kaisou | intro log + video;

Entry tags:

intro log + video;

WHO: Camilo Madrigal and you!
WHERE: Labyrinth and network post
WHEN: 14 February
WHAT: INCREASE MADRIGALS...! ever-changing labyrinth for an ever-changing teenager
WARNINGS: none

A. labyrinth

[ Oof… Camilo has a feeling he’s not in the Encanto anymore. It took him a second to process it, at first finding himself in the depths of a wild jungle… Maybe outside the Encanto, which he’s never really seen so he wouldn’t know, truthfully. That, or, uh, got really lost in his little brother’s bedroom… But it seemed too— navigable? It clearly wasn’t a natural jungle, almost like there were clear paths. But the instant Camilo took one definite turn over another direction…

He suddenly found himself in a tundra. He’s gaping in abject awe at the snowscape around him, but just like the jungle, there seems to be some navigable path about it, noticing several types of tracks in the snow that veer off… But after following one, he finds himself in an unusual city, a futuristic Metropolis, flying cars, all of it, but a marked lack of pedestrians — it’s just him on these bizarre empty streets… And when he turns down another street, just like before, the scene shifts once more, and he finds himself inside a volcano, which is, uh, alarming…?! He just turns right back around at that, meaning to go back to the crazy city, but even when retracing his own steps, every other turn he makes lands him somewhere new, dissimilar, overwhelming… all of these places alien to him, seemingly alone in every one. Each environment just gets more and more chaotic and unfamiliar, more unnerving, like a maze that has no actual path to follow. It’s a never-ending cycle.

After (what feels like) ~~a couple~~ ~~a few~~ several hours of playing this incomprehensible mind game with himself, Camilo finally stops running around aimlessly, because there’s absolutely no way he’s picking up on any cohesive clues on how to get out… With every scene change, he grows more and more frazzled and finally… disheartened. At this most recent turn, his surroundings melt into a thick, dark, muggy bayou, as he lands in the swampy waters full-force, soaked head to toe, wet curly hair clinging to the skin on his cheek.

A frog jumps on his head. And for whatever reason, that’s the last straw.

He lets out a loud, exasperated growl, shakes the creature off, and theatrically clambers out of the water and through the tall grass along the shore, bare toes and sandals wet with mud now. He leaves a large puddle in his wake with every step ashore, before finding a mossy log nearby. He plops down, scowling all the while, and tries at first to wring out his sopping wet ruana, but it seems so futile it’s almost funny…? One of those “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry” kind of moments.

He’s just gonna… sit here a while. After all, when you’re lost, if you keep running around, you won’t be found — especially in dozens of different unpredictable environments. So, feeling somewhat like a lost little kid staying put to wait for his parents to find him, inwardly just as scared, if Camilo’s family does happen to find him in this wild swamp, they’ll find him just like this — chilling out on a log, slumped over melodramatically, looking like a drowned, harassed rat… Another frog (or the same frog? who can say; maybe Antonio, but not him) appears on the log beside him and croaks loudly at the deflated Camilo… And, sounding just as defeated as he looks, Camilo talks back to the frog with a wide, grimacing smile, his voice carried loud and clear through the otherwise empty swamp... only to deliver a bad joke. ]

This place must be pretty hoppin’, huh…

[ That's met with a somehow more disgruntled croak... Like even the frog hated that joke, Camilo. ]

Well, uh, I'd like to hear you do better! Psssh... Didn’t expect I’d feel so relieved to be talking to a frog today, ay. But I guess if I'm trapped in this crazy-kaleidoscope-nightmare-world, at least I’ll have you as a frie— Nope, you left. Like, immediately. Great. Bye...

[ And off it hops, yup. Gone. Camilo lets out a wry half-chuckle, half-groan, in spite of himself, dragging his hands down his face exaggeratedly. Yeah, definitely a “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry” situation. ]

B. video; un: undecided

[ The video opens with a disgruntled, curly-haired teenaged boy, but he doesn't stay that way for long... ]

Uhhh— Holaaa... I'm looking for people who look like this...—

[ And in a flash, the boy magically transforms into another person entirely: first, a thin, harried-looking, redheaded woman, and then just as effortlessly, into a stouter, muscular man, taking the forms of his own parents one after the other, speaking their names in his own voice, despite the impressive shapeshifting. ]

Pepa and Félix Madrigal. Or, if you've seen Dolores or Anto—niooo...?!

