luisa’s age.

“Ay no, Martín…” Julio sighs besides her.

“Can’t you just see things my… our way?” Abuela turns to the other one of the two people she was with, a young man who looked actually Isabela’s age and was on the ganglier side with sharp edges and thin arms. “It’s dangerous for us if you go to the outside.”

“Señora Madrigal.” He says while pinching the bridge of his long nose. “You are talking to Martín, not me. You already know I share his opinion.”

“But-”

“Are you gonna make us stay or something?” The gangly young man asks her to wich Abuela shakes her head with vigor. “Then we are leaving. We have our family out there and they are expecting us.”

“Wich Mauri said to you yesterday and I repeated to you ten minutes ago.” Martín, apparently, speaks again with the same intense and yet monotone voice.

“You… you must reconsider!” Alma once again tries to interject.

“Good afternoon, Señora Madrigal.” Martín says and sits in the pews with finality and begins to read and scribble on some papers.

Alma turns around to the gangly man, apparently, as if to spur him to do something about the other young man, and the young man only shrugs before grabbing an apple from his clothes and taking a bite of it.

Alma walks out of the Church with barely restrained anger on her face, not noticing the two teens carrying costumes.

“You should’ve seen them, Julio!” Mirabel flinches at the appareance of a girl apparently a bit younger than herself. With longer straighter hair wich covered her ears but the same round cheeks with baby fat she herself had. “Martín and her were yelling at each other for an hour! Although it got boring after the first ten minutes.”

“Thanks for taking care of the costumes, primo.” The gangly man, Mauri apparently, steps besides them taking a bite from his apple and giving him a wink. “Although you could’ve arrived earlier.”

The young girl besides them laughs as Julio sighs and Mirabel feels out of place or as if she is being judged or something. Julio stops sighing and looks at the young-barely-man in the front pews.

“¡Martín!” He says but Martín is still focused on th papers. “¡Martín!” He tries again.

The younger girl and Mauri step beside him and the three of them sigh.

“Ok, on three.” The girl says and the other two nod. Mirabel now feels extremely out of place. “One, two , three!”

“¡TÍO MARTÍN!” The three cousins, apparently, yell at the same time and the yet-to-be-man that cna’t be older than Luisa turns around.

“¿Qué?”

Chapter Text

“¡TÍO MARTÍN!”

“¿Qué?”

Mirabel saw as Martín looked up from his many papers and how his gaze settled on his apparent niece and nephews. How someone who Mirabel can barely see facial hair on can have a niece and nephews this old is still an unknown to her, but she was still transfixed with the fact the that boy went one to one against her Abuela for an hour.

“We got the costumes Martín.” Julio says and Martín quickly stands up and inspects the pile he has on his arms.

“Uhmmm… Yeah, they are fine.” He says as he moves his fingers across the stitching and the mending Mirabel had done. “We can hand them to the cast at lunch.” Martín’s gaze falls on Mirabel and on the small pile of clothes she has and quickly Martín comes and grabs it from her before returning to his pew.

“Martín.” Julio says with the same cadence of Mirabel’s Mamá while the other younger girl stiffles a giggle and Mauri rubs at his eyes.

“What?” Martín says again with confusion on his face. Or at least what Mirabel thinks is confusion.

Mauri coughs and does it again while nodding towards her and Martín quickly blinks.

“Oh, yeah. Of course of course of course.” Martín turns to look at Mirabel again. “Sorry about that.”

Now Julio and the younger girl cough as well.

“And thank you for mending our costumes.” Martín said with a neutral tone and then turned to the others to give them a thumbs up. Only one of his nephews reciprocated.

“Yo- you’re welcome.” Mirabel said tentatively and with an awkward step on her walk went to get out of the Church.

“Wa-wait!” Julio quickly runs after Mirabel and locks step with her. “I’ll walk you home.”

“Oh well, thanks a lot. But it’s really not-” Mirabel could have said any excuse, from the relatively early afternoon hour to the safe nature of the town, to have him not walk her home, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. “Yeah, yeah let’s go.”

As they parted Julio turned to look back and frowned at the view of his younger cousin making kissy faces at him and Mirabel. Mauri quickly grabbed the young girl by the arm and pull her back inside to her annoyance and to Julio’s chagrín.

As they made their to Casita Mirabel couldn’t help but notice the odd twitches and small movements Julio did as he walked. Fingers to the left and right and left and left an right and left and right and right and then a spin of the hands.

“You really can’t stay still, can you?” Mirabel says as she chuckles. All around them the many people of Encanto walked and went about their business. Musicians played songs, children ran around the streets, the adult gossiped and Luisa would’ve barreled into the two of them if not for Julio making them stop before it could happen.

“¡Lo siento! I have much to do!” The broad and tall woman yelled behind her as the dust cloud that always followed after her died down.

“No hay problema Luisaaa…” Mirabel said but her voice trailed on as she noticed how she and Julio were now standing.

“Are you ok?” Julio asked.

One of his arms was going behind her shoulder until his hand settled on her shoulder and she had been bent backwards. From the outside looking in the two teens looked like they were in the middle of a dance.

“Yeah… yeah I’m fine!” Mirabel quickly stammers out and quickly jumps from Julio’s arms. If anyone were to ask her about the red color on her face she blames the sun.

Casita was oddly still when Mirabel finally made her way back.

“Uhm…Tha-thanks for walking me here.” Mirabel says at Casita’s entrance and with an awkward smile on her face.

“D-don’t mention it!” Julio said as he rubbed his neck.

And a bit of time passed.

And another bit.

And another.

And another.

And…

“Well, goodbye!”

“Take care!”

The two teens quickly bid the other goodbye, Mirabel trying to enter Casita and Julio turning around to leave, but they couldn’t get away from the other. Casita’s door wouldn’t open and the ground spun around as to have Julio not move.

“The door won’t open.” Mirabel chuckled awkwardly.

“The floor is… weird.” Julio spoke with confusion.

A bit of time passed.

And a bit-

“My cousins have been annoying me!” Julio quickly said. “Since you’ve been helping us with the costumes.” He took a breath as if to steel himself. “The troupe is gonna rehearse a bit after lunch and… I don’t know… maybe you’d want to-”

“Yeah I’d like to!” Mirabel said before Julio could end his words.

“Really?” Julio said while giddy.

“Yeah! I don’t have anything to do!” Mirabel cringed as those words left her mouth.

“Great! Uh… Awesome.” Julio started to talk while walking backwards. He was not tripping over by sheer luck. “I’ll see you there! Take care! Enjoy your lun- Ouch!”

He finally ran out of luck.

Mirabel giggled and finally entered Casita. As the door closed behind her Mirabel put her back on it and let a deep and yet content sigh run through her body.

The floor shook from under her feet and she quickly followed Casita’s goading and Julio’s example. Twirls and jumps she did as she made the preparations for everyone to gather and have their lunch.

Cups and plates flew until they were set atop the table while the floor and cupboards move the rest of the cuttlery and the chairs.

Left right left left.

Righ left right right.

And never before Mirabel had gotten the house ready for lunch as fast as she did just now… and she would never do it as fast ever again.

The sun made it’s way across the sky until it reach a bit beyond the peak of it’s path and one by one the Madrigals made their way and sat down to gourge themselves on Julieta’s food.

The children Camilo had to look after were having lunch as well so he got to have a serving before everyone else and by the time Dolores silently made her way he was already on his second plate.

Pepa, Félix and Antonio arrived shortly after them. Antonio had apparently made Pepa too happy to rain so the farmers had asked her to end for the day.

Luisa did not get to the house for lunch as it was her tendency to do.

Abuela arrived almost last with Isabela walking behind her. If Mirabel were more adept at the writen or spoken word she would have pondered on about how her sister looked like a shadow of the older woman but she was, A; too happy with herself to bother, and B; not wanting to sour her mood with Isabela on her mind.

