IC Inbox for Kaisou

[neverbreaks]

INBOX text / audio / video / action -supposed to be recording? Oh wait, there it goes. Uh, okay...this is Luisa Madrigal. If you need to reach me, I guess you can leave a message? That's how this works, right? art credit code credit

Comments

[nonmagical]

[Luisa will find a small box outside her room’s door. Inside is a red and white scarf with her name on it, with a dumbbell embroidered onto it. It’s very warm and fuzzy, but there’s no indication who it came from.

~A mystery~]

Action;

[pan_acea]

[After talking with Mirabel, she goes to find Luisa, knocking on her bedroom door and hoping she is in.]

Luisa? Mi amore? Are you in?

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa doesn't actually hear her mother at first; after her own talk with Mirabel, and knowing that she would be telling Julieta the truth, Luisa had gotten a bit restless and started working out. On Julieta's side of the door she could probably hear the familiar rattle of weights.

Fortunately, Luisa's donkey-ish companion is also in the room, and at the knock André's ears perk up, and he slips off the foot of her bed and crosses the room. How he manages to open the door is anyone's guess, but he does, and pushes it open wider for Julieta.

Then the Pokemon walks over to where Luisa is working out and nudges her elbow with his snout. As she turns to look, she finally notices Julieta in the doorway. ]

Oh, Mamá... [ She had suspected that they would need to talk about what Julieta learned from Mirabel, but to be honest she hadn't expected it so soon. ] Uh, come in.

[pan_acea]

[She has a plate of arepas and some calming chamomile and lavender tea blend as she enters and smiles as she sees her middle child.

Julieta patted Andre's head and set the tray down on the table, moving to clasp her hands together and taking in Luisa's appearance. Diving in headfirst was Pepa's skill, she took stock of how Luisa was presenting herself, how she might be feeling. She didn't want Luisa to freak out and tilted her head and smiling gently, warmly, trying to make sure Luisa understood she wasn't in trouble.]

Luisa, Mira told me about the dragon. I just wanted to see if you were alright. [There, it was out there now.]

CHOO CHOO SAD TRAIN PULLING UP TO THE STATION

[wedonttalkabout]

[Bruno noticed Luisa's mood drop after the soccer game. He'd been trying to process his own grief, and then after that the fact they came back alive again. Zelos admitting he'd sacrificed himself had disturbed a lot of unpleasant thoughts- memories of the constant reminders from his mother about what his father sacrificed so they could live. Needless to say, he's been...processing a lot.

But he's noticed his niece hasn't been doing great, and Julieta's words of you have to BE here, Bruno are still crashing about in his skull. He can't hide and avoid anymore, as much as he wants to.

And so, he finally plucks up the courage to knock at her door, he's not sure what comfort he can give, but he knows he has to try. ]

ALL ABOARD!

[neverbreaks]

[ Honestly, Luisa hadn't realized that she was being so obvious about her mood. There had been so much going on, and she's been trying to keep herself in check so she could better support everyone else. Even though these recent events had hurt her too, knowing what had happened to everyone, it wasn't nearly as bad as what other people were going through - the people who had actually died and come back, or the people who had been especially close to them.

She hadn't suffered as much as others had, so she could at least handle her pain on her own to give others less to worry about.

Still, it was difficult at times, especially seeing Tío Bruno. Even though she had told him that there had been nothing he could have done, and even though she had truly meant it, there was still a part of her that wondered if she could have done more. Could there have been something else she could have done, so that her uncle wouldn't have to go through all this? Even though she tried to tell herself that there wasn't, there was still a voice in the back of her mind saying telling her she was wrong, that she should have done something.

The same voice that told her that maybe Bruno thought the same.

The sudden knock startles her from her thoughts, as both she and André look towards the door. Despite how large her room was, knocking on her door seems to echo all throughout, bouncing against the stone walls so she could hear it anywhere, even if she was farther in the back where her bed was. But even though that was the most comfortable area in the room, it wasn't always the most convenient to be back there, so most of the time she still stayed in the front area even if she wasn't using the workout machines.

Like now, as she sat on the floor leaning against one of the rock-climbing walls closer to the door. Closing the cover of her notebook, she sits up a bit - earning a whine from André who had been comfortably leaning against her - and finally calls out an answer. ]

Come in.

[wedonttalkabout]

[Bruno had been dithering at her door, a part of him wanted to bolt and hide. He's not good at this. The talking the opening up. But he stands firm. As much as he doesn't like this, his niece needs him and that has to take precedence over anything else going on in his head.

When Luisa calls him in, he takes a deep breath, stepping inside and offering a little wave of greeting.]

Hola, Luisa. I uh- wondered if you wanted some...company? To-to talk. I mean, you can say no if you don't want some company, but I figured hey I should go and offer some company...to talk.

