Intro post!

[weatherforecast]

WHO: Pepa Madrigal
WHERE: Labyrinth and then the city
WHEN: April 16th
WHAT: Another Madrigal appears!
WARNINGS: n/a




The Labyrinth:

[Pepa does not understand what's going on. The last thing she remembers is being surrounded by her family. Happy. Safe

And now she was huddled in an unfamiliar building while a hurricane raged outside the doors. She assumes it's her doing. The weather usually is. So she's frantically petting her hair as she murmurs to herself.]

Clear skies... clear skies... clear skies...

[Was her family here somewhere? She had to get this under control and find them.]


The City:

[Maybe someone finds her and helps her out. Or maybe she finally plucks up the courage to brave the hurricane and escape on her own looking for her family. Either way, Pepa is in the city now. With a phone and some instructions.

Soaking wet from a hurricane, shaken up from her ordeal and very lost.]

What is going on??

Comments

Re: The City

[weatherforecast]

[Pepa is not mentally or emotionally prepared to be confronted with Antonio. She hasn't had nearly enough time to process what she's been told about her youngest son.

The way he greets her really does just seal it for her. He doesn't know who she is. But there's a tiny spark of hope because he seems to remember something. It takes every ounce of her strength not to start crying. How is she even supposed to address him if he doesn't know her? Especially when she's not sure she can speak without her voice cracking.

She can't stop herself from reaching out to try to hold him. Stopping short. What if she scares him? She manages to croak out a slightly desperate question.]

D-do you remember seeing me somewhere before?

[speaksanimal]

[Antonio wasn't sure if he should be happy or not. This was another "family" member that he met and he wanted to know them! However, he also didn't know them. If his meeting with Camilo and the others were anything like this one, he had to be prepared for a difficult reunion.

Based on her reaction, it seemed that someone told her. He didn't know her. And yet, that didn't stop the boy from smiling softly. As he took a step forward, he gave his hand out.]

Mhmm, I have. You're supposed to be my mom, right?

[He didn't mean for his voice to crack. It just felt so unfamiliar to call someone else his mother.]

[weatherforecast]

[She reaches for that hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she tries not to cry. She does have a rain cloud hovering and she waves at it with her free hand.]

That's right. I'm your Mami. And you're my Mijo. My beautiful baby boy. Even if you don't remember, you will always be my little Antonito.

[speaksanimal]

[For a moment, Antonio didn't say a word. Looking at his hand and then back at her, he really wasn't sure how to address her. Mumbling to himself, he didn't want to make her even more upset. Not when there was a rain cloud over her...]

Um...can you tell me a little bit more about him? [After all, if he was suppose to be him, he should know a little more about him...right?]

What you know about Antonio?

[weatherforecast]

[She kneels, wiping at her eyes with her free hand and still holding his with her other.]

My Antonito... is very kind. Very sweet. H-he loves animals very much. And he has an amazing gift. My Antonio can speak with animals.

[It feels so strange to talk this way about him to his face. As if she means someone else entirely. But she's afraid she'll scare him.]

[speaksanimal]

[Antonio remained silent as he tried to look at Pepa. However, all he could do was mumble before eventually looking to the side.]

That doesn't stop different from what I can do now. I can talk and sometimes sense what they're feeling...

[Was he really the Antonio they were talking about? He should be, they were all saying he was. And yet, he still wasn't sure.]

I don't really know what that is supposed to mean.

[weatherforecast]

It's okay.

[It's very much not. It very much can't be.]

You have done nothing wrong. Right now everything is very confusing. But all you need to do is be yourself, okay? Be the you that feels right. That makes you happy.

[Her heart is in shambles, but she's doing her best to say what she thinks will help. She doesn't want to cause him pain. Especially since he must already be so confused and scared about whatever conflicting memories he has...]

Everything will work out, mijo. Don't push yourself to fit into a mold that doesn't feel right to you.

[speaksanimal]

[That was the problem, Antonio didn't know what would make himself happy. Not when there was this feeling that people wanted him to be the Antonio that they knew. The poor boy found himself staring at the ground as he was struggling to figure out what to say.]

I don't want to disappoint you or my "family".

[Especially when they seem to already have some high hopes for him.]

[weatherforecast]

[She hesitates, worrying her lower lip a moment before smoothing his hair a little. Even if he doesn't know her, she still instinctively wants to comfort and soothe him.]

You could never disappoint me. Or the family. You haven't done anything wrong.

[speaksanimal]

[Luckily, he didn't mind the affection. In fact, he welcomes it before giving a small chuckle.]

I hope not. I just don't want to um...upset my "family"?

[weatherforecast]

[This whole situation is so painful. But the way he keeps saying 'family' like he's not sure that's the right word for them. It really does drive home that right now Antonio doesn't really know them. That for some reason he has this idea of a completely different life. That he calls other people his family... she doesn't want to inadvertently make it worse on him. Harder.]

Antonito, you don't have to think too hard about it. Okay? We love you and we will always love you and that is what is most important. The rest... the rest we can work out as we go. Si?

[speaksanimal]

[It was all so strange. He didn't think about it much but the moment that his 'mother' was here? It suddenly dawned on him at how much all of this was for him. What was he supposed to do when he didn't want to upset either of his family? There was nothing wrong with having two different families and yet...?]

I guess so but I don't really know what to do. This is really confusing to me.