Intro Log!

[nonmagical]

WHO: Mirabel and you!
WHERE: The Labyrinth, and then the city
WHEN: Jan. 19th
WHAT: Mirabel is here!
WARNINGS: Sad girl alert



[Labyrinth]

[Mirabel felt like she was in a dream. 

Maybe it was a dream - she remembers posing for a family photo, and while she was still in her house something felt... wrong about it. Her biggest clue was the glowing doors in her path, none of them with names or faces attached to them.]

Casita...? 

[The house doesn't answer her like it usually does. None of her family was in sight either. With a lot of hesitancy, she tries to open one of the doors. 

And just like when she was little, the door fades into a solid wall before her eyes. Oh so... we're doing this again. Mirabel might have learned that she doesn't need a Gift to be accepted by her family, but there's still something... very painful about watching that glowing door fade.

She manages to open the next door, but it doesn't have her name on it - or anyone's name on it for that matter. It just leads to a room with more doors. This... isn't Casita. It's all wrong.]

Hello...? Is anyone here?

[The City]

[At some point, whether someone helps her or she gets out on her own, Mirabel finds her way to the city. It's completely unfamiliar territory, and she doesn't even know where to go or where she is. She tries to wave over the first person she sees - maybe they can tell her how to get home?
It's also freezing here. She wraps her arms around herself as she talks.]

Hola! Can you tell me where I am? Are we far from Colombia? 

Comments

the city;

[thavnairian]

[A heavily tattooed man with elf ears notices her waving and jogs over to make sure she's okay. He's barely wearing anything under his coat except flip flops. It's January. Don't worry about it.]

Sorry? [He has a fairly noticeable accent, but probably not one she would be familiar with.] Colombia? Ah... no, I can't say I know where that is.

[He glances her over.]

Wait, did you just get here?

[nonmagical]

[She's fine, just very cold. But more importantly, he doesn't know where Colombia is? How... far away from her home is she?]

Uh, yeah. I think? I was in the middle of taking a picture, and then Casita went all weird - and now I'm here?

[thavnairian]

[She does look cold, and despite Amal looking like he should also be cold, he begins to unbutton his coat.]

Casita? [He tries to match her pronunciation, and he isn't too far off.] Oh, do you mean—you were in a maze, right?

[He slips his arms out of the coat and holds it out. It's oversized and insulated, and it smells a little like incense.]

Here. You need this more than me.

[The irony of saying this while he's dressed in a bellydancer outfit is not lost on him.]

I'm staying not far from here. Why don't we get out of the cold?

[nonmagical]

Yeah, I was in a maze! It looked like Casita - our house - but it was all wrong.

[She takes the offered coat. It's pretty warm, and she stops shivering as badly.]

Thanks, but... won't you be cold?

[thavnairian]

Sounds similar to what I experienced, though it wasn't my house that I got lost in, but something like a city.

[He grins fangishly.]

I've definitely been in colder places than this. Besides, it's only for a little while. [He gestures for her to follow.] I'm Amal, by the way—I got here a few months ago.

[nonmagical]

I didn't think I was ever going to get out.

[Thankfully her uncle was there and they figured it out. Otherwise she wouldn't be here.]

I'm Mirabel. Mirabel Madrigal.

[thavnairian]

It couldn't have been easy. But you're beyond all that now, so it'll get easier. Hopefully.

[He smiles a little, trying to be reassuring. She doesn't look like she could be much older than Alphinaud and Alisaie, and it makes him miss home.]

Nice to meet you, Mirabel. What's Colombia like? Is it really warm? I noticed you're like me—not a big fan of boots.

[They appear to be heading toward a decent residential neighborhood, more apartments than houses.]

[nonmagical]

It's really warm, and beautiful. I've never ventured out beyond the Encanto, but it's a gorgeous place.

I'd like to get back to it. I'm not used to being this far away from my family.

[thavnairian]

My home is the same way. It's this tropical island... and yet it's so diverse for its size. Palm trees as tall and broad as buildings, stone murals in every color, rich food you can smell for yalms... This town is so gray in comparison.

[They finally reach the door, and he pulls a key from his pocket with unusual deftness. Inside, the apartment is modern-ish and relatively spacious, with pops of art on the walls and some curiously shaped statues holding up glass tables. It's nice and toasty in here.]

The guy I'm staying with is gone right now, so you'll have to meet him later. 'Til then, make yourself at home!

