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

[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!

[wedonttalkabout]

Yeah! And it's not like the encanto at all. It's really bright and loud here and it's full of people.

[You know, a bunch of things Bruno doesn't like all that much.]

A...kitchen? Okay um- is there a door that looks like it goes outside?

[nonmagical]

Let me check! There's still a lot of doors here!

[She's not lucky on the first few, all of them fading away as she touches them. But she does find one and it opens - and he's right, there's a whole city right outside.]

Tio? I think I found it! The city, I mean!

[She doesn't leave right away, she's kind of overwhelmed by it all.]

[wedonttalkabout]

[At least he can hear her properly now, he skids on the ground as he changes course, racing off in her direction until he see the door and WELP there she is. ]

Mirabel! Over here!

[He crosses the last few feet to her, dithering a little. Do they hug? What's the protocol??]

Are you okay?

[nonmagical]

I'm okay.

[It's okay. If he doesn't know what to do, she reaches out and pulls him into a hug.]

Are you okay? Have you been here that long?

[She's got a million questions but better start small for now.]

[wedonttalkabout]

[Oh, wow, he didn't realise just how badly he needed a hug until he was getting one. He'll return it, giving her a gentle squeeze.]

Uh, a couple of days? I woke up in a snowdrift- because this place has a spirit realm apparently.

[nonmagical]

[GOOD because there's more where that came from. More uncle hugs once things get settled.]

Spirit Realm?

[A pause.]

... Are we dead?

[That doesn't sound right but like, she should make sure, right?]

[wedonttalkabout]

[He might be small and skinny but his hugs are okay! A little awkward and out of practise but perfectly serviceable uncle hugs just for her!]

Uhhhhh I don't think so?

[Comforting.]

None of us are supposed to die yet so I'm pretty sure it's not that.

[EVEN MORE COMFORTING.]

[nonmagical]

[THAT'S COMFORTING YEAH.]

So we got... kidnapped... to a Spirit Realm?

[wedonttalkabout]

That's what people are telling me, yup!

[And he's been trying to digest that without going off the deep end.

...More off the deep end. ]

But I have a place to live so you can come there and there's...food? Not as good as your mom's cooking but we won't starve at least.

[nonmagical]

[She's still kind of hung up on the whole "a Spirit Realm kidnapped me and my uncle and dropped us into a city". It's really overwhelming, though it doesn't show in her expression.]

All right. Lead the way.

[Maybe they won't be here long. They won't, right?]

I think I remember a few of mom's recipes, so I can try to feed us too.

[wedonttalkabout]

[It's an awful lot to deal with and Bruno is dealing with it by largely...not dealing with it. He's leaning hard into his it's fine mentality that got him through a decade in the walls. He starts off towards the apartments. ]

Oh! That's good. I was shown this thing called...Mac-Donalds? It kinda tasted like salty cardboard. Didn't make anything myself, cooking was never my strong point.

[He never needed to, not with Julieta around. ]

[nonmagical]

[It's okay, she's all too familiar with the "it's fine" mentality. But even this is... a lot. She tries her best to shake it off and follow him.]

Salty cardboard? That doesn't sound very good.

[She kind of wishes her mom was here - and then she pushes that thought down quickly too. Mirabel couldn't possibly want her mom to end up in the situation she and Bruno are in right now?

... Still, she'd know what to do and say. Maybe Mirabel wouldn't feel as lost as she does right now.]

I watched her make arepas tons of times - I'm sure I could make some that don't taste like salty cardboard.

[wedonttalkabout]

[It's a tried and true defence mechanism.]

It wasn't. Apparently, it's a big favourite in the outside world, but I don't get it.

[He feels sorry for the people who have not experienced Julieta's food. It's clearly a big damn tragedy.

He chuckles lightly, not mocking, just fond.]

I'm pretty sure at this point you could do anything you put your mind to.

[nonmagical]

I... don't see how that would be popular, but I didn't expect a big city and a Spirit Realm, so anything's possible, I guess.

[She smiles at that. He's always in her corner, isn't he?]

I'll try my best.

[wedonttalkabout]

Maybe people in the outside world lost their tastebuds? Tragic.

[So, so tragic. And yes, he will relentlessly be in her corner if no one else will.]

I've got no doubt you will. Here we go, it's this big building here.

[nonmagical]

Maybe it's all they know?

[Makes her grateful for her mom's cooking, that's for sure. She looks up at the building before entering, taking it all in. There's a lot of doors... kind of like Castita's? But it's all wrong. She can't really put her finger on it other than it just doesn't feel anything like home.]

Which... door is yours?

[Are they bigger on the inside?]

[wedonttalkabout]

I have had people who don't know what arepas are? So maybe?

[Maybe that's why they're here. To better inform people on their food choices.

He blinks, confused and then realises- oh- shaking his head. ]

No- no, this isn't like the Casita. This isn't all mine- ours. Other people live behind these doors. They're like...little houses.

[He opens the door to his apartment, crossing his fingers and holding his breath as he crosses the threshold. Rats squeak and scurry out of various hiding spots to peer at Mirabel as she enters...yeah, a basic-ass apartment. It's not got a lot in it, because Bruno isn't exactly used to living like A Normal Person again yet. He stands there, shuffling his feet awkwardly. ]

I- I guess they're kinda bigger on the inside? But definitely not like home. But hey, bonus? No thousands of stairs!

[nonmagical]

[To be honest, anything would be cozier than the walls. It is... a lot different then home though. She sees a rat scurry away - looks like she'll have tiny roommates.]

I think we can both be grateful for no thousands of stairs.

I suppose it would be weird to go from living in the nursery to one of Casita's big rooms.