18. Acclimation Activation

Bruno had been out of the walls for a whole two weeks now, and it was still weird.

Mirabel was happy to have her estranged uncle back, definitely. Her family was complete once more. But after years of only hearing about him in urban legends, ghost stories, or from villagers speaking as if he was the devil himself…Seeing that he was actually a small frightened rat man was an odd sensation.

They were sitting in Mirabel’s temporary residence, graciously lent to them by a kind townsperson. She and her sisters stayed in a very cramped guest room, while her mama and papa slept in the living room. Today, Pepa had come for lunch. Bringing an excited Antonio and a very nervous Bruno with her.

Isabela, Luisa, and her papa were out. Helping with the rebuilding. It was slow going, but it’s been estimated that they’d have their home back sooner rather than later. The whole family helped where they could, sometimes all together, sometimes in smaller groups.

As her mother and aunt were deep into middle-aged lady conversation, and Antonio was prattling on about this or that, she noticed her uncle had gotten very quiet. Just slouching in a chair, fiddling with his hands. This wasn’t unusual, but whenever this happened Mirabel liked to engage him. Remind him that he’s here, that he’s appreciated.

“So Tio, what have you been up to?” He jolted at the question, still not used to being spoken to. “Uh, well-y’know I’ve been helping with the house, and uh…”  She put on a patient smile. “Aside from the house, Tio.” Bruno averted his gaze. “I uh, well I haven’t done much else, I mean…the house is important! You know? And I really don’t…” As his statement petered out, Mirabel had to suppress a sigh.

She knew it was hard. Spending ten years in isolation, so close to the ones you hold dear, yet so far. She didn’t blame him for being jittery, or for not being the best with social queues, or physically not being able to eat more than tiny morsels. She didn’t even mind his occasional panic attacks, simply being there for him when she needed to be.

But she was disheartened to see that, aside from the times when he’d help with Casita’s rebuilding, he didn’t go outside at all. He just stayed locked up in his room. The house he was staying in had two bedrooms, and Abuela took the other.

Bruno didn’t have a good history with the townsfolk, but that’s exactly what Mirabel swore she’d change. She’d change the people’s perspectives, show them that her uncle wasn’t someone to be feared. And she couldn’t do that if he was always in his room.

Alma saw him the most, as they lived in the same house currently. But she wasn’t about to push Bruno to do anything, too afraid of scaring him away again or slipping into her old habits. This was something Mirabel had to do, she had to find a way to get him out of there. He couldn’t improve if he never went out of his comfort zone.

As she brainstormed on what to do about her hermit of a Tio, an idea struck her.

“Hey, Tio! Me and Hiccup were gonna go for a walk. You wanna come with us?” At the mention of Hiccup, Julieta and Pepa smirked to each other. Bruno immediately declined. “No-no-no, that’s okay. I-I mean-thanks for asking, but no. I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything…”

She didn’t want to have to do this.

Her deep brown eyes, large and pleading. Her voice, small and fragile, she begged. “Please, Tio Bruno?” Bruno couldn’t resist his nieces and nephews, and she knew it. “I don’t…I mean…I…” He sighed with a resigned smile, defeated. “Sure thing, kid…”

He watched her as she performed a little victory dance, and tried to ignore the laughter of his sisters.

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It was pretty funny for Mirabel and Hiccup to witness.

In front of them was the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, who was actually just a big puppy. And the sinister Bruno, who was actually just an anxious recluse who adored his family.  Two misunderstood individuals, enveloped in the joys of belly-rubs.

The dragon was flopped over, hindlegs kicking in content, as Bruno eagerly rubbed his belly. The rats on his shoulders growing more and more jealous. Mirabel and Hiccup watched the interaction, giggling to each other about how silly the pair looked.

Finally, Bruno ceased his petting, and Toothless moved to lick the man’s scruffy face. “Okay-OKAY! Yes, I-I like you too! Okay!” Now that his head was close, several of Bruno’s rats scampered from his shoulder and onto the dragon. Skittering around his back, up and down the length of his wings. The dragon watched them with great intrigue in his green eyes, and moved very carefully as to not harm them.

Bruno crouched near the dragon, describing each rodent as they leapt onto his hands from the Night Fury’s head. “This is Marcia, she’s the brains of the operation. This is Eduardo, very sweet, but not very smart. Oh! And this is…”

Mirabel was beaming. Here was her Tio, out in the sun, enjoying himself! Sure, they’d barely left the forge, but baby steps. Something was better than nothing. She made a mental note to find Toothless the biggest, juiciest fish she could find later.

“Alright, come on guys.” Hiccup waved the group towards the village. “Let’s go into town.”

