(Author's Note: Hello my readers! This chapter is actually a pretty big deal, as it's the first thing I'm posting since I graduated college! Very exiting on my end;) But anyway, let's get to why you're here: today's story.
Fun fact: this is the first chapter of this story that was a fan request/suggestion. The person who suggested it didn't have a proper username, but you know who you are if you're reading this. Here's the suggestion itself…
*Guest: "How about a chapter detailing what if Agustin and Felix had gotten gifts?"
-Anyway…hope you guys enjoy:)
Chapter Thirteen: Gift Difficulties
Concept: Decades ago, the Madrigal Triplets were given incredible powers from their family's "Miracle". Many people theorized that this magic would pass down to their descendants…but few would have guessed that the magic would choose to bless the two men who married into the family.
"Eh, HERMANO!" Agustin jumped at the sudden shout, crashing his head against the wall behind him (because of COURSE he did). "Eh…are you alright, Gus?" The glasses-wearing man glared at his brother-in-law, who was trying (and failing) to hold in his laughter.
"Yeah. Laugh it up, Felix."
"What can I say, bro?" Felix shrugged with a smirk, "It IS pretty funny how you can't seem to go more than two minutes without hurting yourself. So…what happened anyway?" Felix motioned towards Agustin's bloody nose.
"My hand got caught on the axe again and I hit myself in the face when I tried to pull it off, okay?" Agustin muttered, clearly embarrassed by his admittance, holding his nose. Ah, that makes sense. Agustin had more difficulty controlling his newfound Gift than Felix.
It was a surprise for everyone, that was to be sure. It was definitely a big day when the Madrigal triplets had acquired literal magic powers when they turned five (even considering the living house and the mountains that had instantly spawned from the earth five years beforehand), but even that nearly had a rival in the next "big event" that occurred within the Encanto: the two separate days where Agustin and Felix, the chosen husbands of Julieta and Pepa, had acquired magic Gifts of their own.
Funnily, the people of the Encanto were split between those who thought it made sense and those who didn't understand it at all. On the one hand, the two men were marrying into a magical family. The idea that they would also be "blessed" isn't ENTIRELY out of the realm of possibility.
On the other hand, however, it was pretty confusing since Agustin and Felix weren't blood Madrigals. Even Alma herself, leader of the Encanto and keeper of the "Miracle", didn't have any powers.
"Still getting stuck, eh?" Felix asked, a shit-eating grin on his face as he nudged his brother-in-law with his elbow. Agustin's Gift was, by default, one of the more "complex" ones in the house (befitting of the husband of a woman who could heal specifically through her food). He could touch certain materials (wood, metal, etc.) and gain an "armor" of that material that covered his entire body. Doing this made Agustin a lot stronger and tougher…but it was also a common occurrence for Agustin to unconsciously activate his Gift when he grabs something, unintentionally absorbing the material (on at least his arm) and getting stuck.
"Oh, be quiet," Agustin muttered as he walked towards the kitchen.
"It's just a question, Gus."
"Not with that stupid look on your face." Felix just laughed out loud as Agustin went into the drawers to pull out the utensils for lunch.
"Come ON!" Agustin felt an arm suddenly wrap around his shoulders, "You should know by now that I'm only messing with you. No need to be so sensitive, Gus."
Just then, Agustin felt another arm wrap around his shoulders…only to stare into the face of a second Felix, "You should listen to him, you know. Handsome guys like that tend to know what they're talking about." Felix's Gift was far more "straightforward", much like his wife and their cuñado. Felix could duplicate himself at will, splitting into up to four different copies of himself. His Gift was the only one that could truly rival Julieta's in popularity, as he ensures that you get the aid of four men by just asking one.
Agustin simply rolled his eyes as he slipped out of both of their holds, "I am not amused." Both Felixs pouted before the second vanished in a puff of gold smoke.
"That's just because you have no appreciation for me."
This time, Agustin chuckled, "You poor thing." He moved to set down the forks in hand…only to find that his hand wouldn't obey his command to open. His suspicions were confirmed when he looked down to see that his hand had taken on the same metallic properties as the forks, which looked as if they had fused with his very skin. "Maldita sea," Agustin muttered as he struggled to pry his fingers apart. Eventually, he did just that (the forks spilling across the table).