Her Mamá and Papá always arrived last. With Mamá always wanting to treat everyone that came to her for food and her Papá always managing to hurt himself their afternoons were always long and they got home tired.

“¡Familia!” Alma spoke while the family was on different points with their lunch. Dolores had finished and stood at one side with her aloof demeanor while Camilo was eating his last crumbs for mere gluttony, Pepa, Felix and Antonio were half way on their meal and Isabela had just started. Mirabel and her parents had not yet started theirs. “I know that these days have not been as quite as we have expected, but still I tell to feel pride for your works.”

Alma spoke about how Isabela and Camilo gave comfort too the people after last week’s storm.

How Pepa and Dolores were so good during it as to not have anyone go lost and how Julieta has gone above and beyond with her cooking.

“Sadly Luisa is not here, but I can’t blame her with still so much else to be done.” Abuela finished and moved to another subject and Mirabel swallowed her usual disappointment. “But speaking about things to be done-”

Agustín coughed loudly and coughed again.

“Speaking about-”

And he coughed again.

“Agustín if you are getting under the weather perhaps you should not accompany Julieta to her stand.” Alma said. “As I wanted to say, I know this may sound bad I must ask you to not offer any of our help to anyone that’s with the theater troupe.”

Mirabel stilled and everyone else looked surprised.

“¿Mamá?” Julieta spoke without the tiredness on her voice but for a moment.

“That’s fine by me.” Camilo interjected as he soaked in his food related contentness. “But why though?”

“Yeah… what he said.” Mirabel tentatively added on.

“I’m not saying to just leave them on their own.” Alma insisted. “If they ask for help you can give it to them, but don’t do more than what they ask of you.”

“Mamá, why is this?” Julieta started again, Agustín had his hands on her shoulders and he looked as conflictive as Julieta sounded.

“They’ll leave the valley later on the week.” Alma sneered as if the words were some curse or profanity. “They’ll go God knows where and speak with God knows who! We are on damage control! Any more they know about us is something else anyone else could use to come here and do God knows what!”

The family reacted in different ways.

Pepa’s side of the family seemed relaxed at the opportunity to not have to work more than usual.

Isabela only raised an eyebrow and remained quiet while Julieta and Agustín grimaced and sneered.

Luisa was not there so who knows what she thought about this.

Mirabel remained quite but looked downcast.

“I’m glad we can all see things as they should.” Alma said with finality before standing up and raising her glass. “La Familia Madrigal!”

“La Familia Madrigal!” Was repeated by everone else, some with more candor than others. Mirabel didn’t say it and no one pointed attention to it.

After lunch Mirabel was left to her own devices once again. With nothing to do and not wanting to sulk she made her way to the part of town wich was housing the troupe and all their members.

Several bags and cases filled with personal ítems lined the streets and several carriages wich looked disheveled were used by the children of some of the adult actors and actresses as some sort of odd and ironic playground.

Since the town didn’t have enpugh space for a stage that could fit them and the roads had to be used for walking that left the dancers with not enough space to move around. They looked quite awkward dancing with little space but they soldiered on with mimicking the choreograph.

Julio was one of the few leaders the dancers were following…

…and by god could he dance.

Twists and twirls followed by stomps and shapes done to a beat and song only he and the dancers could hear. Mirabel stood there transfixed on the dance until Julio noticed her.

Sadly any intent he had to say hi to her or to move towards her was stomped as the other leaders had him continue dancing. To do such fun danced with such a sad face only made Mirabel giggle.

“Yeah, he is good.” A feminine voice sounded just besides Mirabel. “But don’t look that impressed. It’ll go to his head, and that thing is already twice the size it should be!”

The same young girl Mirabel had seen earlier at Church, one of Julio’s cousins, was leaning towards her with a sly smile.

Being closer to her Mirabel could notice more aspects of the shorter girl. Her straight hair was a shade lighter than her’s and if she focused enough Mirabel could make out the rather big shape of the girls ears from how the her hair was covering them. She has a bit of a pointy nose and her clothes were incredibly well kept.

She wore heels and somehow she was barely Mirabel’s height.

“Valeria Carrillo.” Valeria offered Mirabel her hand to shake.

“Mirabel Madrigal.” She shook Valeria’s hand.

“Oh, I know who you are…” The shortet girl said and Mirabel gulped. If this conversation turned to how it was in the morning things would get awkward. “You are that big girl’s little sister!”

“What?”

“Yeah, the big girl!” Valeria said with an even bigger smile, if such a thing could have been possible, and started to speak with an obviously fake dispear. “She wouldn’t leave even after we told her we didn’t need her help anymore! I had to ask my brother to keep her occupaid so she would take a break! I don’t even think the poor soul has eaten!”

“Yeah, that’s Luisa for you.” Mirabel decided to omit any reaction to the girls exxageration and only sighed at Luisa’s tendency to overwork herself.

“Speaking about people who don’t eat.” Valeria took from behind her a satchel filled with rations. Stuff maybe not the most tasty, but made to last and to feed. “I gotta make sure my idiots actually eat as well. Wanna come a long?”

Despite the girls odd way of speaking about her family her offer seemed sincere so Mirabel nodded.

“Great! Hey, Julio!” Valeria yelled after her cousin and abruptly stopped the rehearsal. “Catch!”

Julio’s dextrous limbs were apparently only his legs for the rations hit him squeared on the face. His glasses were gladly spared.   

Mirabel and Valeria made their way to an even more secluded part of this particular part of town. The sun still shined on their backs and the wind still carried fresh air but most of the noise became quieter.

Sat on the ground floor, by the mouth of an alley between two houses, there was Martín. With a height a bit taller than Mirabel herself’s she could see the relation between him and Julio on his face and his and Valeria’s on his ears and skin. He had curly black hair and the beginnins of facial hair on his upper lip. Papers were thrown about around him and there was a small plate and cup by his side.

Valeria stopped and crouched besides him.

“How’s the play going, oh Great Director?”  

“It’s good.” Martín said with his eyes not leaving the pages. “It won’t be funny though. I tried to, but I suck at writing jokes.” His voice lacked the intensity it had that same morning and every word he said, he said with the same cadence.

“Well… you are funny. But not when you are trying to be.” Valeria chuckled. “Like when you walked a full hour to the market on a Sunday.”

“We didn’t know it wouldn’t be closed. I acted logicly.”

“Have you eaten?” Valeria shifted the conversation.

“Mauri got me food earlier.” He quickly said.

“That was six hours ago.” Valeria informed him.

From his unkept clothes Martín took a small golden pocket watch and his eyes barely shifted upwards as he read the time.

“See!” Valeria took some of the rations and handed them to her uncle. “If you get hungry later go and find me. I mean it!”

Before Valeria could stand up Martín grabbed her arm.

“I need your help. I need to know how you are gonna do the make up for the cast.” Martín spoke quickly and not looking at any of them.

Valeria’s eyes went to Mirabel and then to Martín before she spoke.

“How important is it?”

“Make up affects how the costumes look. The costumes affects how the scene looks. If the scene changes the choreography needs to change. I need you to tell me how you are gonna do the make up so I see the scene in full.”

“Can I do it later or do you want it now?” Valeria pinched the bridge of her nose and looked apologetically at Mirabel.

“The make up can affect everything. It is-”

“Do you want me to do it now? Or can I do it later?”

“I…” Mirabel saw as Martín stammered for the first time she has seen him talk. His next words were spoken slowly. “I’d like… I’d… I’d like for you to help me do it now. If there are changes then we can fix them today and I don’t get stressed or have to annoy any of you tomorrow. Please, I’d like you to do it now. Please.”

“Fine.” Valeria spoke with finality and impatience. “But! Tomorrow we are not talking about work until after lunch.”

“Thank you. You can ask the other girl to do the give out the rest of the rations.” Mirabel felt offended at the non-chalant way Martín spoke about her.