Bruno didn’t like that. “Town? Do we gotta go into town? Do we-I mean, why not the…” He scanned his surroundings for a suitable replacement. “Forest! Right? Why not take a nice walk in the-in the forest? Shady trees, getting bitten by mosquitos, it’s a good time!”  Hiccup laughed at his rambling. “As fun as getting our blood sucked sounds, Mirabel offered to pick some things up for the house, and she signed me up to help. Without my consent, of course.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Besides, we can’t keep Toothless away from his fangirls.” The dragon puffed his chest out with pride.

Mirabel frowned as she noticed her uncle becoming more frantic. And sweaty.

She just wanted him to get out more, she didn’t want to freak him out.

She put a hand on his arm. “Tio Bruno…if you really don’t want to come, you don’t have to.” Glancing at his forlorn sobrina, he took a deep breath…held it…and released it.

“No, no, you’re right. I can’t keep hiding away forever. Just give me a sec…” He patted himself down, checking all his pockets before he found what he was looking for. A fistful of salt. Quickly throwing it over his shoulder, while muttering something breath, eyes closed. Opening his eyes, he shakily gestured to Mirabel and Hiccup. Smiling nervously. “L-Lead the way!”

Mirabel grabbed her uncle’s hand, grinning widely, and led him into town. Flanked by the boy and his dragon.

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This is the most exasperated Hiccup’s been with a village since he left Berk.

Sure, the people of the Encanto weren’t entirely friendly with him at first. But that was his fault, not theirs. For making a first impression as an insane child kidnapping dragon man. And they’d come around on him recently.

But the way they treated Bruno? It reminded him all too much of how he was treated on Berk. And he hated it.

They had made their way into town, and immediately they had gotten stares. Everyone was gawking at Bruno like they’d seen a ghost, or glaring at him with disdain. Though it had been a few weeks since the end of his isolation, he hadn’t appeared in town frequently. Some still thought his reappearance was a myth, or a distasteful joke.

Even Toothless’ adoring fans weren’t following him around, the children ogling the scruffy man in fear and wonder.

The warm atmosphere he’d come to enjoy was replaced with a cold, bitter one. One that felt too familiar for comfort.

Hiccup could see Bruno shaking out of the corner of his eye, and he could also see that Mirabel was whispering to him. Trying to reassure him as he anxiously bit his nails. “Tio, are you alright? Do you need to go home?” He tried to compose himself. “No, no, I’m alright. I’m alright! We’re just picking up a few things, I’ll be fine…” He didn’t sound alright, but the girl nodded.

Hiccup however, wasn’t alright.

The scornful scowls, the oppressive air, the silence as everyone just…stared at you. It was bringing Hiccup back to a bad place, a place he had flown hundreds of miles to get away from.

They were crowding them now, all vying to get a look at the illusive Bruno. His heartrate was accelerating, he was finding it harder to breath, until finally, he’d had enough. He faced the crowd and shouted “WHAT’S WITH YOU PEOPLE!?”

He was immediately surprised with himself. Mirabel, Bruno, and even Toothless looked surprised at him too. It wasn’t like him to shout like that. But before he could stammer out a way to excuse himself, several people spoke up at once.

“Bruno…he’s bad luck!” “His visions only bring misfortune!” “When he came back the Encanto broke apart. Coincidence? I think not!”

A young woman approached, holding up a fish bowl. “You know what he told me? He told me my fish would die, and the next day? It was dead!” Hiccup pushed the tiny bowl put of his face, frowning.

Osvaldo appeared from his left. “He told me I’d grow a gut! And look- “He pointed to his hefty belly. “Just like he said!” Hiccup’s frown grew into a sneer.

The priest advanced from Hiccup’s right. “He said all my hair would disappear, now look at my head!” Hiccup was full on grimacing now.

“And he told me- “

“CUT IT OUT!”

Once more Hiccup raised his voice, this time deliberately. “I can’t believe you guys! Bruno isn’t making bad things happen, he’s just telling you what will happen. Those things would’ve happened whether he told you or not!”

He pointed to the woman with the fish bowl. “With a bowl that small, it’s no wonder that fish died.” Next, he called out Osvaldo. “Maybe you grew a gut because all you eat is cheese. Think of that?” Mirabel was awestruck watching her friend defend her uncle, who was trying to appear as small as possible currently. Riled up, she joined him by pointing to the priest. “Father Mendoza, with all due respect, your dad was bald. So is your brother. You were gonna lose your hair anyway!”

She continued, still angry. “All he’s ever tried to do was help this community, and you drove him away! Why, because you needed someone to blame? Someone to pin all your mundane problems on? That is my Tio and I will not let you do this to him again. You should all be ashamed!” Hiccup stood at her side, arms crossed and brows furrowed. “What she said.” Toothless growled his agreement.

To their credit, the people did start to look ashamed of themselves. Trying to look anywhere but at the furious girl. “Good.” Hiccup thought. “At least they’re not a bunch of stubborn muttonheads.”