[There's a huge fluffy blanket on the sofa, which he grabs and offers to Mirabel.]

Are you hungry, petal?

Labyrinth

[wedonttalkabout]

[Bruno has been here for a few days and he still doesn't really understand what in the absolute hell has happened to him. He's avoided the gate, since he got dragged back out of there- he doesn't want to fight some insane bird lady, thanks, and has largely been wandering the city- trying and failing to find a way home. He just got his family back and he's feeling pretty damn put out that he's lost them again.

And then he hears Mirabel's voice and for a brief, horrible moment, he thinks whatever is left of his sanity has packed up and left. Adios~ But then he can still hear her calling and his legs carry him full pelt towards it- heart in his throat. If he got here, maybe she did too? Somehow.

He doesn't relish the thought of someone he loves so much stuck somewhere awful like he is, but the thought of not being alone feels selfishly comforting. Especially if it's Mirabel- she got him out of the darkness back in the encanto, it makes sense she'd do the same here, too. Just like her. ]

Mirabel?! [He's just gonna start PANIC YELLING.] Kid? Where are you? Keep shouting, I'll find you!

[How he expects them to get out again is anyone's guess, he doesn't care, he's just running. ]

[nonmagical]

[She perks up at the sound of Bruno's voice, cutting through the eerie silence of Not-Casita.]

Tio?! Tio Bruno! I can hear you - I'm right here!

[Where is "here" is anyone's guess, but she's gonna keep calling until they can find each other. She tries another door and it fades away too, which feels like a gut punch every time it happens.]

[wedonttalkabout]

[That is definitely Mirabel!! He's not going crazy!!

Crazier?

Whichever!!! He's just gonna keep running like crazy.]

Oh jeez, the walls are so high, OKAY I HEAR YOU I'M COMING!! DO YOU SEE ANY LANDMARKS?

[nonmagical]

I see… stairs? Like Casita’s!

[Is that helpful there’s not much in this room aside from doors.]

[wedonttalkabout]

Okay, go for the stairs! I hit stairs and it...well it led me to a snowbank but we'll work on that!

[Look at him pretending like he has even a single salty clue like he knows what's happening!!]

[nonmagical]

Okay!

[She heads downstairs and it leads her to...

... More doors.]

Really starting to hate this fake Casita.

[wedonttalkabout]

It won't stay one for long! There's a whole city out here!

[He's trying to make that sound like a good thing, but he's still pretty freaked out by it all, honestly. ]

Just keep trying!

[nonmagical]

A whole city?!

[WHERE SHE IS...

She finally manages to find a door that opens, and swings it open. This room kinda looks like Casita's kitchen. There's more doors to choose from, but at least she might be getting somewhere?]

I'm in a kitchen!

The City

[whiteshroud]

[If Jun had a nickel for every time he ran into a Columbian that was lost and wasn't dressed for the winter weather this month, he'd have two nickels. Which wasn't a lot, but it was weird that it happened twice.

He was outside the coffee shop he worked at, taking his turn to shove the sidewalk in front of the store. He pauses as the girl waves him over, and even more at the question]

Colombia?

[Were this a normal scenario, he'd assume she was talking about a store or a street. But considering what she was wearing...]

Which...Colombia are you talking about? A street or the country?

[nonmagical]

[Once you find one Madrigal, you find all of them. Except maybe just two in this case.]

The country! That's... where we should be, shouldn't we?

[whiteshroud]

[Oh...boy. Weird stuff is happening again]

...Uh well, not quite, I'm afraid. This is the United States.

[nonmagical]

The... United States?

[Where...]

I need to get home. Have you heard of the Madrigals? [Because who hasn't heard of them tbh??] That's my family and I need to get back to them.

[whiteshroud]

The Madrigals? [He sounds confused by the name. He had encountered Bruno, but it wasn't like there was time to have lengthy pleasantries while trying to make sure the guy didn't freeze to death] I don't...

[But hey, you know. Maybe it's worth a shot]

I did run into another Columbian person the other day. A middle aged man, with curly hair? He was dressed in clothes like yours and was asking about his family.

[nonmagical]

[Columbian, middle aged, and curly hair? She perks up, hopeful.]

Was his name Bruno?

[whiteshroud]

Hm...I think so?

Is that someone you know?

[nonmagical]

That's my tio! Where did you see him last? Is he still here?