The Shapeshifter's Clues (Camilo Madrigal x Reader)

Looking out the Window

The mental notes about La Familia Madrigal had reached a list so constant as a waterfall. You could already name the ones you had met.  Bruno, Isabela, Luisa, Pepa, Felix, Antonio, Julieta, Agustin (he crashed into you), Dolores, and of course, Abuela Alma.

You also had a very large selection of the most embarrassing things each had done and the worst thing they ever did to Camilo, thanks to him, of course. For one, you would have never known that Dolores snores at night. When she didn't believe it, because according to her, 'I can hear everything, so I wouldn't be able to snore when I sleep." So, Camilo recorded her for her to 'hear for once what we have to hear'. That was the day he also got the worst thing done to him by her, which was being ratted out every time he anticipated a prank or a food heist.

"She usually lets me get away with those, which is pretty nice of her," Camilo had said.

You were particularly happy to meet Luisa, because although she looked like she could kill you with a wave of her hand, oddly she was the most shy and kind person you had ever met. Camilo didn't say a bad thing about her. You didn't know if it was his fear of her repercussions, or that he genuinely didn't have nothing to say about her that made him stay quiet. Luisa didn't seem like the type who would hit anybody, for well, anything.

"There's one more person in this family that I'd like you to meet," Camilo said, leading you to a strange door. Strange as in different. This one was the only one in this floor that wasn't gold or glowing, but its craftmanship was still beautiful. It was teal, like the front door was, and at the top had some intricate wood patterns. You decided that since it was the most unique of all of them, it was your favorite door.

"This," Camilo said, startling you out of the daze you had been in and out of in the tour of the house, "is mi prima Mirabel. Mirabel, this is Y/n Alvarez."

Mirabel was at her sewing machine fixing a tear in what seemed like another yellow ruana. When she noticed you, she stopped sewing and embraced you in a tight hug. "Nice to meet you, y/n! I'm Mirabel, like Camilo said! What a coincidence! I was stitching up the ruana he tore last week attempting to climb a palma!"

You looked at Camilo lifting your eyebrows and he put his hand on the back of his neck, giving a guilty smile at both of you. "It was a dare. Isabela grew it and she put a bunch of carnivorous plants at the top and I didn't know. It was worth every scratch and tear, because Isabela now has to do my chores the whole month."

Camilo seemed like the type of person who would do anything to prove himself. You liked it, but you also wondered how far he would go to do it. "Has he, um, done this often? Surely this isn't the only time you've had to fix his clothes."

Mirabel's expression changed from happy to a face of 'finally someone understands what I have to go through'. "Oh you have no idea! He's gone through at least 10 of these in the past weeks! All the time! You say it, he'll do it. The rate of destruction has gone down since I have taken over making them for him. You could say my gift is sewing," Mirabel responded giddily as she twirled in her dress. Her craftsmanship and creativity could be seen in her unique dress.

"What do you mean you could say?" You asked Mirabel.

Mirabel stopped twirling and turned to you. "Camilo hasn't told you yet, right? I am the only Madrigal child with no gift."

"Oh I'm so sorry for asking! I didn't know, Mirabel," you apologized, looking at your dark blue shoes.

"Ah, don't apologize, y/n," Camilo said to you as he put his arm playfully around his prima. "She may not have a gift, but she's the most kind, bubbly and fun person I've ever met. She's the only one I would trust with anything, and, I might add, she also saved the family miracle once."

Mirabel blushed. "Thanks, primo. I think that may be a little exaggerated, but I'll take it."

"But its true!" Camilo exclaimed. "I tried to save her from the falling ruins, but she was so arrogant she sent Casita to turn off my power so I couldn't steal her spotlight!"

"Now you're getting way too exaggerated," Mirabel retorted as she tried to hide a smile.

It was these moments where you wished your cousins didn't live back in the city. You were always close to them and you felt jealous of Mirabel and Camilo. You decided to peer outside the window of the dark room. It was already late afternoon. The mountains seemed bigger than they had this morning. In an instant you remembered your family was probably wondering where you were.

"Guys, I have to leave now. I don't want my family to start getting worried." They probably were.

"Yeah, sure," Camilo replied. "Do you need someone to take you home?"

"I'm good. I think I know my way---" you paused abruptly.

In an instant, you detected movement outside the window and decided to peer and see who it was. You couldn't see at first, as the sun was setting fast, but the slim and delicate figure of your grandmother was there, barely visible. You held your breath as she took out a piece of paper with a yellow flower taped to it and threw it in the bushes. Then, she looked to make sure no one was looking and she made her way back out of the bushes and disappeared into the trees.