Campus Tour

[callmekacchan]

[Katsuki was honestly surprised how well he was getting along with Luisa. His friendships tend to be more... mutually antagonistic, honestly. He kind of thrives on that kind of thing. But something about her just kind of... sets him at ease?

So he's kind of making an effort to actually do the whole normal friendship thing of hanging out. She'd mentioned in one of their text conversations being interested in taking some classes at the university and Katsuki had taken the initiative of offering to show her around a bit. He's waiting for her at the entrance to the campus grounds today.]

Any ideas on what you wanna study? Or still thinking it over?

[Just so he knows if there are particular things that might be more useful to her than others.]

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa has honestly been having a nice time getting to know Katsuki. She'd always been a bit worried about making friends, having long since lost touch with people her age back home since she was always so busy working. Even now, she's still a bit worried about being a little awkward, but Katsuki hasn't seemed to mind so far.

When he had offered to show her around the university, she honestly had been a bit excited about the idea. She's still on the fence about taking classes, despite her mother's reassurance about the money, but even just getting to look around was still something new and thrilling. Besides, it couldn't hurt to look at the place for now, right? ]

I'm actually not too sure. I kind of like mythology, and I've kind of started writing. But is there any kind of field for things like that?

[callmekacchan]

Yeah. Honestly, these days you can turn just about anything into a career if you're willing to work at it. What kind of stuff have you been writing?

[He might be able to steer her better if he knows what she's interested in writing.]

text; un: signorvespa

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto's been wracking his brain about what to do about the new chaperone rule in the Spirit Realm. For once in his life, he's inspired to deliberately be... safe... and not stupid? Incredible. Following a poignant conversation with Luisa's uncle, he feels guilty to be as reckless as he usually might be... but likewise, isn't so keen to ask Bruno himself to chaperone him, for the same reason. He doesn't want to worry the man any more than he already has. And besides— someone with a little more... brawn... might be a wiser choice for a chaperone, in any case. So after some deliberation, Alberto goes out on a limb to find another grownup who might help, and lands on: Luisa. He feels a little awkward, unaccustomed to asking for help, but... better safe than sorry? Or rather: better safe than... FOMO? ...More the FOMO, yeah... ]

Ciao Signora Luisa,
can I ask you a weird favore maybe...?
i don't know when I'll need it but... probably someday?

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa is a bit surprised to receive a text from Alberto. While she tries to check on him sometimes, he doesn't usually seek her out. She's not as worried as she'd been before, since she knows there are people looking out for him, but she does wonder what he's up to sometimes. ]

Hey Alberto! Sure, what's up? Everything okay?

[prontissimo]

yeah yeah everything's fine

you see the new post from Zodiac? 👀

Text; un: Dynamight

[callmekacchan]

[Katsuki is not always the best at this whole... friendship thing? But he's definitely trying to do better. And when he hears that Mirabel is gone he knows he has to check in on Luisa. So he sends her a text the day after. Just to be sure he knows what to say.]

Heard about your sister.
If you need to talk or get your mind off things, let me know.

[Brief and to the point.]

[neverbreaks]

[ Luisa hasn't really left her room since her mother confirmed that Mirabel was gone. She knows that there were things to do, but for the moment she didn't really want to think about anything else.

Even when she gets the text, she doesn't respond right away. Mostly because she isn't even really sure what to say. ]

Thanks. I'm not really sure what I need right now though.

text -> audio; un: signorvespa

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto gave Bruno a grace period of just over twenty-four hours to respond to his texts and calls before low-key launching into a spiraling panic. So he, unknowingly and unfortunately, already knows the answer to his own question when he reaches out to Luisa for confirmation tonight. He’s been paranoid about this possibility for the past month, ever since the kidnapping, which now feels like a precursor to this moment. It’s getting near bedtime for a school night, but he’s not going to be able to rest with this terribly plausible gut feeling gnawing at him — a gut feeling he sorely wishes he didn’t trust right now. ]

Hey Luisa

Is Bruno OK?

He hasn’t called me back. He always answers. He’s never NOT answered. It’s been over a day. We talk every day.

Where’s Bruno?

[ At first he texts, each sent in its own message, barely a beat between each, but he doesn’t even give her more than a minute to receive it until he’s already calling her. Repeatedly, if need be. ]

signorvespa is calling you…
signorvespa is calling you…

Audio

[neverbreaks]

[ It felt like it happened so suddenly; her tío had just been here a day ago, celebrating her birthday with her and what was left of their family. Then he was gone; him hiding for a while wasn't unusual, but when he didn't show up to help at the restaurant they'd gotten a bit worried. They tried calling him, but when the call couldn't connect to his device, they started searching, despite the feeling deep down that there wouldn't be anything to find.