“Tío, you can’t just ask her to do stuff like that! You know that already!”

Martín looked at Mirabel with an unreadable gaze and talk to Valeria with confusion.

“You and her were already doing it. So I’m not asking her to do anything she wasn’t already doing. Also it’s her sister the one that’s big and loud who is hanging around with Mauri. Her sister.” He reiterated as if it explained his reasoning. “Also she can say no if she doesn’t wanna do it.”

Mirabel stood stunned at his words and Valeria looked at her in apology.

“I-I’ll do it.” She conceded if only to escape the situation. “Where are they anyway?”

“The old red house with a lot of noise and smoke coming out of it.” Martín finished and turned back to his papers. As he did Martín turned his head back again. “Oh yes! Thank you.” And he gave the two girls with him a thumbs up.

Only Mirabel reciprocated the gesture.

Mirabel carried the satchel with rations as she made her way towards the aptly named house.

It indeed was of a red color and it was indeed red. Altough she couldn’t figure why Martín would point to it having smoke and noise coming from inside.

The door was half opened so Mirabel made her way inside unannounced. The inside was dirty and the air was thick with age. The house even smelled from how old it was.

At all sides Mirabel could see several broken bits and pieces of wood, metal and fabric They were so many the light from outside could barely get in.

This house must be the place where the troupe left the broken parts of their carriages. Mirabel thought to herself.

The sounds of something like hammering and the noise of machinery came from further in into the house.

Mirabel slowly made her way further in, the sound of the hammering asking the noise from the woody floor.

There on the middle of the messy and disheveled room surrounded by odd machines and instruments there were Luisa and Mauri working on an odd piano.

“Are you done down there?” Luisa said as she looks struggling to lift the piano.

“Just! One! Bit!” Mauri yelled from where he was under it and he quickly came out from there allowing Luisa to let the piano back down.

Both young man and woman looked tired from their work, both of them sighing and taking long breaths to recover. Mirabel stands out of their sight as the two of them begin to talk to one another.

“Thanks again for your help.” Mauri says once he catches his breath back. He takes a handkerchief from one of his pockets and offers it to Luisa, but she declines so he uses it for himself. “I really wouldn’t have been able to do this by myself.”

“Don’t mention it.” Luisa says and then points around at the other odd looknig machines around them. “Altough, you are sure you don’t want help with the light?”

“Yep, you are not helping with that. If only for your safety.” Mauri says and Luisa looks a tad ofended at the insinuation.

“I just spent an hour helping you lift all your instruments. I don’t think some lights will hurt little old me.” Luisa last word were filled with sarcasm and Mauri scoffed.

“Oh, don’t worry! I know you are not weak or… or little.” He said after gulping . “But I only have enough protection for myself. See this?” Mauri took a white-yellow-ish stick from one of his pockets.

“Chalk?” Luisa asked.

“Calcium Oxide.” Mauri corrected her. “When you point fire to it it releases an incredibly bright light beam. But if you change the Calcium for something else like Stroncium or Copper or Potassium you can get light of different colors.”

Mauri and Luisa had gotten closer to one another as the two spoke. Mirabel noticed a small smile on Mauri’s face as he spoke and a curious look on Luisa’s face.

“And how is that dangerous?”

“Becuase who knows what else it has.” A small giggle came from Mauri. “Arsenic, Lead, Iron. You don’t want those things near you! I know how to handle them and I have the equiptment, you don’t.”

With a skip on his step Mauri walked towards what Mirabel asumed was one of the lights and put the stick inside.

“You must’ve studied a lot for this.” Luisa spoke with quite awe. “Wouldn’t have expected some manager to know that.”

Mauri snorted.

“I studied to be a Chemist.” He laughed sharply. “I’m a manager as in I manage the other three. Without them this whole thing would go to shit.”  

The atmosphere inside the house abruptly changed. Mauri finished checking the lights and the piano had begun to emit some odd sound.

“Do you like even like to be the manager?” Luisa asked with sincere worry.

“Most days yes. Some days though, I despise it.”

“Why even do it then?”

“Why wouldn’t you take a break?” Mauri rested his arms on the piano and rested his head on his hands. Luisa didn’t answer.

The light began to move and light up on their own as courtains began to fall as to make a ring around the three of them. Mauri stood up languidly from the piano and offered Luisa a mirthless smile.

“Becuase they wanted to do this, and you and I know that whatever they want… is whatever they get.”

The piano began to hum and play by itself and a slow chord progression followed by the main melody spurred from it.

“What they want, they will get. Anything that they wish they can have it.”

The lights turned to shine at Mauri from behind him and from his sides washing him in Purple, Green and Yellow.

“Even now it’s a dream. The kind that makes you question reality. The fact that you don’t wake up is no accident it seems to me.”

His shadows that were cast from the colored lights made the shape of a young girl and two young boys. He walked until he and Luisa were but centimeters from each other.

“We both gotta pay for it.”

And then he turned around and began to walk around the room with the lights and shadows following him.

“I used to like rocks.”

He gives a small chuckle at himself and with his hands he motions at the other shadows as they begin to change their outlines. Two sets of courtains fell besides him and on them they had the faces of an old couple.

“Everyone of us wished for a different course.”

The shadow of the girl showed her with brushes and pencils drawing on a canvas. One of the boys was busy looking at the starry sky and the final shadow showed a goal keeper catching a goal.

“They told to rest and to play while we’re young… oh they did.”

From the faces on the courtains started to sprout what looked like a family tree. Three children under the old couple. An older brother, a middle sister and the smallest son was highlighted in green. Under the middle sister there was a yellow boy and Mauri stood under the oldest brother alongside the purple girl.

“But fate wasn’t having it. And then!”

A flash from the lights burned through the two oldest faces and one of the lights fell to the floor with a bang. The shadows of the girl and boys dimmed after becoming fuzzy and muddy.

“Stop!” Mauri cried. “And then!”

A new flash of light washed over them and with a bang the shadows had changed their appareance. Make up replaced the canvases, books and papers replaced the sky and a stage replaced the goal keep.

“Please, wake me up!”

Mauri began walk with more intent and hang upon the many courtains around them. The lights continued to follow him and washed his thin frame in multicolor lights.

“What they want they will get. Anything that they wish they can have it!”

The shadows now combined and turned into a graveyard scene. Three colorful people and Mauri alongside black shadows stood in front of two graves.

“All we need is time! And one day we can break from the heartache! After all! We’re in this together!”

The music mellowed out again and Mauri did as well. He stood laid back to the self playing piano and looked at Luisa with a desperation on his eyes.

“See them light up the room. Wouldn’t you have done the same, ain’t it true?.”

Luisa tries to hold unto the hand he had her take as Mauri spoke with intent, but Mauri once again turned to the house at large.

“If there’s a god, by you, can you see what you’ve done!? With them… What you’ve made us take.”

He yelled at the covered roof of the house as if it would answer his plead. His eyes were mad.

“He gets stuck in his mind. I’ve had to bear and hear her cry when at night! He tries to keep on smiling but his ruse is up! Will we ever get a break!?”

The music continues without him for a bit as Mauri has to breath deeply to compose himself before staring to sing with arenewed effort.

“Whatever they want they will get! Anything that they wish I will get for them!

The lights and piano begin spin and move acroos the floor and all around them the lights shine with a multitude of colors. The shadows on the background begin to dance and smoke begind to flood the room.

“There’s nothing I can’t fix! Just one more day and then we will breack through!”

Mirabel and Luisa start to cough from the great amount of smoke in the room.

“Cause all I care! All I care for is-”

One of the lights begins to smoke and burn, everything stops as Mirabel blinks and the scene before her turns to reality once more.

“Mierda!” Mauri yells as he takes of his coat and begins to stop the smoke and fire. He turns with a anxious smile towards Luisa and rest with one of his arms on the light and a leg bent. “I said it was dangerous didn’t I?”

