Chapter Text
La familia Madrigal. La FAMILIA Madrigal, they say. You have probably heard this sentence more than once, in the village or in la Casa Madrigal, during conversations, during meals or during any conversations you might hear as the interlocutor of almost all Encanto's father. Almo Madrigal is a man who cares for this town, villagers like him and he likes to see how everything is stable. Safely. All Encanto is safe, it was safe, it is safe and it will be safe as long as future is seen in good color.
Exactly, Encanto is a small community that feels the need to speak, without knowing everything exactly as it is. Rumors are order of the day and of course their center is the most iconic family of the entire village. The truth is that no one would dare to talk about them face to face - out of gratitude and respect, but behind the oldest Madrigal's back you can hear many words, not necessarily favorable. Still, it is not surprising. Just as Almo inspires respect among people, it is always immersed in a minimal bit of fear. After all, this guy has power over everything, and his children- Oh yes, his children.
Three figures taken almost as if from the Bible. Role of the prophet is taken over by the youngest one. You may feel ridiculous considering that such a fragile person can literally destroy you when you chant it is frightening but think about it. You can't hide anything because even things you haven't done yet can be used against you. She can tell your worst secrets to the whole Encanto and threaten you forever. But she doesn't. She is well-behaved, strangely calm and hardly ever alone. She always walks around town with her father, greeting residents and listens if any of them need a specific vision. Always well dressed, with braided hair, looking like a little doll. They always go to church in the morning together, just two of them, and she always wears a golden cross around her neck. Residents speculated about it too often, after all, it would be too easy to consider her as a very religious child. “Satan, who must be banished from it”, or actual affinities with the biblical figure, are perhaps the most banal things that have already been said about this girl. The hatchlings about seeing her alone in the middle of the night and the two green eyes staring sound comical, but you know, not everyone enjoy such a disturbing sight. The truth might always be that Almo was afraid for his only daughter. But it is actually too simple. The fact is that they are very interested in why, especially in the morning and in the evening, she is with someone, if her father is busy, she will be escorted by one of her brothers.
That's right, her brothers. Almo also has two sons who are very different from each other and who would probably have crumbled without a sister, like one of her shattered visions. His eldest son is like a Messiah- he heals. But not in the usual way, because he does it with food. He gets up before the sun rises and prophylactically gives all Encanto breakfast. Every day. Poor boy, if not Almo, he would probably prefer to sleep, but he must be ready 24 hours a day to help. This boy is caring but smiles rarely. He could stop treating town people and cause, most likely, a catastrophe among people who probably will not be able to tie a bandage on torn knee, but for some reason he is still stuck in this vicious circle, as if someone were conducting it and blackmailing him. Yeah, his father never had major plans for him, at least that's what the residents thought, after all, no family interested in their child would have told him to spend 12 hours in full sun next to a food cart, watch the worst injuries and wounds, and pretend that he was good with that. Because all he did was pretend, but unfortunately for them - not enough. His father pointed out his flaws and imperfections. Almo never praised him, at least not when he was more than five years old. The village saw it, but the risk of losing the healer closed their mouths. Unfortunately, over time, fear and anxiety turned him into a wreckage of a young man who literally drowned. Self-defense against everyday life was hard, especially when his own brother would do anything to get him into trouble, and trouble with his father, let's call it a reprimand, is truly painful.
And now his brother ... people are afraid of him. He is like God and it scares them. If you think this is an exaggeration, then to think what else you would call someone who is literally in control of what is happening right now, he can summon a drought that will kill prons, a flood that will sweep away houses, and strike you with lightning that will be like a sentence. In fact, if he wanted to, he could destroy everyone and everything, but neither does he. He is triplet, middle one, and like all his siblings - listen to their father. Not that he had any choice, the mountains of this small village are actually quite high, and there is no other reality so. This boy is exalted but despite the fact he always feels tiny in the shadow of his perfect sister and the light of the fire in which his brother burns. Although, on the whole, he may hate his father and brother, but can only say that he hates his sister, who makes him not crazy yet. And alcohol, alcohol drunk while sneaking out at night and flirting generally also help, at least to forget for a moment. But it does hurt a lot if he is unaware of what he is doing, cannot control his power, and controlling the weather with emotion is hard when you feel like you are on a carousel, and not controlling the gift is a scorn for the sacrifice his and his siblings mother have made. At least that was what Almo said, whose only argument was to point to a candle that only burns - it will keep the whole Encanto alive! And no, it can't be blown away. They tried. A lot of times.
They are Bruna, Juliano and Pepe. Or Juliano, Pepe and Bruna if in birth order. Or Bruna, Pepe and Juliano if in order of importance. These are the Madrigal triplets. The children of Almo and Pedra Madrigal who tried to be thankful for the miracle but so far the only thing they have gained thanks to the gift is a looped routine that they have to stick. And the fact that the increasingly growing Encanto counts on them. She likes it, but she doesn't like to see the whole family and her mother, whom she never met, is destroyed by the father she loves too much. Boys don't like it, and if it weren't for the respect for the mother they never met and the younger sister who “as real men” should protect at all costs, they would have run away from their father. This is a sad irony. The irony of La Familia which instead of family, is like robots who blindly follow orders and try to pretend that it is normal. I mean, Madrigal.