But that's just how it was - the others had disappeared just as quickly, here one day and gone the next. It didn't make it hurt any less, though, knowing that yet another family member had gone, and she could only hope that they were being reunited with their family back home, safe and sound.

Luisa is still trying to work through her own tumultuous thoughts when her phone chimes with texts from Alberto, and she curses a little under her breath. In all the panic she had almost forgotten; Bruno had gotten pretty close with Alberto, so of course they weren't the only ones who'd notice his absence.

She doesn't even know how to respond, but she doesn't have a chance to try to figure it out when her phone rings again, this time with an incoming call. A terrible, awful part of her considered for a moment just...ignoring the call. Just rejecting the call, putting her phone on silent, and leaving him waiting for a while longer while she tried to get her own thoughts together.

But no, she knows that can't do that to him. Even if she could keep ignoring any further calls from him for a while, leaving him to wonder will likely just alarm him even more. And no matter how much she hates having to be the one to give him the news, she knows someone has to. He deserves to know.

So, taking a deep breath, she finally picks up the call with a shaky hand. ]

...hey, Alberto.

[prontissimo]

[ When Luisa picks up the phone, a tiny wave of relief breaks. But only a small one. Because he can hear that tone in her voice — like she's dreading this and trying to hide it. So he lays it on a little thick as his panic starts to rise, exaggeratedly feigning a saccharine energetic tone to show his stress through sarcasm. It's a more frenetic energy about him than the cool, carefree front Alberto usually tries to evoke. ]

Heyyy, Luisa~! ...Where's Bruno?

[ Right to the chase. He starts pacing around his kitchen, forcing himself to "smile" unseen behind the phone, as if that'll increase the chances of good luck here, but truthfully, it's little more than gritting his teeth. ]

text; un: seeingtheworld; two days after Julieta's departure

[prontissimo]

[ A text from Luca? No, not quite; Alberto's phone is broken. Has been ever since he heard from Luisa last, when he found out Bruno had disappeared. Alberto doesn't know yet about Julieta disappearing so soon after her brother did. He just so happens to be reaching out for his own grief's sake, however difficult that is to do, because what is vulnerability... But despite how indirect his opener is, once he learns the new bad news, he'll be glad he did reach out. ]

hey Luisa its Alberto not Luca

are the rats still there?

if they are, can I come see them?

[neverbreaks]

[ Things seem to just keep getting worse and worse lately.

When Luisa had gotten the call from someone in the restaurant saying that it wasn't open, she had already known what she would find - or rather, wouldn't find - when she went to look for her mother. Sure enough, her mother's door was no longer glowing, and calls weren't able to connect to her phone. Julieta was gone.

The rest of the day had been nothing short of chaos, mainly with Luisa trying to contact who she could for the restaurant. She had done it on her own, because even though she knew that Isabela and Dolores would also be willing to help, Luisa was sure that she had been the one who spent the most time at the restaurant, and so wanted to make sure that it was taken care of. And maybe it wasn't really the thing to focus on, but having something to do at least kept her from completely dissolving into grief...at least for a little while.

And eventually, after call after call after call after call, Luisa managed to get things settled; Zodiac taking over the restaurant while the staff would stay on as they did. Luisa was also still able to keep her job as a server there, and for once she appreciated Zodiac's presence; the rest of the restaurant were already starting to forget Julieta's presence, so having someone who was at least a bit aware of the strangeness that happened in the city meant that they understood why Luisa needed just a bit of time before she go back to work.

But a part of her - a guilty part - wished a little that she could just force herself to work now. Because now that she was home, she had nothing else to really focus on except the fact that her mother was no longer around. There was nothing left to distract her from the growing emptiness in the house and in her heart.

Until, at least, she received Alberto's text. She was a bit relieved to be hearing from him, since even though she'd given him some space after the news about Bruno, she'd been worried too. She takes a moment to wipe her face and dry her hands before answering. ]

There are some of them still here, yeah. You can come over.

[ Maybe it wasn't the safest thing to have him come by right now, but...maybe it'll help keep her distracted. ]

UN: Zodiac; 12/1

[kaisoumods]

Happy Holiday from Zodiac!

Congratulations! You've been specially selected to take part in our first annual Secret Santa holiday gift exchange! 🎁

This year, you'll be giving a gift to Usagi! Please try to find a nice gift for them by December 25th! And remember, Secret Santa always works best when it's a surprise!

We highly recommend you participate, as no one wants to suffer on the holidays!

Thank you, and enjoy the season! ☃️

[As usual, any replies will receive no response from Zodiac]

1/1; Secret Santa Delivery!

[kaisoumods]

[At the start of the new year, Luisa will hear a lot of honking coming from outside her door. It will persist until she opens the door and finds the goose, with a red bow tied around their neck, standing outside next to a gift basket. It will honk once more before waddling off, leaving the basket.

