𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 || ⁱ. ᵐᵃᵈʳⁱᵍᵃˡ

six // trauma dumping as a hobby

          "NO, EW, THAT is so gross!"

          Isabela's laugh pretty much echoed throughout the entire encanto while she stumbled to keep up from beside you, barely regaining her original balance as she threw her head back in a witch-like cackle. "Tia Gloria just let you do that?!"

          "I'm telling you Isa, you missed out a lot on your childhood." The girl was beautiful as she was infectious, finding yourself struggling to stifle your snickers in any case somebody in the village were to get annoyed at the ruckus while you spoke, "That wasn't even the worst thing I've done with mud."

          "And that is my cue to change the subject!"

          Eating at the Madrigal household was definitely a fun treat. With you as a guest, the adults—older adults, you found a need to mention upon realizing once again that you were one, just younger—pretty much agreed to let the 'kids' eat separately so they may talk and socialize as they pleased. You were one of them, and seeing the usually responsible Luisa have banter with Camilo was. . .well it was definitely worth the sort-of awkward stay there.

          The churros, to your surprise, were absolutely fucking delicious, being made by a sentient house and everything. The cleanup after? Not so much.

          Even though you shared the equal amount of responsibility with Isa, you couldn't help but feel you didn't do much. You did your part of the work, yes, but the whole plant manipulation thing really did give the girl an advantage, even when cleaning a room full of wasted flour.

          But no matter you eventually got the job done, concluding most of your chores and leaving you to do as you please.

          Which was just chat.

          After eating, cleaning up, eating again for lunch after they insisted you stay, cleaning up again, and hanging around for the better part of an hour, everybody pretty much went their own separate ways, leaving the two of you in a situation where there really wasn't much of a choice but to talk. And honestly? It's going really well. At least, you thought so. A conversation wouldn't be going on non-stop for three hours if it wasn't going well, right?

          "Back when we were really young, I remember that me, Dolores and Luisa would sneak into Abuela's room and wear her dresses for fun. And every time we did, we'd make a mess. And every time we did, dad would have to clean up after us." She chuckles as any sign of her previous breathless, hands-on-knees wheezing had gone just as quickly as it did show, pushing a strand of her hair away as you two took a turn. "And then Camilo came along and we got so excited to finally have somebody else to play dress up with. But of course, he was a baby and everything so we couldn't really do much.

          "And then a few months after that Mirabel came along, and my God I've never seen Luisa more ecstatic." You crack a smile along with her and hers only grew bigger, finding from the almost longing look in her eyes that this was a fond memory for her, "I guess that she just always wanted to be a big sister, being the youngest out of us three that time and all.

          "I remember that the day she got her gift, the moment she saw herself all grown up on that door she calls out 'I can protect my sisters!' so happily. Tia Pepa likes telling that story just to mention that mom cried so much that day."

          "Well damn, is your goal to make me cry as well?" She laughs again, this time a little louder and a little more akin to the cackle you had heard earlier as she turns to look at you, "Well I'm not exactly trying to stop you."

          You two reach the plaza and find the usual kids running around playing, seeing one little girl taunt another with silly faces before running away screeching with the biggest smile on her face. Just an average game of tag, and your house right across the clearing. "Shit then, now I feel like I have to follow this up with a cute childhood story of my own."