Like a moth and a butterfly.
When being sent by his family to run an errand in town, Bruno Madrigal meets a girl.
Her name is Anná Cabrera, daughter of the town drunk and an aspiring artist. Unlike everyone else, she didn't look at him with hatred or terror. She didn't see his gift as a curse like the others, and he didn't see her as a burden on the community.
La polilla y la mariposa is a four-part Encanto Series Fic by ThatMerlinWizard11 that follows the lives of Bruno and Anná: from their first meeting, to falling in love, to their rocky marriage. It can be read on Archive of Our Own here
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This fanfic provides examples of:
- Because You Were Nice to Me: While everyone in town is either afraid or hateful towards Bruno whenever he walks through town, Anná is the only person who saw Bruno for
The Woobie that he really was. They end up becoming each other's only friends and they eventually marry. - Like Brother and Sister: While Abuela never approved of Anná's place in the family, Pepa and Julieta came to see her as a sister, recognizing the positive influence she has on their brother.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Having been adopted by Julieta and Agustín after her failed gift ceremony, Mirabel doesn't find out that her actual parents were her Tío Bruno and Tía Anná until after the collapse and reconstruction of Casita Madrigal.
- Madwoman in the Attic: When Bruno leaves, Anná devolves into this, only ever leaving her tower to grab a bite to eat or if invited. Unlike most examples of the trope, her presence there really isn't a secret, nor is she is prisoner in anyway other than as self-imposed exile.
- Misplaced Retribution: Twice over. A group of men attempt to rape Anná for her association with Bruno, whom one of them blames for his daughter's death because he predicted it happening.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: From day one Alma never liked Anná, disapproving of her relations with her family because of her background and only tolerating her whenever Bruno invited her to visit. When Bruno invites her to stay permanently, it takes Bruno proposing to her and being outvoted by the rest of her family for her to allow it, not even giving them her blessing when they marry. When Bruno leaves, she is quick to blame Anná for it.
- Open Secret: Apparently everyone knew about Pepa and Fèlix's secret relationship long before Abuela ever did.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Bruno, Anná and Mirabel end up becoming the "Black Sheep" Madrigal family branch. Bruno being the Misunderstood Loner whom everyone hates for having inconvenient/scary powers (and being the unfavorite by Abuela), Anná being the daughter of the town drunk (being the only in-law Abuela never approved of having) and Mirabel being the only by-blood Madrigal without a gift.
- Related Differently in the Adaptation: While Mirabel was Julieta and Agustín's daughter in canon, here they adopted her after she didn't get her gift. She is actually the daughter of Bruno and his wife Anná.
- Secret-Keeper: When Anná discovers that Bruno was hiding in the Casita's walls the whole time, she is understandably upset with him, saying that she would have happily become this years prior if he told her that this was his actual plan. She still takes up the role regardless, slowly mending their relationship and helping him mend the cracks in the house before Mirabel finds them.
- When She Smiles: While Alma doesn't pay much mind towards Bruno and Anná's bond, Pepa and Julieta are fully aware of the positive effect she has on their brother because he genuinely laughs when she is around.
