[INTRO] Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

[matizrojo]

WHO: Isabela Madrigal and YOU
WHERE: her labyrinth or the city
WHEN: Feb. 12th
WHAT: Another Labyrinth has spit out another Madrigal. As they do.
WARNINGS: None

labyrinth

[Everything about this labyrinth felt so familiar to Isabela. So well put together, so pretty, so perfect, so-- STIFLING. But in trying to navigate it, she learned that she couldn't change it. The thriving power she'd only just awakened to was gone-- reverted back to the most basic, the most boring version of itself.

A nightmare. This was a nightmare. But she wasn't waking up. So the only thing left to do was to get the heck out of here as quickly as she possibly could.

...right after taking out her frustration on a series of colorful, perfectly arranged arrangements.]

Hrrrrghhh--!

[With an aggravated cry, there are suddenly a lot of pretty flower petals of different colors flying everywhere. It's hard to say how much destruction it will take to make her feel better-- fortunately in this perfect world there are no thorns. Watch out for the occasional flying branch though.]

city

[As soon as she makes it out, Isabella collapses on the nearest bench utterly exhausted, letting her eyes fall shut. That took a lot more out of her than she expected-- and not just physically. She may have broken open the ceiling but there's still a lot of unresolved feelings about it all. It's nice to just rest for a moment a let it all go.]

Finally.

[She's still covered in an explosion of colors; her dress a wild and creative mess of her own making. But she has a lot of rose and orchid petals stuck to her too from the labyrinth. Honestly she kind of looks like she got into a fight with a flower cart and lost.]

What is going on...?

[It never stops. Just when they thought things were going to be better... But opening her eyes and squinting at the city before her, it's more than just "what".]

Where... am I?

Comments

City

[whiteshroud]

[So after chance encounters with Bruno, Mirabel, and Dolores -- Jun sure is noticing a trend. And so when Isabela happens to plop down on the bench next to him while he himself was unwinding after a busy day at work before heading home, he can't help but feel a sense of tired deja vu. Here we go again]

This is Kaisou. [But also why does this girl look like she got in a fight with a flower shop?] Are you alright?

[matizrojo]

Kaisou... [It feels strange to say-- different from anything she'd know. But then again... looking at it, that probably makes the most sense.] Right...

[It finally sinks in-- the way she looks... probably even the way she sounds right now. She sticks out like a sore thumb. Some part of her internally flinches and forces herself to sit up a bit straighter; pulling herself together and putting on a small smile.]

Oh-- don't worry about me. I'm completely fine. [And she's good at saying it at least, whether it's true or not.]

I just got here, so I'm still getting used to everything. Do you live here?

City

[nonmagical]

[Mirabel still recovering from Luisa’s labyrinth when she sees that unmistakable dress… and her sister attached to it.

She does a double take-]

Isa?

[matizrojo]

[Isabela sits upright rather quickly; causing several flower petals to fall off her. And sure enough, right in front of her--]

...Mirabel?

[whiteshroud]

[Uh well...that's a change in her demeanor. It'd be completely believable if her looks didn't say otherwise. He raises his eyebrow a little]

Haha...I'd hate to see the other guy then. [He makes a joke about it, but he'll move on. They just met, so it's not his business to pry]

I had a feeling, we've had a number of people appear here. But yeah, I've lived here for a few years now.

[matizrojo]

[The other--? Oh. Isabela laughs sheepishly as she plucks the extra flower petals from her hair and clothes.]

...oh this? I was just working on some flower arrangements! [...] I might have overdone it a bit.

[And it's not entirely incorrect either. But she's somewhat relieved to hear that it's not the first time this sort of weird thing has happened. But he doesn't give off the impression that it's some kind of expected thing either, so it's not as much of a relief as she would have liked.]

I'm guessing this isn't... normal then. I mean-- people just... going from one country to another through a strange magic hole.

[nonmagical]

Isa!

[It is her! She pounces her for a hug. Or more like leans down and aggressively hugs her - no getting out of it with a song this time!]

When did you - where did you - are you okay?

Labyrinth

[crushtheskulls]

[One of the branches smacks Horse in the face, but she shakes it off. There's a gray horse standing behind her, watching Isabela's trail of destruction.]

Yeah, you show 'em!

[matizrojo]

[Before she can get up, Mirabel is there and-- no, she's happy to be able to hug her sister; reaching up to hug her tight. She's glad she's here and safe, no matter what strange thing is happening now.]

I fell and then... I don't know how long it took me to get here but-- I'm okay now. I'm here.

[whiteshroud]

Ah, I get it. [He scratches his jaw] My dad works at a florist, and he's always coming home with petals on him.

[Maybe this girl is a bit on the clumsy side like his dad? Or flower arrangement is just that intense...who knows.]

It's not, no. Traveling to another country usually takes a lot longer, and it's usually on purpose than accident.

[matizrojo]

[Isabela stops rather abruptly for a few reasons. First of all, she didn't realize anyone was here or that they could see her little uh. Show.

Second-- that's a horse.]

...did you...?

[Looks around... no. No there isn't anyone here except the horse that she can see. Okay. Yeah.]

Was... was that you? Just now...?