[ He tries to transform once more, this time into a young, pretty, wide-eyed girl, but his efforts to transform again seem to go haywire, and he comes up with some conglomeration of her and a cute five-year-old boy with some pretty unsettling proportional problems... His brow knots in confusion, wearing Anotnio's baby-face pouting with Dolores' bright red lipstick, and he shakes it off, transforming back to his own self once again. ]

...Ahem. Um. Perdón. A-Aaanyway...~ Hah... Just, uh, let me know if you've seen them, or any other Madriga–a—aaal...s—?

[ An obviously involuntary shift this time, to a pallid, unkempt man wearing large, round, lime green glasses and a colorful butterfly blouse that probably doesn't belong to him...? S-Something's obviously going wrong, here. It's clear even to strangers of the family that this kid must be mixing people up. He shakes off ~~Bruno's Mirabel cosplay~~ the mashed up forms, as he successfully regains his own face... Well, more or less successfully. Something feels off still, so with an exasperated little grumble, glowering at his phone with his eyes still unfocused, Camilo places his hand over the camera until he figures out how to turn the thing off. He doesn't even know what the hell an Internet is, but he's pretty certain he just embarrassed himself on it. But that's the least of his concerns right now, really. ]

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[ Camilo's face is washed with relief, a soft smile with an obvious fondness around the corners of his eyes, just so glad to see his sister's face. ]

Dolores...! It was a nightmare!

[ oh my god dramatic... He takes too much after their parents. ]

[When he smiles at her like that, she can't help but smile back. Though she wouldn't have wished her brother here she is happy to see him, and happy that he appears to be unharmed.]

It's all right, Camilo. [He really does take after their parents...] You're safe now.

[... Mostly.]

Where are you? I'll come and get you.

I'm here... Wherever "here" is?

[ He spins around, still not exactly understanding how this phone works, so he himself turns instead of turning the phone, to show the area of town he's in. It's all very overwhelming. A second thought occurs to him, though. ]

Could you, uh, bring me some clothes, too...? Or at least a jacket or something? I don't really care what you bring, I'd even wear your clothes right now — but mine are soaked in swamp water... Sooo, fair warning: I don't smell great.

[ He'd have zero qualms wearing clothes like hers anyway, so used to changing regardless of gender or age or body type, but just for comedic effect tosses that little quip in there. He'd be thrilled to wear anything dry and warm right now, and pretty much anything would be warmer than what he's got on. He is not dressed for this weather, and wearing waterlogged clothes is not helping fight the cold. He's sure they can find somewhere he can hide and change, but frankly, at this point, he does not care. He'd change right here in the street if it came down to it. He has zero fucks left to give, he's so exhausted and emotionally run ragged from his labyrinth and general... everything... ]

[The young woman squints as Camilo spins around. Kaisou is not nearly familiar enough to her yet for her to have a good idea of how to get anywhere, but she does spot a store front that she recognises.]

Ah! I know where you are. [Wait, did he say swamp water?

Never mind. She can ask him more questions when she has him standing in front of her. Right now it's the two of them and she needs to look out for her little brother.]

I'll, hm. I'll bring you something of Tío Bruno's. He won't mind. [Probably. And they're about the same size.]

Stay right there, Camilo. Do not go anywhere.

You don't have to tell me twice... I'm beat.

[ And it shows. He's staying right here... And Dolores will find him slumped over on a bench, sprawled out lazily, eyes closed. He's not asleep, just resting. He's never been in a city. He has no idea that that's probably not wise or safe...? Was there even crime in the Encanto? Certainly not against the Madrigals. He's trusting and at ease. And spent. Even though he's expecting Dolores, she'll still take him by surprise. ]

[Camilo may be flighty at times but she thinks she can trust him to do what she tells him to this time. Sure enough, he's right where she expected him to be when she arrives in the general area and he's easy enough to spot with as out of place as he looks.