Satisfied that they wouldn’t try anything else, she turned back to her uncle. “Come on, Tio- “

Bruno wasn’t there.

Mirabel looked all around, but she still couldn’t spot him.” He must’ve slipped off during the commotion.” Hiccup mused.  The girl was starting to look frazzled. “He must be upset…he might be having an attack! He could be alone and scared and- “She paused, fingers scrunching up her hair. “I never should’ve brought him out here!”

Hiccup brought her hands down with his own. “Hey, calm down. We’ll find him.” He a reassuring grin. “It’s a small town, where could he have gone?” She didn’t look amused at his joke. “He’s fast, Hiccup.”

“All the more reason to hurry, then. Come on!” Mirabel, Hiccup, and Toothless began to search the town. Looking for Bruno, and hoping he was okay.

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Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…

These were the words Bruno muttered to himself as he crept away from the crowd.

What was he thinking, going into town? Of course everybody still hated him! Well, Toothless was adorable and that Hiccup kid seemed alright, but everyone else? They totally hated him.

As he walked his way down a back alley, he continued to mentally berate himself.

He knew he should’ve stayed inside, he should’ve never listened to Mirabel. He should just stay in the shadows where he belongs. He should just-

His thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into something. Or, someone.

Politeness overpowering his anxiety, he quickly tried to help them up. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! H-Here, let me help- “

He stopped speaking as his hand was silently swatted away. He stood, a bit frightened as the woman he knocked over hoisted herself up and looked down on her accidental assailant.

She was tall, or at least taller than Bruno. Her bronze skin was marked with several faded scars, the biggest one being a long gash across one of her well-toned arms. She wore a white tank-top, olive-green pantaloons, and some very basic sandals. A scruff of curly black hair descended down to her neck. She was carrying a potato sack for some reason, which was knocked to the ground when Bruno collided with her.

She regarded him with a cold scowl, rage already forming in her brown eyes. “We got a problem?” She asked in a scratchy voice.

Waving his hands frantically, he tried to ease the tension. “No, no! We don’t have a problem at all! Definitely-Definitely not!”

She began to slowly advance, hands clenched into fists. “Because when someone knocks me over, I think we got a problem…” He was backing up, sweating buckets. “My mistake! Really! I’m so clumsy, you know? I-I never watch where I’m going, it’s a recurring issue- “His rambling was cut off when he realized he was backed into a wall, and he looked back to the approaching woman. Petrified with fear.

She was close now, he could only imagine what such an aggressive person would do to him. Then, he noticed it.

Right next to him on the wall, was a wooden plank.

He knew it was silly, he knew it would be ineffectual in this situation, he knew he didn’t have to.

But he could really use some good luck right now.

Before the woman had finally reached her victim, he knocked on the plank several times before knocking on his own head.

“Knock-knock-knock-knock on wood!”

And then he shut his eyes tightly, awaiting the beating to come.

But it never came.

Peeping an eye open, he saw the woman standing there. Eyebrows raised.

“You…knock on wood?”

Bruno didn’t know what to say. “Uh…yeah?”

Suddenly, she was very excited. “I knew it! I knew I wasn’t the only one! Everyone called me crazy when I did it, but my Abuela told me it brings good luck, and why would she lie to me?” She looked to him, expectantly. He gulped. “Yeah, why-why would she lie to you?”

“Exactly! Man, if only the guys were here. I’d rub it in their stupid faces…” As she crossed her arms, grumbling about payback against people he’d never met, he dared to ask. “So…what exactly is happening here? Are you not gonna beat me up?”

At his question, she looked shocked. “Woah! I-I wasn’t gonna beat you up! I was just trying to scare you, you know? Show you I’m not somebody you can push around.” Relieved he wasn’t gonna be snapped like a twig, he focused on the latter half of her statement.

“Hey, no one’s gonna threaten you. That’s not how we do things here.” He bent down to pick up her potato sack, the sack being weighed down by several items, and handed it to her. She took the sack as she eyed him, a bit suspicious. “And where is here, exactly?”

That stunned Bruno. She wasn’t from the Encanto? Bruno had figured she was just someone he’d never met, or perhaps someone born after his exile. That second option was impossible, he quickly realized, as she seemed only a couple years younger than him.

“…You’re not from around here, are you?” He tentatively asked. She shook her head. “I was hiking up the trail, when I noticed one of those giant mountains had a huge crack in it. I went to check it out, only to find an entire village inside the mountains. It’s crazy, you guys are completely hidden!” Bruno rubbed his neck nervously, uneasy about the idea of their paradise being open for anyone to just waltz into. “Yeah, that was the idea…”

She raised an eyebrow in intrigue. “What do you mean ‘That was the idea’?”  He began to fiddle with his hands. “It’s a…it’s a bit of a crazy story, hehe…” He looked back up to see her flash a small, but wild grin. “How crazy we talking?”