“Uhm… Ah…” It was now Luisa’s turn to gulp.

Mirabel decides that momento to make herself present. She quickly gives the two young adults their rations and then makes her way out of there with quick haste.

Chapter Text

Next morning Mirabel woke up earlier than she tended to, the morning sun shined through Casita’s courtyard with a nice warmth, hoping to talk with Luisa about what she saw yesterday. Sadly the tall young woman had woken up even earlier than Mirabel and had already gone out to gather the donkeys once again.

Mirabel and Casita made quick work of the morning chores for breakfast. The table got set and the food reheated and Mirabel took a moment of respite while sipping from a cup of tea.

She soaked in the sounds of the early morning as she drank her tea. The rustling of leaves and the small and diverse noises of the wild animals. Casita’s wood and tiles creaking under her family’s morning routines. As much as Mirabel enjoys these peaceful moments they always come to an end soonar than later.

“Familia!” Abuela says with a smile when she mades her way to the dinning room after everyone else and all the family turn their heads to listen with intent. The chores for the day are given and everyone but Mirabel walks away from the Casita to do them.

Mirabel smiles as her Mamá and Papá leave last, each one of them gives her a small kiss on her cheek wich she quickly wipes away to her parent’s chagrín, and she is left by her lonesome in Casita.

Her smile falters and slowly morphs to a worried face, but Mirabel soldiers on with her optimism and after sighing she grabs her stuff and goes outside. The valley is as colourfull as it has always been, people busying themselves in their work, children playing and a wonderful weather.

Mirabel went around the small town looking for anyone who’d need her help. The farmers tell her that Pepa is already more than enough help for them and they send her away with a dismissive smile.

She won’t ask her Papá if he needs help if only for her own safety. Her Papá always gets home with a new injure and Mirabel will not temp fate with being near her Papá swinging an ax.

Mirabel cannot do Dolores’ chores. The all hearing young woman having to relay Abuela about the town’s needs and accidents as they appear.

There is no reason for Mirabel to offer her help in the main plaza. Camilo and Isabela already have everyone there covered.

Abuela will get angry at her if she annoys her Mamá or her patients so Mirabel doesn’t get near them, at least her Mamá gives her an arepa.

And Luisa is running everywhere and anywhere people call for her, making Mirabel’s intention of offering help in even the most menial of tasks useless.

It is already lunch time by the time Mirabel resigns herself to sit on a bench in the main plaza. Just under the shade of a tree.

The people are moving around keeping busy, the sun gives the valley a nice warmth and Antonio runs around with some other kids her Tío Félix behind him. They offer her a wave wich she reciprocates.   

Mirabel can hear the whispers of several villagers speaking about how the theater troupe is making fast efforts to complete some sort of play and how it seems everyone else in her Family somehow has to work through lunch hour. It wouldn’t be the first time it happens.

It is a beautiful day and everyone in the Madrigal Family will have to spend their lunch working and doing their chores, everyone but Mirabel wich sits on a bench alone trying to not let any melancholy get to her.

Mirabel continues to people watch until she finishes the arepa her Mamá gave her. She sees her family one by one walking around while busy. She waves at her parents and they apologetically wave back.

The last one she sees is Isabela. She must have apparently finished her chores already becuase she is languidly walking the main plaza with a entourage of young women and men following after her. Mirabel can only barely contain the grimace that make it’s way on her face.

In the edge of her vision Mirabel can make out some quick movement and as quickly as she turns her head a girl barrels over to her and hides behind the tree besides her.

The young Valeria she had met yesterday is giggling and gasping for breath and as another figure makes their way towards her Valeria makes the sound of shushing at her.

“Excuse me, it was Mirabel right?” Mauri asks Mirabel. He looks quite annoyed and taps the floor impatiently with his foot. His facial hair looks different to how it looked yesterday. “Wouldn’t you have, perchance, seen my sister running through here?”

“She went that way.” Mirabel pointed away from her and Mauri quickly runs away after thanking her.

“Is he gone?” Valeria asks her behind the tree and Mirabel nods making her step out. “Oh, I owe you a big one!” Valeria laughs after sitting down besides Mirabel.

The two girls can make out Mauri walking away with an annoyed look on his face.

“What did you do to him?” Mirabel says as she giggles.

“I shaved him while he was napping.”

“Why?”

“He has been trying to grow a mostache for a while.” Valeria spoke to her like one of those old women who love to gossip. “A bushy awful one, but I kept telling him he looked better with a small thin one. So I took matters into my own hands.”

“Dios mio.” Mirabel could only giggle at the other girl’s explination.

“I’m probably gonna hide until he calms down.” Valeria cringes and rubs the back of her head. “Any idea what can I do to pass the time here?”

“No, sorry.” Mirabel quickly says and cringes at her words. “Once you see the valley once you have seen all of it.”

“Then how are all of you not crazy?” Valeria asks.

“Books, music, games, work…” Mirabel begins to count with her fingers. “People.”  

Mirabel whips her head to look at Isabela and her followers, but finds non of them in the plaza, the new biggest groups now being the line for her Mamá cooking and the parents watching their children run around.

“Well that sucks for me.” Valeria whinces. “After your Abuela had that spat with Martín no one has tried to speak with us. Well, except for… you know.”

Mirabel face redened at Valeria’s implied words.

“It was… fun to see all you rehearse. A nice novelty.” Mirabel spoke slowly.

“Do you wanna see me do the makeup for the cast?”

It was a beautiful day and Mirabel was bored out of her mind, so when Valeria offered her some respite from it she could only say.

“¡Ay, Dios! ¡Por favor!” And the two of them went to the troupe’s part of town.

One by one the actresses and actors went to get themselves touched up by Valeria with Mirabel besides her looking intently at the process. Some only needed some blush on their cheeks or some dirt on their hair, although most needed grime and fake scars over them. They looked disgusting and the two younger girls had fun making them look as gruesome as they could.

“Do we really need to do this now? The play won’t be if not in like, three days or something.” The last actress in line asked Valeria as the girl put some colorful powders on her hair. Mirabel had helped with splitting the actress hair in three parts and each one of them was being colored with a different poder leaving the actress with purple, light green and blue-ish green.

“Yes, we do.” Valeria spoke with confidence. “Just like all of you have got to make sure you know the dance and songs, I’ve got to make sure I know how to paint you.”

“You’ve been at my hair for almost an hour. It hurts.” The actress whined.

“Do you want to be the Fate or do you not want to be the Fate? I can call Martin and we can find another part for you.” Valeria taunted the woman under her hands and Mirabel smirked at her bravado.

The sun was still high on the sky when the two girls finished with the cast. Their hands were dirty with multiple colors and make up textures. And glitter! They had a ton of glitter on them and it will be annoying to get it off, but not one of them cared about it.

“Well, that’s what I call a good day’s work.” Valeria said as she dusted her hands from all the glitter, it made a cloud of shiny specks wich she breathed in and then had a coughing fit. Mirabel laughed openly at that.

The ensemble cast made their way to their final dance rehearsal for the day. Julio was there with them and he send a small wave at Mirabel before he got dragged on to the stage.

“Do you want me to pretty you up?” Mirabel hears Valeria’s voice incredibly close to her ear. And the girl had indeed moved closer to whisper in her ear.

“What!? No! No no no… It-it’s fine.” Mirabel stammers an answer. “You really don’t need to…”

Valeria only raised up one of her eyebrows in the unviersal You serious? face.

“I don’t want to.” Mirabel finally says.

“Why not? It’ll be fine. It’ll be fun!” Valeria continues to push the idea. “Julio is wearing the clothes I assured him looked good on him. He used to never listen to me! The two of you are as subtle as a neon sign with big and bold red letters spelling Give me a big ki-” She was speaking with her hands as if to paint the picture but Mirabel quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

“Look, it’s nice that you think that way.” Mirabel speaks with her awkward demeanor. “But, I’m just not the type to pretty my self up.”