Sitting half asleep on that bench like that is probably neither wise or safe, and Dolores has been in Kaisou for just long enough to understand that.

So she hurries over, taking her younger brother by the shoulders and giving him a firm shake.]

Camilo! You can't just be falling asleep here like this!

[ Before he even registers the sound of footsteps, he's being seized and shaken. His eyes shoot open, a frantic look on his face, gracelessly flailing to sit up straight, even letting out a little scream — which totally never happened, if anyone asks. He was very cool and collected here.

In his dreams, maybe. ]

¡Ay, dios mío! Dolores! I-I wasn't asleep! I'm awake, I'm awake! Oh, my heart...

[ Still shaken even after she's done shaking him, he fumbles to find some calm again as he leans forward and clutches his chest melodramatically... Yeah, that's right, melodramatically, it's all for effect, totally just laying it on thick as usual and not at all sincere, mmhmm... ]

Ay--! Camilo, por Dios!

[They must look a sight, the two of them startling each other like that and immediately resorting to slightly pitched-up yelling. Dolores' voice is edged with frustration for the first couple of seconds, then she plants her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes.

Did you die, though, Camilo.]

Your heart isn't all you have to worry about going to sleep on benches in the middle of the street! This isn't the encanto, hermano. [She's sure he realises that by now, but does he realise just how different Kaisou is?

Dolores pushes the bag of clothes she brought into her brother's arms.]

Come on, let's find somewhere for you to change. You smell like a swamp.

Pffft...

[ He scoffs and rolls his eyes in return, but readily accepts the bag of clothes, peeking inside briefly before clutching it to his chest as he rises to his feet to follow her lead. He has no idea how different this city is from their town, culturally. Why wouldn't he nap on a bench if he was tired? What's her deal? ]

Once we find somewhere to change, can we eat, too...? I may have survived that "maze," but now I think I'm gonna die of hunger...

[ N e e d y . . . Camilo's starving, what's new. His labyrinth took a lot out of him, though, to be fair. Whiiiich is now Dolores' problem. ]

[One thing at a time, but Dolores has always had her priorities and Camilo has always ranked very highly on them. He's her little brother, after all. She looks around them quickly for somewhere that might kill the two proverbial birds with one stone, and her attention falls on a cafe sign.]

Let's go there.

[Camilo can use the restrooms to change his clothes and Dolores can order them both something to eat before she takes him back to the house... where Tía Julieta would no doubt be happy to feed him again.]

What happened to you?

[ He takes off in stride with her toward the café she points out. And now... the saga begins. ]

What didn't happen to me? Ay... I was in this maze thing, I guess, but it kept changing... First I was in a jungle, then snow, inside a volcano at one point — that was not great... Then Tío Bruno found me in a swamp eventually.

[ At that, he gestures up and down the length of his body, as if to illustrate why he is... the way he is. He's his usual animated self as he tells his story, but he's clearly exhausted and exasperated like he's never been in his whole life. ]

[Well, that sounds far more exciting - and traumatic - than her own had been. Yet it makes sense in a way, perhaps the labyrinths were somehow formed around the experiences and minds of those who fell into them?

Ah, she isn't going to think about it too hard. It's already giving her a headache and she's just glad to see her brother came through it all relatively unscathed.]

Tío Bruno found you? Thank goodness. Mirabel brought me out of mine.

[They do draw a few stares when they enter the café but she immediately points Camilo in the direction of the facilities and points at the door.] Go. I'll get a bag for your wet clothes and find a table, okay?

[ Camilo does as he's told, making a beeline where she directed him. It takes him a few minutes, but he comes out in fresh Bruno-wear, feeling a little odd wearing his uncle's clothes now... But wayyy better than swamp clothes. He scans the café for Dolores and finds her very quickly; their side of the family all stands out in a crowd. He shuffles into the booth, glancing around them with wide, discerning eyes. This is all still... very new and foreign... His first time out of the Encanto. As the shellshock is slowly wearing off, he's feeling a lot more present of mind, and now that he's cleaned up a bit, he can start properly registering his surroundings and taking things in... It's less disconcerting than his maze, but he can't help feeling a little... uneasy. It looks nothing like their colorful, humble, lively home. Nevertheless, after a beat, he turns his gaze back to Dolores and gets down to brass tacks, first sticking his wet clothes in the bag she got him, then setting it aside and leaning forward to rest his head in one hand, propping himself up by his elbow. ]

So, what was your labyrinth like? How'd you and Mirabel get out?