[matizrojo]

I had a lot of flowers to work with and I thought I'd try something new. I didn't realize how much of a mess it made.

[Not normal is more of the normal for her family anyway, so it's not a lost cause to be sure. At least she knows it's happened before. Surely there's a way to undo... or redo it. She'll just have to keep looking.]

...where are my manners? You may call me Isabela-- Isabela Madrigal.

labyrinth

[escuchando]

[It's pretty in here. It reminds her of her cousin, and she would be lying if she didn't wonder whether or not Kaisou had pulled in yet more of her family. Just how and why it was focusing so much on the Madrigals is still a mystery to her, but it's that curiosity that drives her to poke through the picture-perfect labyrinth before she hears frustrated yelling.

Ah, but doesn't she recognise that sound?]

Isabela...?

[Her head cocks instinctively towards the sound, though her hearing is still fading in and out in so far as it being anything more than normal goes. Another yell confirms it and she lifts up her skirt to hurry, finding the other woman in the middle of whacking the living hell out of a floral arrangemeent.]

Isabela? Isa! [Dolores reaches out for her cousin's shoulder, curling her fingers over it and gripping gently but firmly.] Isa, stop.

[crushtheskulls]

[That is a horse. Just. Standing there.]

Yeah, that was me. Yes - the talking part is weird.

Really enjoyed your moment of carnage, but... what have you got against flowers?

[nonmagical]

[It's comforting, and while she's not glad that her sister is here instead of safe and at home, she's glad to see her.]

Did you get stuck in some kind of maze too?

[whiteshroud]

Haha. Well what's art but getting messy sometimes right?

[So. no big deal! Happens all the time on a new project! ]

I had a feeling you were another Madrigal, I've run into a few of your family now. Nice to meet you, Isabela. I'm Jun Nightroad.

City

[wedonttalkabout]

[At this point, Bruno really should be used to his family members just randomly showing up in this city. He's not sure what's causing this to happen, and he'd honestly rather they be home and safe than here where everything is so uncertain. But Bruno doesn't get what he wants - so he nearly wanders directly into his sobrina, only stopping his quick head-down-walk through the city, avoiding as much eye contact with everyone as possible.

It's the excess of flowers that gives it away, honestly.]

...Isabela?

[matizrojo]

--precisely!

[He understands. And she's grateful to not have to go into any further explanation.

She hears his whole introduction, but her concern for her family takes over first and foremost. They only just started to come back together. She needs to find them.]

...another? Then-- you know my family? Who? And... where are they now?

[matizrojo]

[Her expression falls, remembering it. Remembering... everything.]

...yeah. I had to find my way here... but I had some help along the way.

[Then it sinks in. If her own maze was like that, then what would Mirabel have seen? Just the thought threatens to anger her again.]

Hold on. Did you get dropped into one of those mazes too?

[matizrojo]

No... no. The talking part is not weird.

[But only because she's a Madrigal. However, that just makes things even more confusing. Her powers diminished but-- she could also use Antonio's powers now?

What... is going on here?]

It's the fact that I can understand you right now.

And... I don't. I like flowers. Different flowers. This is just... wrong.

[matizrojo]

[This place felt like it was directed specifically at her and that caused her to jump to the conclusion that she was alone here. If she'd known that others could come here, she never would have let herself get so worked up over a few silly arrangements. But thanks to her little fit-- she doesn't hear her cousin approaching until she's right there; hand firmly gripping her shoulder and telling her to stop.

Isabela's blood runs cold. She stops; half-torn flowers dropping from her hands. If it were anyone else, she would be mortified. But this is Dolores, the person who knows better than anyone how long she's been bottling up her true feelings.

Sure there was some part of her that knew she was just accepting the inevitable. There was no hiding anything from Dolores. But another part of her was happy. Because she didn't want to hide it. She wanted a place for her feelings to go. Someone she could confide in.]

...I don't... I don't want to go back to being this.

[matizrojo]

[Even at a glance, it doesn't take long for Isabela to put two and two together. There really isn't anyone else quite like tío Bruno. It's nice to see him out. Somewhere. Anywhere. But it's pretty clear he still has a lot of work ahead of him.

She sits up; a few flower petals falling off of her in the process.]

...you stick out like a sore thumb. You do realize that-- right?

[nonmagical]

Yeah, I did. It looked like Casita and had fake doors that disappeared when you touched them.

[So basically her Gift Ceremony on repeat. She feels some kinda way about it but it's over and she's fine now.]

Tio Bruno got me out, so it's fine now. I'm sorry I wasn't there to get you out of yours.

[matizrojo]

[It's just as awful as she feared. If there was someone responsible for all this, they had better hope they never end up in the same room with her because she swears it right now-- they will not be the same afterwards. Isabela hugs her tighter, shaking her head.]

It's not fine. [Because Mirabel needs to hear it. She needs to know that.] ...but I'm here now. We're here. Together. And we're going to get through this... together.

[whiteshroud]

[He's not surprised he zeroes in on her family bit. So he'll nod and go along with it]

Mm. I ran into Bruno, Mirabel and Dolores.

[....]

I don't have their address, but they're somewhere in the city! I know that much.

[Though really at this point he should just get that address from the number of times he gets asked for it]