Felix patted Agustin's arm, this time having a more sympathetic smile on his face, "Hey, don't stress about it too much, bro. It's not like this magic stuff came with an instruction manual, after all."
"Easy for you to say. You've never struggled with your Gift," Agustin muttered as he shook out his hand, his skin slowly turning back from its metallic shine.
"Correction: you've never SEEN me struggle with my Gift! It's not exactly easy to split yourself apart, you know. Not to mention, do you have ANY idea how hunger-inducing it is to do that and work?!" Felix slapped Agustin on the back and laughed out loud, "Trust me, hermano…these Gifts aren't easy for any of us. Especially the two of us, who haven't even had these things for a year." This time, Felix threw his arm around Agustin's shoulders, "I'm just saying…ever need to talk about it, you know where to find me." Agustin couldn't fight the smile that appeared on his face.
This was the part of Felix that many didn't see at first glance. He wasn't just a man who walked around with a smile on his face, always joking around without a care in the world. Those who TRULY understood Felix knew that he was a man of not only great ingenuity but also a lot of empathy. He never failed to be either an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on depending on what the troubled person needs (a trait that he always had, but one that certainly increased when he became involved with a woman who could change emotions with a finger snap).
"Thanks, Felix."
"But of course!" That big, bright smile was back as the shorter man shook Agustin by his shoulders, "Now then, enough sad talks! Let's get the table ready so that your wife has one less thing to worry about for lunch!" This time, Agustin couldn't help but laugh out loud. He wasn't someone who found himself feeling upset like that, but it's always good to know that he has those close to him to share his thoughts with.
The Madrigals weren't exactly an "easy" family to live in (what with everything that comes with it)…but that's what makes them so interesting.
(Author's Note: Annnnnnnnd scene! A little on the short side (actually shorter than I thought it was when writing it:/) but an interesting one to be sure.
Was this an interesting chapter to read? I hope so. I didn't think the men getting Gifts would've changed the timeline THAT much (except maybe in Mirabel's disposition, since even the "non-blooded Madrigals" got Gifts when she didn't), so I decided to focus on the men themselves.
So…why did I decide on the Gifts that I did (since "Word of God" did confirm that the Gifts of the Madrigals aren't just a random spin of the wheel but, rather, are based on the person's inner traits)? I gave Agustin the Gift of "Matter Absorption" (think Kevin Levin from "Ben 10", or the Absorbing Man from "Marvel") and Felix the Gift of "Self-Duplication". Why? I shall explain!
The central aspect of these men that I identified was "protectiveness". They're both very protective of their loved ones and would fearlessly defend them with all of their might. The question then became how I could give them different Gifts based on the same trait, and here's what I came to…
I imagine Agustin as being more…"direct" when it comes to protecting those he loves, standing in front of whatever he perceives as a threat to push it back (thinking back to how he stood directly in front of Alma to protect his youngest after the engagement dinner). On the other hand, I imagine Felix as being more…of a "mediator" than a wall; someone who (assuming he can't defuse the situation outright) will try to get the threat focused on him so that they're not focused on his loved ones.
Here's an image that I think will explain my thought process as simply as possible: imagine that the wives and children of the two men are being cornered by an…axe-wielding maniac. Whereas I see Agustin as the kind of man who would arm himself and attack the maniac head-on, I see Felix as the kind of man who would try to get the maniac's attention focused on him so that he can lead it away from his family.
So I gave Agustin "Matter Absorption" to make him strong enough to protect his family, and Felix "Self-Duplication" so he could be tricky enough to get the attention away from those he's trying to protect. That's about as simple as I could come up with, so I hope I explained my thought process clearly enough:/
I just realized something: I had intended for this to only be a single chapter, but I established this as a universe where even people who marry into the Madrigals can acquire Gifts of their own. Should I do a sequel chapter with Mariano? Let me know if that's something you guys would like to see, and let me know if you have a Gift idea in mind if "Yes" (just remember that Gifts are based on who the person is, so I ask that you explain your reasoning for Mariano's Gift if you want to see that)!
Constructive criticism ONLY…no flames, please.
Review, Favorite, Follow, and I'll see you guys next time:)