Edited 2022-03-19 23:02 (UTC)

[There is something slightly entertaining about seeing Camilo dressed in their uncle's clothes, but at least he's warm and dry now and she holds the bag open while he stuffs his wet belongings inside. She can clean them up for him later.]

Mine? Mm...

[She's had some weird dreams about it since it happened.]

I was just in a cave, but... there was whispering all around me. Hundreds of voices. Languages I didn't even know. It was awful.

[ Camilo cocks a brow, frowning softly at her description. ]

Yeahhh, that sounds awful. Was there some kinda... trickety-trick to get out? Or did you just wander out and ended up... here...?

[ He motions around them dubiously. ]

Mirabel got me out. Though I never did ask how she got in.

[The whole thing had been so unsettling that she had just been relieved to be away from it all, and had immediately had so much to deal with in this new world that she hadn't given it much thought since.]

It didn't seem important at the time, you know?

Yeah... I didn't ask Tío Bruno how he got in mine, either, come to think of it...

[ That realization draws a ruminative knot in his brow. Maybe he should have...? He feels suddenly like he'd been selfish for not asking that. He was a little reactive — it's, like, the worst day of his life? Bruno took it like a champ, but Camilo's feeling now a little... guilty. He refocuses on Dolores, shaking that thought away almost literally. ]

So— what do I need to know about all this? Cuz, y'know, I think I only have questions, so I'm just gonna... let you explain... and if I have questions about my questions, I'll say so.

[Should she have asked? Mirabel hadn't volunteered the information. Perhaps she would talk to her cousin about it later... and thank her again, because she isn't sure how much longer she could have stayed in that place before she felt like her mind was starting to slip.]

... All right.

[Sigh.]

All I know is... this place is called Kaisou, and it did something to our gifts when we got here. I don't know why we're here or why more of our family keeps coming here. Tío Bruno has been here for longer than me, and I don't think he knows why, either.

How long have you been here? How long has everyone else been here? And what happened to your Gift? As you saw, mine is, uh— on the fritz...

[ He's not thrilled about it. It feels like it did that horrible night their Gifts were failing, but... different. He doesn't like it just as much, though. All of this is so shaking, but now that he's out of the labyrinth and in someplace stable with his sister, alien though it is, he feels like he's gaining some better composure and can at least pretend to have his wits about him, as he processes all this... He's gotta keep a level head — or at worst, seem like he is. ]

It's...

['On the fritz' is a good way to put it. She shakes her head and absent-mindedly rubs at one of her ears.]

It feels like my ears are stopped up. I don't remember how it was before I had my gift, but it must have been like this? Ugh...

[How do people stand it?]

[ Camilo's eyes grow wide, brow knotting in concern slightly. He can't really ask "is your hearing normal now" because how the hell should she know... but it sounds like it. ]

What's the farthest you think you can hear? Or is it like it was when we were rebuilding Casita without our Gifts...?

[ Cuz for him, his faulty shapeshifting is a little too much like how it was when his Gift was failing that night the cracks came... He's wondering if the same thing is happening again here. ]

It's a little like that, but... there are moments where it feels like it might be coming back. [She frowns, making a vague gesture next to her head.]

Like the volume going up and down. It doesn't feel like my gift is gone.

[On the contrary, it feels like it's very much there, she just can't make it work properly.]

It's strange... Is it the same for you?

Yeah. Yeah... Same. I can do it, but it's— inconsistent. And, I dunno, it feels weird...

[ It's hard to describe how shapeshifting feels to other people because he has no point of comparison, having never known anyone else with his Gift. But he could tell something's off when he tried it, before he even saw his reflection. He could feel it was wrong. ]

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intro log + video;

time isn't real, sis, we good

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video » action;

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