“Well that’s not a nice thing to say.” Valeria says after taking Mirabel’s hand off of her face.

“It’s the truth.” Mirabel said and crossed her ams. Then as she continued she use done of her hands to sign and mimic. “There are other girls who can get pampered and pretty and who get told they are Oh, just so nice!, but if I were to do it I’ll just look tacky.”

“So that’s it? You won’t entertain the thought just bacuase you don’t think you’ll look good?” The younger girl asked. She looked appalled and had the candor of a small and angry dog.

“Yes.” Mirabel said succinctly.

“Oh no, you’re just like them!” Valeria stomped on the ground and groaned loudly.

“What do you me-” Mirabel tried to ask but she was cut by Valeria quickly grabbing and hugging her. Her arms stood stiffly at her sides.

“Another person who won’t listen to my words of wisdom!” Valeria spoke with emotion and yet her voice was as bubblely as usual. “But too bad for you! I’m gonna make sure you change your mind and it’ll be fantabulocious!”

Behind them a row of seats sprang up from the dirt ground.

“That’s not a word.” Mirabel said not knowing how to behave in this situation. “And you don’t have to do any of this you know?”

“Oh, I know! That’s what makes me so nice!” Valeria said completely sure od herself. She was now standing with one of her hand on her hips and a beaming smile. “I just can’t help my self when I see someone in need of my help!”

A new group of actors and actresses started to get near them and then sitting on the chairs behind them. Each one of them was in costume but seemed to have some sort of trouble with them.

“Again! I don’t think this will end up fine! I’m just not like the others. I’m… I’m not…” Interesting, sough after? Those were some of the words that went around Mirabel’s mind until she settled on a particular one. “Popular.”

“Popular? Popular!?” Valeria scoffed and Mirabel cringed as she nodded.

Mirrors sprang from the ground just in front of Mirabel and courtains covered the houses around them. Valeria clapped her and Mirabel turned and saw as the mirrors moved behind her until standing in front of the sitted cast.

“Popular. Who cares about popular?” Valeria walked and grabbed Mirabel by the arm as they made their way to the sitted cast. “Why care for your tone of voice? Or your clothes of choice that people seem to mind you wear? No!”

The cast reclined on their chairs and Valeria pulled up her sleeves and sighed before leaving Mirabel and preparing the cast.

“They tell you what shoes to wear.”  A black heel went up an actresses foot.

“How to fix you hair.” Green dye washed over an actors hair.

“Why would anyone desire to be…” The mirrors went away and all cast members stood up to move closer to Mirabel. They adopted poses as whimsical as their appareance to wich Mirabel could only giggle at.

A ghastly looking man in a pin stripped suit held a strong man pose.

A green woman in full black attire stood with a giant smile on her face.

A teen with what looked like a life vest tried to look uninterested.

A cave-woman held a spear with wonder.

And somehow Jesus and Judas were there.

“Popular! Why care about popular?” Valeria grabbed Mirabel once again and the two of them went around measuring and fixing the costumes on the cast. “Why care about such a chore? Trust me you’ll get bored! Unless you’re in on the know!”

The cast went away and the chairs and mirrors circled the two girls. Valeria looked at Mirabel with a sly grin.

“But why not? Let’s see how far we’ll all get to go!”

The younger girl did another clap and a chair pushed into Mirabel from behind forcing her to have a sit. Valeria went behind her and pushed her to be in front of a mirror. As this happened Mirabel looked besides her and saw as two members of the cast pushed Julio and Mauri as well. The oldest of the two looked completely out of it while the younger teen used the whole event and intervention to rest his eyes.

The three of them were each settled in front of a mirror turned around and Valeria sung from Mauri to Julio with Mira in between.

“I’ve been telling you to trust my analysis. Because it seems only I know what the problem is!” Mauri tried to interject but his sister asked Mirabel next. “Do you have anyone who is a pal a sister or adviser?”

Mirabel flinched at the question and said nothing but Julio coughed and lifted both his hand and an eyebrow in defiance.

“Anybody wiser?” Valeria asked again.

His hand and eyebrow stayed up and Valeria scoffed and turned around.

“Not when it comes to…”

Valeria went behind the mirrors and turned them around showing her three vict-volunteers their reflections.

“Popular!”

Mauri looked dressed to the finest of suits and his hair facial and otherwise was combed and slick giving him a cool and aloof look.

“I’ll help you get popular!”

Julio had a blue ruana and a giant embroidered hat. He had an earnest smile on his face and looked content.

“And with an assist from me to be who you’ll be, instead of dreadry who you were. Well are!”

Mirabel was wearing a dress similar to the ones Isabela would wear but it was completely filled out with embroidered designs. She wore an apron over it and there were smudges of color on her face.

The three original people looked surprised at their reflections and Valentina danced and jump around them and the mirrors befor doing a final twirl and ending with her fist punching the air.

“There’s nothing that can stop you from becoming populer!”

A moment passed before Valeria realized her misspoken words and she visibly cringed as her oldr brother spoke with a smug smile.

“Lar?”

“Shut up!”

The three chairs moved closer to the others. Valeria then went behind them and tried  to put her arms around all their shoulders. Her next words were spoken with over the top emotion and Mirabel could feel the sarcasm on them.

“Aren’t we depressing creatures with such unbecoming features? So lets be mindfull for our behalf and think of…”

The cast came back, in particular a man in tights and an over the top neck covering as well as a woman in a toga handling two drama masks. They posed as if speaking to some spectators and the rest of the cast danced around them.  

“Celebrated play writters or especially fantastic orators. They did have brains and knowledge, but let’s bare in mind they were…”

“Popular!/Popular?/Are you done yet?”

Mirabel, Julio and Mauri said respectively.

“Yes! It’s all about popular.”

Valeria held arms with the many cast members and they swung her around as she sung and jumped. They eventually ended in a line and with every verse Valeria sung they did a step, kick and onether one of them joined the line.

“It’s not about aptitude, it’s the way we’re viewed. So sadly it’s shrewd to be…”

The line breaks apart and the many ecclectic characters do their own dance different to everyone else’s.

“Very very popular you’ll see!”

Valeria ends with a fist punching the air. The cast leaves to do their rehearsals and Mirabel and the others are still sat on the chairs and. They had some odd clothes drapped over them but there were no mirrors and the two young men looked bored out of their mind as if any of what Mirabel just saw was a normality in their lives.

Mirabel blinked rapidly and looked around trying to catch any remnants of the act. She finds none.

“I’m still mad at you for shaving me without my consent.” Mauri said tiredly.

“But did you or did you not get compliments?” Valeria asks with a devilish smile.

Mauri cringes and streches rather than answering,

“Were they from you know who?” The younger girl giggled and gave her brother a gaint mocking smile.

“No comment.” Mauri said and Julio laughed loudly at his demeanor.

The sun is going down on the sky and it is almost time for dinner. There is a nice cold and crisp wind going around complimenting the warm dusk. Mirabel feels tired in a satisfying way and sighs on her chair.

Today was a beautiful day and Mirabel feels content for the first time in a long while. She lets herself sag on her chair and lets the sound of the argueing siblings around her wash over her.

There is nothing that could mess this up for her.

“SOMEONE HELP ME! HE IS INSANE!”

Nothing other than Isabela screaming her lungs out as she is being chased by a serious looking Martín.

“Ay dios no…”

Chapter Text

Mirabel, Valería, Mauri and Julio quickly followed after the shrieking of Isabela and the newly fabricated mob wich followed as well from their curiosity.

The sun was shining parallel to the streets of their town, making Mirabel and everyone’s shadows long and thin in front of them and the colourful houses appear not overtly colourful, but not entirely bereft of light.

Mirabel, the three cousins and the mob followed after Isabela and Martín until they all arrived at the town’s main plaza. There were now several food carts around them and the town’s fountain worked as a background to the intense stare down between Isabela and Martín.