Attached to the basket is a note reading:]

We're sorry your Secret Santa failed to deliver. We've sent you this gift as an apology. And worry not, your Secret Santa will be dealt with accordingly.

Happy New Years from the fine folks at Zodiac

[Inside the basket she'll find: a large stuffed unicorn, some nice dancing shoes in her size, and a $500 gift certificate to a nearby bookstore.]

sometime around Christmas; backdated

[prontissimo]

[ On one of his visits to hang out with the rats alone in Bruno's tower (totally fine, cuz that's not weird or sad at all, he's fine) Alberto came to La Casa Madrigal with an ulterior motive: sneaking in Christmas gifts. He's obviously still learning about Christmas, but Isabela and Luisa both helped explain some traditions to him, and he's learned a lot secondhand out and about town. He grasps the concept that people give each other presents, like Luisa had mentioned, which are supposed to be surprises you open on Christmas morning. (And something about the fat guy with the beard, he's... still trying to figure that bit out. Humans are confusing sometimes.)

So when he comes over the afternoon of Christmas Eve, he quietly leaves presents for all three Madrigals before he announces himself in their home. Alberto put a lot of effort into all his Christmas gifts, but especially for Luisa. Included in a poorly wrapped parcel is a Christmas card along with several shrinky-dink sun-catcher butterfly mobiles. Everyone on his list received original Scorfano shrink film art this year; it's a very shrinky, dinky Christmas. But Luisa got a far sweeter (and more laborious) gift than anyone else.

In another poorly wrapped gift box, she'll find a collection of homemade cupcakes. A little nod to the elaborately decorated cupcakes she'd gotten him for his birthday, he decided to return the gesture and try his hand at it, too. And his are, um— well, it's the thought that really counts... They taste fine, at least, and the designs are all thematically accurate, so that earns him some good human-ing points, right? Overall, he nailed it! J-Just— close your eyes when you eat them, maybe...? ]

Sorry for the delay! Feel free to drop if needed!

[neverbreaks]

[ One of the benefits (depending on how one might look at it) of having a magical house is that it's difficult to really try to do anything without it knowing. So while Casita is more than happy to help Alberto try to sneak the presents to their recipients, the house also does alert Luisa to his arrival in the first place.

And honestly, it is fine if he wants to make it a surprise. She doesn't mind all that much. But she does grab the her gift for him, and after giving him some time to get his gifts to where they need to go, she'll track him down on his way to Bruno's tower. ]

¡Hola, Alberto!

backdated to Valentine's Day;

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto's not sure if Valentine's Day is supposed to be a "sneakily drop off gifts" kinda holiday, like he interpreted Christmas was, but he kinda enjoyed that element... and now that school is back in session, he really is busier. So he just swings by La Casa Madrigal to drop off his gifts for Luisa and Isabela. He doesn't fully understand the concept of romance itself, so Valentine's Day is a little broader in Alberto's mind, understanding the gist of the holiday as just celebrating love in general and showing the people you love that you love them. So his closest friends all get Valentines.

Luisa will find a childish Valentine's Day card in Casita's letterbox, clearly addressed to her and signed by Alberto. It's attached to a parcel, inside which she'll find some homemade chocolates; Alberto's not too practiced at baking, and it turned out... um... okay. It's certainly edible, especially in a "chocolate emergency," but there's a subtle undertaste that's off, like he burnt something. As such, he's also included some store-bought Ferrero Rocher candies. The message on the back of the card is just as sweet:

Happy Valɘntine Day Luisa!
Crazy Stuff Happɘns, but even when life is crazier than usual, at least we have each other and chcocolates…
(And back-up chocolate for Ǝmergɘnzies)
¡ㄒɘ ҨυiƐᖇට!

However, unbeknownst to Alberto, another card was sent out with his signature on it... This card reveals some deeper feelings. And while true and from the heart — Alberto has no recollection of ever writing this card, no idea it's been sent or even exists. This card reads:

ᑕᗩᖇᗩ ㄥᑌiᦓᗩ,
You’ve Always Bɘɘn Like Family to me. And You’re Basically the only Family I’ve got now. BUT Also the Bɘst Family I could have ever Hoped for! And I’m so Happy we have ɘach other still. You’re my Hɘro, Luisa! (And Not just because of your cool muscles HA!)
ㄒi ꪜටᎶLiට ᗷƎꪀE ᗰiᗩ ᑕᗩᖇᗩ

ᗩㄥᗷƎᖇｲට

It's unusually intimate for Alberto, he and Luisa both well bonded over talking around their heavy feelings... A little strange. The cheap candy attached to it isn't all that exciting, which, coming from Alberto, is maybe a little sus, too... ]