🌵💐First Bloom (A Very Awkward Arrival)

[senorita_perfecta]

WHO: Isabela and YOU
WHERE: Labyrinth and the streets of Kaisou
WHEN: 9/25-9/26
WHAT: Isa arrives via a suspiciously curated flower labyrinth and she is very disoriented and very scared
WARNINGS: Implied anxiety attacks and possible mentions of trans-generational traumas; Will update this if something else comes up


I. Disorienting Flower Labyrinth
(Things have gotten very weird for Isabela today. Just some time ago, she was pretty busy preparing a community garden for the town. It has been in her plans for quite a while now since finally getting to be herself and she is so happy to share it with her town mates. But as soon as she is about to bring out the gardening tools, she blacks out. It happened so suddenly that she didn’t have time to react or call for help.

Eventually after some time has passed, Isa wakes up to find an awfully terrifying sight: a perfectly manicured flower maze. Oh good heavens, she is not too happy to see something that would remind her of what she was pretending to be for most of her life. It looks too perfect for her own taste, the colors are too much of a color wheel match, and there is not a single cactus or anything that looks less than pretty to be found. This place might as well make her feel like suffocating for air. Plus there is no sighting of the gardening tools she was supposed to be carrying.

What is even more annoying is when she tries to use her gift to mess around with this utopian garden maze, she is horrified to discover that the thriving ability she has just awakened some time ago has been reduced to be the boring and basic version she had from before. Honestly, she doesn’t know which one is worse: her gift being laughably cut down in strength or being stuck in this sickeningly perfect looking maze?

Panic is slowly building up inside her as she desperately tries to find an exit out of this maze. There is no point of trying to hide her scared state of mind and she is not feeling fine.)

II. A Walk Around the City
(Eventually Isabela did found her way out of that ‘horrific’ labyrinth and into the streets of a big modern city after who knows how long it took her to leave: looking very tired but still very much alive. Looking at the modern buildings and billboards she is surrounded by, this is clearly not the town she has been living for her entire life, so Isabela is understandably in shock of seeing all the modern things she has never seen before.

As she tries to get a grip on this new reality, she feels her foot stepping on something sturdy, crouching down to find a instruction book and a strange rectangle device she has never seen before beside it. Now who would leave these behind? Wouldn’t they be vulnerable to stealing? Whoever left them here though, it seems to look like they are hers to keep now.

But the smartphone doesn’t seem to be within her priority right now as she has no clue on how to use one before she just simply wanders around the streets of Kaisou, hoping to find some answers and praying that someone can explain to her about why she has landed in here and why she is far away from home.)

Wildcard
(Want throw something else at me? Send them at me in the comments below. You can find me at mariscorner or on Discord at Mariposa21 #4257. I can match your tagging style, brackets or prose.)

Comments

[senorita_perfecta]

Wait, I was in a similar maze before? Did I survived that one too?

(Isabela is quite surprised to learn that this is technically not the first time she was stuck in a maze similar to this.)

Oh gee Luisa, I wish I could have remember it so clearly, but I’m afraid that I can’t seem to recall that one that well.

[neverbreaks]

Wait, you really...don't remember? [ Luisa frowns a little, concerned. ] Do you remember being in a city called Kaisou?

[senorita_perfecta]

Um unfortunately yes, I’m afraid that I can’t recall the city that much either.

(Did she got her original memory of Kaisou wiped out upon returning home? It is highly possible as much as Isabela hates to admit it.)

It is pretty bizarre that I’m not able to remember a single thing from being in Kaisou for the first time.

[neverbreaks]

[ As much as she hates to think it, that does sound like the most likely answer, though it's no less confusing for Luisa. But after a moment she shakes her head. ]

We can...We can worry about that later. For now, let's just get you out of here.

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh right, getting out of this horrible maze. I’m already getting sick of seeing this much absurd prettiness to last me a lifetime. Now we have to find which way to get out of here and back to civilization.

[neverbreaks]

Yeah, these mazes are pretty much personalized to hurt as much as possible. [ Luisa can't help a frown, thinking about when Isabela had arrived the first time. Had the maze been that bad then too? ] I think I can try to find the way I came in.

[senorita_perfecta]

Good idea, Luisa. It sounds like a safe path to take. The sooner we get out of here, the less emotional suffocating I will have to go through for the rest of the day, or night. Oh gosh, I have seriously lost track of time being in here.

[neverbreaks]

[ With a small smile, Luisa nods. ] Okay, yeah. [ Glancing around a moment, she indicates the direction for Isa to follow her. ] This way.

[senorita_perfecta]

(So the two of them begins to make their way out of the maze using the same path Luisa had taken when she first arrived in there. While it does feel vast and large (and still a manicured nightmare for Isa to stare at), it does not feel so miserable anymore now she has her younger sister with her now.

It is quite a miracle that one of her family members had arrived just when she needed help to get out of this place so much. And for that, she is very grateful of Luisa so much for leading the way.)

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa makes sure to follow the path she'd taken when entering the maze, making sure to lead Isa out as quickly as possible. And soon, it seems that they're coming up on the exit. ]

There it is!

[ Unless something comes along to interrupt them, they should make it out just fine. ]

[senorita_perfecta]

(Yes, yes! The end of the maze is so close that she could feel so happy of leaving this awful maze. She has enough of staring at its walls for much longer than she wanted.)

Oh thank goodness. We are so close to getting out of this maze. Let’s get out of here!

[neverbreaks]

[ Perfect, it looks like they're in the clear. A few more minutes and they make it out of the maze. ]

Here we are. Welcome to the city.

[ Once they take a few steps away from the maze's entrance, Luisa spots the smart device waiting for Isabela. ]

I think that's yours.

[senorita_perfecta]

Whoa, this place is huge. And is that thing for me? Well, I guess that it is a compensation for being stuck inside that awful maze.

(She is staring at the device with wide shock and curiosity as she picks up said decide. Being from a time and place where smartphones aren’t seen as commonplace items, she probably has no idea of how to use one.)

Hey Luisa, how does this thing work by the way?

[neverbreaks]

[ She manages a small smile. ] Yeah, something like that. Here, let's find a place to sit down first so I can show you how to use it.

[ Because it can take a while. ]

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh yes, that would be great. And I really appreciate the help a lot, Luisa. It’s going to be a while before I can get the hang of it well but I’m going to do my best to adapt to the city setting.

[neverbreaks]

Yeah, but that's okay. I'll be able to help you here, and there are actually a few others from the family that are here too. So you won't have to do it alone.

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh gee, thank you so much. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in the family again and see what this place has to offer. Glad that I’m not taking on this journey alone.

[neverbreaks]

[ With a smile, Luisa nods. ] Yeah, it's definitely easier to get used to with everyone to help.

[ She had been fortunate enough that there were others of their family here already when she arrived. So the least she can do is help out too. ]