The way the light shone made it so Martín and Isabela stood out quite evidently in the plaza. Mirabel could see her family split around the place and, particularly, Dolores and Abuela were catching their breath as if they had just ran here.

And then the light focused only on the two of them.

“Martín has been chasing Isabela through town!” Dolores yelled as hard as she was able to. The light in it’s circular form focusing now on her as she was talking. “It’s so weird how he doesn’t appear to blink. Almost.”

Both the town’s people and the crew of the troupe stand around Isabela and Martín. They begin to whisper and question loudly about the two of them and as they do, Martín begins anew with chasing Isabela. His face is unchanging in his instensity and Isabela does her best to not be caught.

The three cousins with Mirabel react on their own way and fromyoungest to oldest one could make a gradient of annoyance to worry.

“What just happened?” Mauri asked one of the many troupe members around them.

“Martín chased her.”

“But what caused it?” He asked again hoping that he would get a clearer answer.

“Couldn’t tell ya!”

“He seems angry.” Julio pondered aloud.

“Unexpexted. They seemed to get a long just fine, but now I can’t tell what’s on their mind!”  The tropue member said aloud to Mauri’s frustration.

“Did he hurt her?” Mauri asked through his teeth. Valeria hit him in the back of the head. “I’m just checking!”

“Did she hurt him?” Now asked the youngest cousin with great intensity in her voice.

“No, no they haven’t!” The troupe member wilted under her stare.  

As this interrogation happened Julio nudged Mirabel on the arm and motioned her to look at the now struggling pair.

“Do you see that?” Julio asked Mirabel and he moves his hand to his hair to self soothe. “They have something of small size between their hands. They are both struggling really bad.”

“Are they both fighting over some sort of book? That just seems so odd.” Mirabel says aloud with consusion.

The three cousins and every troupe member that heard her flinched at her words.

Isabela and Martín were now running in circles around the plaza and the people around them followed suit.

“Ay no, you see. That’s not just any book.” Julio spoke with worry on his voice. “That’s Martín’s notebook, it has every script and play idea he has!”

“So that’s why he is so protective of it?”

“Yes, but that’s not all. It used to-”

“-be his father’s!” Julio was cut by a passerby troupe member. One of the many dressed up ones wich had not been able to take out their costumes from the chaos that had ensued.

“Our grandfather!” The cousins said in unison.

“It’s a heirloom!” The green witch said.

“Old and weary!” The teen in a live-vest said.

“Now she has it!” The ghastly man said.

“And they’re fighting! Does no one here know how things went?” Mauri yelled at the crowd.

“Oh yes, I do!” A middle aged man from the troupe sprung from somewhere behind them after catching his breath.

“¡No way José!” Everyone exclaimed. Apparently his name was José.

The spots of light showered him as he spoke.

“They were sitting next to eachother!”

Isabela cringed as José spoke and Martín stayed unblinking.

“He was writing. She was fawning!”

José mimicked the actions he said and everyone looked at him with weird surprise.

“I called for him. He lost something!”

The crowd held their breaths in anticipation.

“The book was nowhere on his hands. Becuase she took it and then she ran!”

The crowd, or at least the part that was from the troupe, began to go around in circles and sing in unison.

“Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes they both, oh yes they both, oh yes they’re both fighting! The book, the book, the book, the book! They are both fighthing for the book, for the book!”

Martín jumped and went to grab his notebook from Isabela’s hands but the young woman wouldn’t have so she ran. Martín ended up grabbing unto Isabela’s dress sleeve tearing it from the dress.

“Oh yes – oh no – oh yes – oh no – oh yes – oh no – oh yes they’re both fighting! The book, the book, the book, the book! They are both fighthing for the book, for the book!”

The three cousins and the full of Mirabel’s family also also began to sing, although their demeanor was severely different to the rest of the people.

“Inconceiveable! Inconceiveable! It’s entirely inconceiveable!”

The spots of light converged on Martín as he began to sing. His voice had emotion and strained yet his face was still and unchanging.

“Aprehensible! Aprehensible! It’s fully despicable!”

He took the teared part of Isabela’s dress and he teared it in two even smaller pieces.

“It’s unforgiveable!

The crowd gasped and Isabela shrieked. Many explosive words came from her mouth as she sees her dress become even more teared up and with a sneer she moved with intent towards Martín.

Mirabel looks anxiously around and sees Abuela with a similar sneer on her face and her rest of her family looking surprised.

“Dios mío, she is a bitch.” Valería said aloud about Isabela. This made her brother and cousin to look appalled at her.  “What!?”

Both Martín and Isabela took steps towards one another. Their steps were deliberate and punctuated by the entire crowd whispering.

“Oh yes… oh yes…”

Martín tied the two pieces of fabric to make a ball. Isabela held the notebook so firmly her fingerstips turned pale.

“...oh yes they both… oh yes they both… oh yes they’re both fighting…”

The troupe members wich still had costumes began to stretch. Many members of Isabela’s circle looked around looking at them and Abuela told something to Luisa to wich the younger girl braced herself.  

“The book, the book, the book, the book…”

Isabela and Martín approached each other and both went to grab what the other had. The whole combination of strikes, dodges, bends and twist made them apperar to be dancing.

“They are both fighthing for the book, for the book!”

The two of them throw their items upwards and members of their particular groups run inside the circle of people to catch them.

“Wait!” Mauri yelled as Valería ran inside.

The center of the ring of people became not unlike a game of tag with a bunch of ecclectic characters as well as Mirabel’s younger family members looking to grab their corresponding item as well as making the other group not grab theirs.

“Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes they both, oh yes they both, oh yes they’re both fighting! The book, the book, the book, the book! They are both fighthing for the book, for the book!”

Camilo got kicked by Valería. Isabela tripped the actress with the multicoloured hair. Martín climbed, unflinchingly, on top of Luisa.

“Not you too!” Mauri yelled as Julio ran inside as Luisa tried to throw Martín off of her.

“Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes they both, oh yes they both, oh yes they’re both fighting! The book, the book, the book, the book! They are both fighthing for the book, for the book!”

¡A la mierda!”

Maurí followed suit and left Mirabel alone.

Mirabel looked panicked around her. Hands, feet, legs and arms flailing around in a gaint cloud of dust. Clothes and many other things getting thrown around. And yet she stood not knowing what to do.

Dolores had grabbed Martín’s notebook.

Julio had grabbed the pieces from Isabela’s dress.

They both looked at Mirabel, but didn’t noticed the other one doing it, and unceremoniously threw them at her.

All wich was happening around Mirabel became slugish and unfocused as she moved to catch both things.

Mirabel jumps over a kneeled down actor and entirely on accident kicks one of Isabela’s followers on the face. She grabs both the notebook and the pieces of fabric in midair and then she falls to the ground with a spin wich makes her slide on the ground.

“BOTH FOUGHT FOR THE BOOK!!!”

The main plaza turned uncomfortably silent and Mirabel looked up from where she was.

Abuela was looking down at her with a clearly angry frown.

Mirabel took a moment to look at her odd clothes and recently coloured face, and cringed at how this would look to her Abuela without context or information.

“So… I can explain…” Mirabel said.

SLAM!!! was how the door to the nursery went after Mirabel was sent there just as her family arrived to Casita.  

Chapter Text

“…really considering this?”

“…ever thought this to be a good idea!?”

“…so uncomfortable with this…”

“...let them get this out there!?”

“…of you can see what’s better then I don’t need to explain my self!”

The sounds of yelling came through the door, walls and floor of the nusrsery and Mirabel could only sit dejectedly on that same floor letting the yelling wash over her. She had changed her clothes and scrubbed her face clean.

She could hear what they were all argueing about. Abuela had, apparently, asked Isabela to spy on the people of the theater. To find out if any of them could become a problema and in all of her wisdom, wich Mirabel think is none, Isabela decided that Martín writing on his notebook about the Encanto and it’s people was a problem.