The scruffy man actually felt a bit eager. If there’s one thing he could do, he could tell a story.

Putting on his hood, he spoke in a dramatic tone. “Fifty years ago, in our dark- “

“Valentina.”

He sputtered at the interruption. “Huh?” She clarified. “That’s my name, Valentina Rivera!” He grew a small, shaky smile of his own. “Uh, Bruno Madrigal. Now stop interrupting!” He snapped.

Chuckling at the small man’s sudden boldness, Valentina took a seat on the ground, as Bruno gave her a history lesson.

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Mirabel was getting more worried by the second.

They still hadn’t found Bruno. Granted it had only been about ten minutes, but that was ten minutes too many!

She began to fret over him, imagining all sorts off doomsday scenarios in her mind. The most prevalent being the thought of him being driven away again, leaving the family once more and this time never returning. She couldn’t stomach the thought.

Just as her anxiety was about to reach its peak, she was called. “Hey, check this out.” He and Toothless were peeking out from behind a wall. He spoke quietly, and he was only peeking just enough so he could see. Clearly trying to remain hidden. Mirabel caught on, and softly crept over to where they were positioned.

What she saw on the other side blew her mind.

There was Bruno, talking to someone besides his family, and having fun. He was telling a story, cracking jokes, and generally seemed to be enjoying herself. His audience seemed to be enjoying herself too.

The bespectacled girl had to suppress a gasp, as to not reveal their position. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, but she was elated to see it. She was so proud of her Tio, for coming out of his shell even just a bit.

Soon enough, Bruno and the mysterious woman parted ways. Both with smiles on their faces. Bruno turned the corner-

And was assaulted with a hug from Mirabel.

“TIOOO! I knew you could do it! I knew you weren’t a deranged hermit incapable of making human connections!”

Caught in a vice, Bruno responded. “First of all, hurtful. Second of all, what are you guys doing here?” Hiccup stepped forth. “We came looking for you after all of…that. Sorry about that, by the way.” He waved off the boy’s concerns. “Nah, don’t-don’t worry about it. I’m used to it…” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Thanks for uh, defending me though. Both of you. You didn’t have to do that.”

Mirabel released him from her clutches and glared at him, hands on her hips. “Of course I did, you’re my Tio!” He conceded that point. “Alright, alright. What’s your excuse?” He pointed to Hiccup.

“I uh…” He slouched a bit. Toothless, sensing his rider’s discomfort, nuzzled the boy. “You’re not the only one with a village that hates you…” The scruffy man gaped at the boy, mortified. This kid was only fifteen or sixteen, how could he know what it felt like to be shunned and despised by his community?

Bruno truly didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. He just put a hand on Hiccup’s shoulder, and nodded. A show of thanks, and solidarity. Hiccup returned the nod.

He then put his other hand on Mirabel’s shoulder, the girl smiling brightly. And before thinking about what he was doing, he brought the two in for a hug.

While Hiccup stiffened at the embrace, happy to be included, but uncomfortable with the contact. Mirabel snickered mischievously.

“So, who was that girl?” Dropping the hug, he explained. “Oh, that’s Valentina. She came from the crack in the mountain.”

Hiccup winced. “That’s a bit concerning…” Though he supposed he didn’t have a leg to stand on, considering he was an outsider himself. Mirabel wore a teasing grin. “You looked like you had fun talking to her!”

Bruno shrugged. “Yeah, she’s cool. We’re having lunch Friday.” That made them both stop immediately.

“You…” Mirabel started. “You have a date?”

“Uh, well I think it’s mostly because she doesn’t have any food…or money to get food. B-But she did say she wanted to get to know me, and I kinda wanna get to know her, so…I guess?”

Bruno was very glad Dolores didn’t have her super hearing right now. Because if she did, Mirabel’s squeal would have killed her.

“Tio Bruno I can’t believe it, you have a date!” She hopped around him excitedly, before poking him with her elbow. “Two weeks out of the wall and you’re already a lady killer, huh Tio?” Before he could respond she had firmly grasped his hand in hers.

She began to drag him back to town, towards her temporary house. “Wait until Mama and Tia Pepa hear about this!” She halted, remembering her two friends. “Sorry, Hiccup! We’ll have to pick that stuff up later, this is super important!”

“It’s fine, I’ll pick it up and swing it by the construction site. Have fun meddling in your uncle’s affairs!” With a smile and a cry of “Will do!” she was off.

Hiccup looked to Toothless, chuckling. “Never a dull day around here, bud.” The dragon warbled his agreement.

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Hiccup and Toothless were at the construction site, dropping off the goods.

They heard Julieta and Pepa’s squeals all the way across town.