If Mirabel had been more focused on listening instead of moping she would’ve heard how her Mamá sounded appaled at Isabela’s and Abuela’s actions and how Luisa sounded awkward after realizing what had been done.

A soft knock came from the other side of the door.

“Come in.” Mirabel said with no warmth.

Antonio walked inside looking every bit as happy as Mirabel looked and the girl quickly changed her demeanor.

“Antonio, are you fin-” She is cut from asking by the young kid barreling on her arms.

“I don’t like it when they yell at each other.” Is the only thing he says and Mirabel can only commiserate and bring her arms around the boy.

The two youngest Madrigals spend heaven knows how long sat on the floor of the nursery until they fall asleep. The moon was already high up in the sky, barely able to be seen through the clouds, and there was a cold breeze coming through the window.

A new knock comes from the door wich awakes Mirabel. She makes sure to not wake Antonio and says “Come in.” with the sleep still on her voice.

Agustín Madrigal, Mirabel’s Papá, comes inside the nursery while carrying a couple of plates and cups with steaming contents.

He tries to speak but flinches when he sees Antonio asleep. Leaving the food and drinks on the floor besides Mirabel, Agustín carefully takes Antonio from Mirabel and sets him on his bed to sleep. Agustin cracks his older bones after doing it wich he then jokes about finding himself to be hilarious.

“C’mon Papá, you’re not that old.”

“I’m almost fifty cariño. Let me act like it.”

The dad goes to sit on the floor alongside his daughter and the two of them feast on the still warm food. Agustín worries about Antonio going to sleep without eating but with the other option being a tired and barely awake toddler neither Mirabel or Agustín can complain.  

“What a day we had, uh?” Agustín says as he almost finishes his plate.

Mirabel chokes on her drink.

“Ye-yeah.”

“Did you have fun?”

 A small smile appears on Mirabel’s face and she speaks wistfully. “Yes, I did.” And the smile soon disappears with a sigh. “Papá… the-they are not bad people.”

The same sigh comes from Agustín. “I know cariño. Trust me, I know.” He says as he cleans his glasses. “But try and tell that to your Abuela.”

“Ugh…” Mirabel grimaces.

“I know! Still, she says it’s better for us to keep that notebook.”

“That’s not fair.” Mirabel sulks.

“Life’s not fair Mirabel-” Agustín said and quickly added before Mirabel could interject. “But you’re right. It’s not fair for them.”

“What did Abuela do with the notebook?” Mirabel asked her Papá as he left with their used cups and plates.

“She asked Casita to hide it.” Agustín said before leaving. “For the protection of the Encanto she said. Good night cariño. See you in the morning!”

“See you in the morning…”

Mirabel thought about actually going to sleep, but sadly it never came to her. The young girl spend her night pacing around the nursery and tossing and turning on top of her covers.

An awkward feeling was sitting deep in her body until it settled on her arms and legs.

“Casita?”

The floorboards turned at the foot of Mirabel’s bed.

“If I asked you for the notebook… would you give it to me?”

The living house stood still for a second and Mirabel continued to ramble.

“I-I know what Abuela asked of you but… but it just doesn’t feel right. I don’t… Please, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep if I don’t do it.”

The doors and handles of the many pieces of furniture in the room shook as if to say no and Mirabel grimaced.

“Pleeeeease!” Mirabel said, not loud enough to wake Antonio up. “I-I… They did something nice for me I just want to return the favor.”

The courtains of the room sag as if resigned and nothing in the room changes.

“Fine! I’ll just have to make do then.“

Mirabel looks among her many belongings until she finds an old notebook of hers. It is barely used with only a handfull of pages filled with her younger unskilled sketches of dresses and skirts.

Mirabel puts on her shoes and moves to get out of the nursery, but stops as a plank coming from her desk gets in her way.

“Really? You don’t want me to do this that much?”

A chair wobbled besides her carrying one of Mirabel’s coats.

“Thanks, sorry.”

Mirabel made her way through town iluminated by moonlight. The town wich looked lively during daytime now lacked al lof it’s welcoming atmosphere and remained still and disturbingly silent.

Two streets down from the church and going towards the jungle from the main plaza. That is where their accidental residents took to rest and… reside.

The gas lamps in all but one house are turned off and from that lonely iluminated home Mirabel can make out some shadows speaking in low voices.

“…gonna hide all of her belongings and then cover them with poison ivy powder! That bit-” A feminine voice says.

“…hen did you learn those words? You kiss my aunt with that mou…”   

Mirabel knocks on the door and the voices stop as steps get near her.

“Who’s stupid enough to come at this godforsaken ho-oh it’s you!”

Valeria opened the door with the patience of an irate bull but quickly turned subdued when she noticed that it was Mirabel who knocked on the door.  

“Did you hear any of the…”

“Ye-yeah, I did…”

“I’m sorry?”

“I wouldn’t call my sister a… female dog, but don’t be sorry.” Mirabel and Valeria spoke with the same awkward cadence. “If anything… It would be fun to see her all itchy and what not.”

Valeria smiled a mischivious smile and from behind her Julio appeared with a small and confused smile appeared on his face. Upon further inspection Mirabel could see the traces of stress on their faces.

“What are you doing here?” Julio asked with worry. “It’s late.”

Mirabel answered by showing them the notebook she had brought with her and the two cousins quickly got her inside.

The house the Carrillo’s were using was not any more grandeur than any other one. The oven and sink were in the same room as the lonely couch and chairs, Mauri was soundly asleep on the former while his stuff was haphazardly throw on the latter.

The letrine was on the end of a long hallway at the end of the house. And there were two bedrooms. The one their group got in was the smaller of the two rooms with only enough room for a small bed and an even smaller night time table.

The room had young men clothes on a pile on one corner and on the other corner it had a pile of books.

Martín was on the floor inside an old and raggedy sleeping bag reading from the pile of books by candle light.

“You didn’t take the bed.” Julio said with a hint of snnoyance on his voice. “I told you to use the bed.”

“You are taller than me. You need it more.” Martín spoke with his same unwavering cadence.

“Not why I asked you to take the bed…” Julio sighed. “Anyway… someone came here to see you. If you want to.”

Martín turned to look at Mirabel but his eyes and face didn’t change. His ears however tensed and moved upwards.

“Uh… hi.” Mirabel waved awkwardly at the intense way she was being looked at. “Here!”

She handed her notebook to the odd boy and quickly receded.

“I know it might not be the same and I’m terribly sorry about what my sister did, but I just thought it… it isn’t fair what they did to you.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Martín pointed at the two cousins. “I told the two of you it wasn’t fair.” He pointed at Mirabel. “And you can tell it wasn’t fair also. But I knew it first! And now… now…”

A yawn came from the bagged boy.

“It’s still not completely fair.” He said as he inspected the notebook. “Becuase it’s not your fault, but… but it’s somewhat better now.” He yawns again. “Thank you… uhm… sorry I’m bad with names I forgot yours.”

“Mirabel.”

“Thank you, Mirabel.”

Behind them Julio and Valeria released complimentary sighs.

“Are you gonna take the bed now?”

“How does that question arise from this situation? You’re still taller.”

Valeria hits Julio softly on the back of the head before going out of the room.

“Just take the bed.”

Mirabel says goodye and goodnight to Martín and moves to leave. Julio worried about her going to her home alone at night follows after her.

“You don’t need to do this, you know? The town is only scary but is really safe.”

“Well, think of it as a thank you. Believe it or not this is gonna help him actually sleep tonight, ergo, I’ll get to sleep tonight.”

That same awkward feeling Mirabel felt in her room comes back. The two of them are at the halfway point between their house and Casita.

“Well, I’m sorry if the villagers annoy you after today.”

“I can manage them.” Julio says full of himself. “If there’s anything I’ve learnt about people since getting this job, is that they can’t stay mad if they’re dancing.”

“What does that even mean?” Mirabel smirks.

“You’ll see.”

Mirabel goes in for a one armed hug.

Julio goes for a handshake.

Mirabel offers her hand.

Julio offers his shoulder.

The two of them flounder and move as if they were dancing not knowing what to do to say goodbye.

They finally do, but not after their efforts got them awkwardly close to each other.

Chapter Text

“You’re still doing the play?”

“Yes.”

“Even after everything that happened yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you just decided to not do it.”

“Perhaps, but…”

“I wouldn’t do it if I were you. I would just stop and-”

“Mirabel.”

Martín and Mirabel were sitting together in the town’s main plaza. There were the beginings of some sort of stands or rows of chairs being installed and the bones of the stage was being built.

The same colorfully haired actress of yesterday was anxiously pacing around the barely made stage.

“I do heavily dislike your Abuela and sister, but the play is for the town as a whole.” Martín’s cadence barely changed when he spoke so Mirabel had to really pay attention at the way his face changed as he spoke. “That and the cast needs to rehearse as much as they can.”

At least it made him sound funny. Mirabel thought to herself.

“Is it fine then for me to watch this? Not worried I could, I don’t know, spoil the show for everyone else?”

“Are you?” Martín head tilted as he looked at her and his ears moved up his head.

“No.” Mirabel quickly answered.

“Then everything’s fine. EVERYONE READY!?” From where did he get that megaphone, Mirabel couldn’t tell. One by one every set of cast and crew gave Martín a thumbs up. “AS WE PRACTICED IT PEOPLE!”

“Excuse me!”

The formerly pacing actress quickly raised her voice and called for Martín’s attention.

“Do I really need to be that rude?”

“THE SCRIPT SAYS SO! SO YES!”

“It feels bad to be mean.”

“GOOD THING THE CHARACTER IS THE MEAN ONE AND NOT YOU! YOU’LL DO FINE MADELINE!”

“And I told you to call me Maddy!”

Mirabel sat there soaking with their argueing and snickering at it. As they continued to do so she managed to make out the two younger cousins quickly skulking behind the stage. She waved at them and they reciprocated before Mauri or Martín could reprimand them for being late.

“OKAY, ENOUGH OF THIS! PROJECT CASSANDRA, PROLOGUE, FIRST ACT AND FIRST SCENE! ACTION!”

Martín sits besides Mirabel once again. He is visibly, visibly for him, stressed and Mirabel tries to distract him from that.

“Project Cassandra?”

“The title is still a work in progress- and they’re starting.”

It was earlier than the middle of the day, Mirabel herself had eaten breakfast just recently, and yet Martín still asked Mauri and the other light operators to rehearse with them. They would move and do the mimicry of operating the lights and would then mark on the floor so they wouldn’t do any mistakes on the day of the actual play.

All of that is just to say that even though it was a sunny morning and the light operators were not actually turning them on Mirabel still saw the day darken and the colorful actress, Madeline apparently, being shined on by equally colorful lights.

“Ancient Greece!” She exclaimed. “The birthplace of many myths and legends wich still get told in our day and age! Heroes, Thinkers, Kings and Gods! These stories impart unto us teachings of pride and love and rage and duty!”

Behind Madeline Mirabel could see the cast arranging themselves like statues and from the ground appeared many meditarranean houses and trees. All of them were still in shadows but for the main actress.

“Their teachings particularly inspired the people of the city of Delphi. They taught them how to be stoic in the face of their problems and to value their pride and honor as to be respected and remenbered for generations to come.”

Amidst the frozen cast Mirabel made out a lonely figure. A hooded and hunched one wich skulked around and was shined on by a dimmer light. As the figure moved they moved several things and people around.

“But there was one person! One seer who spat on the face of those same stories and whose name is now remebered with nothing but contempt… Cassandra!”

A man got turned around so he wouldn’t step on a puddle.

A knife fell to the floor so a fruit vendor wouldn’t pick it from the blade.

A baby recieved a piece of apple so they wouldn’t cry.

A flower vase got moved so a pack of dogs wouldn’t crash into it.

“Or at least that’s what the stories tell… Tonight you will be witnesses to the real story! The Tangled and Forgotten history of a Cursed Oracle!”

The background of people and scenery became bright with lights and the many people reacted to what the hooded figure did.

“Oh yes! We are soooooo doing a departure from the original source material! It’s fan-fiction, baby!.. That’s a meta-referencial joke! It’s funny as in it’s unfunny, you uncultured posers.”

Maddy began to walk down the stage and to angrily shout at the empty seats.

“I told you I couldn’t write jokes.”  Martín whispered besides her and Mirabel giggled becuase of the insanity of the premise.

“What!? You think you can do better!? Yes, you! You who is watching this show! Fuck you!”

The many background cast began to be shined on and moving from their static poses. Each one of them becoming irate about the hooded shapes doings. Somehow everyone of their attempts at helping ended up with several annoyances and frustrations for the people.

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

They all said one after another and the hooded figure weaved through the crowd wich yelled after her.

“Why do you have to meddle in?”

“These are not your problems to fix!”

“Will you not give us some respite!?”

“All through your life, you’ve messed up mine!”

“Mine too!”

“Mine too!”

“Mine too!”

From the wings Maddy appeared and only with her own singing and her calling upon the tradition of enduring tragedies that the mob didn’t continue to chase after the hooded figure.

“Swallow all your worries and endure all your burdens! And the people will one day see your pride!”

“And soldier on my friends! Cassandra’ll meet a dire end!”

The lights shined brightly and made the shadows behind the mob to change shapes as they spoke about every posible demise Cassandra could have.

“She could get trapped inside the Netherworld!”

A chained ghostly looking figure surrounded by green fire.

“Be thrown to sea by tornado!”

Mirabel could swear her clothes and hair moved with the fast winds.

“Or possesed by some blue shit!”

The lights flared up with a blue tinge and the crowd looked as if possesed.

“Or she could meet her end by a bucket!”

A melting figure screamed from behind them.

“A lamp!”

A gust of wind went around the stage making the lights swirl.

“Or a house!”

A house fell on top of the stage lifting up a cloud of dust and when the dust settled the crowd was running around the hooded figure while continuing to sing. The hooded figure began to sing as well.

“Do not call her! Don’t call for her!”

“You have no reason why!”

“Don’t you call her! Don’t call after her!”

“No one remebers how!”

“Do not call her! Don’t call for her!”

“Did we end up like this!”

“Don’t you call her! Don’t call after her!”

“Our situation is out of hand!”

The crowd dispersed from their circling around the hooded figure and with rolling eyes and uninterested grimaces they began to let the hooded figure rant and not react to her.

“And who says that you won’t, after I’m gone and dead! Go look for some poor old soul and try to put them in my place!”

The cast continued to not react at the insistencies of the hooded figure and continued to vocalize their indifference.

“Do not call her!”

“Don’t call for her!”

“Don’t you call her!”

“Don’t-”

The hooded figure interrupted their final verse by removing her hood and with a resouding belch Cassandra, a young girl, finished with the introduction.

“You will listen to me!”

“AND SCENE!!!”

Any and all effects of light or scenery craftsmenship stopped and left Mirabel gasping where she was sitting. Her chest and head were pulsing and reeling from what she just saw. Martín dismissed the cast and crew for lunch after giving them some praise.

“You don’t seem fine. Why are you not fine?” Martín asked candidly. His face unchanged.  

“I didn't like the introduction.” Mirabel sulked. "The shadows were very... graphic for my taste."

"Did you see them then? The lights and shadows and everything in between?" Martín asked and Mirabel slowly nodded. "Finally... Someone who sees things like me."

"Not that much... I don't think your paly'll be that happy."

“Stories don’t need to be happy to be good.” Martín explained. “And I think honestly this one’ll be the best.”