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Act One: Overture

opening pandora's box

pride, a word with both positive and negative connotations. from the ground up they worked, a whole new world for them and generations to come. their family worked hard to get here, overcome with pride and thirst for the best. arranged marriages upon marriages, affinities passed down and bred for the specific purpose of garnering what they called the best. fire and augmentation. it took time to garner this specific set, trial and error. but eventually, they got it. from hence forth, marriages were only with specific people. marrying outside of fire and augmentation was considered taboo. vermilion was the hue of power and with power there came so much opportunity.

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tall and proud, the eldest daughter stood hand in hand with a partner matched to her based upon power and affinities. one of the few marriages made out of lov and his lineage had yet to be questioned.


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fjdklvmlks;lsggs
fam got some high expectations
blah blah, came from somewhat influential witches, stuck up ppl
generally nice and loving tho, until u cross them
abuse by someone
slow spiral into some dark things

TW: Implied Rape in last two paras

Act Two: Cataclysm

blessed with a kiss from the devil

the air left her lungs just as quickly as she inhaled, a flurry of colors dashing about her vision, yet she remembered them vividly: obsidian, veridian, and incarnadine. her throat ached, a scream barely leaving her lips. the next moment her tongue was assaulted with a metallic flavor -- iron. it didn't help with claws and scratches. and her eyes stung with unshed tears which were beginning to fall down in thick uneven drops down red cheeks. it was agonizing and she remembered feeling absolutely hopeless, pathetic. with rough touches and silenced screams, she was paralyzed. there was a shooting pain, not from the chill of the air biting at her skin nor the stinging of her cheek, but from realizing a precious flower was ripped from it's roots never to grow again. she could remember nausea and scorned lips whispering that she was worthless, and it didn't stop. not for the longest time.

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and suddenly she was cold, no matter what was left upon her body. everything was freezing and she remembered wanting to be warmer. she remembered the want for some kind of warmth, the need -- god, she craved it. everything after is fuzzy, but she knew there was a brilliant dazzling vermilion. her savior. it brought her to warmth she needed, the light she wished for when everything went dark. her body was numb despite the pain, perhaps it was her mind blocking it out or the blessed vermilion whispering that everything was okay. that everything would be okay.

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Act Three: Melancholy

unlocking the gateway to hell

a growing belly stared back at her from the mirror, mocking her and filling her body with warmth. it was the only indication that something had happened, that and the constant scornful looks and hushed whispers. not that she needed any support, anyway. barely fourteen weeks had passed since she found out, the first news wasn't pleasant. angry screams filled her memories, words of disgrace and disappointment thrown around like daggers. how could she let this happen? didn't she know better? why go outside dressed the way she had been? she was an easy target. and she knew she was. if she had done things differently, would it have happened? it was no use to think that way. she just couldn't help it. and as thoughts ran rampant in her head, she continued to be looked down upon and cast aside. if it weren't for her magic potential, she'd be nothing but dirt (not that she wasn't already). it was obvious there would be no happy times, but perhaps what was growing in her body would give her some semblance of happiness.

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fatigue over took her one morning, accompanied with slight abdominal pain. it was ignored, mostly due to the dismissive nature of the people around her. but it persisted, even with homemade remedies and reading upon the symptoms. everything was fine and she was coaxed to take a nap. sleep would fix all of her problems. she remembered a brilliant sanguine staining every inch of white. she barely remembered screaming, nor the tears staining her cheeks. she cried for her mother, cried for her father, cried for anyone to come. the next moments were a blur, but she ended up in a room of all white. a color she learned to hate. i'm sorry for your loss. it was better this way. forget about it and focus on your magical potential. it'll be easy to cover this up with out influence baby girl. words that all fell on deaf ears, but the snide remarks continued.

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she was the black sheep of the household. cousins upon cousins upon aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters all calling her a failure. small pushes, harsh shoves, sneering was all that was pointed. there was no time to grieve, no time to care. there was only time to make up for past mistakes through training and knowledge, education and kissing up. everything was a blur. black and white, the only colors that made up her world. not even a beautiful shade of grey. would it have been a beautiful girl? or a beautiful boy? she'd never know. each second, each moment, she was closer to snapping. brought to unshed tears by the people she dared call family. you deserved what happened,
i bet you enjoyed it you slut. maybe i should take a shot? and she broke. the wonderful vermilion, her savior, was back. there was the smell of smoke this time or perhaps there had always been. she was unaware of everything, acting on pure instinct and fear.

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chaos. everything was chaos. you liar! it was all an illusion wasn't it? how could you! after all we've done for you! their words echoed in her head after the door was slammed in her face, her cheek still stung. she was numb and no trace of vermilion in sight. only black, white, and finally grey. not that it was of much importance. her body was cold, freezing as she memories flashed. i bet the baby was a lie too! the entire thing! you say you were ----- but where's the proof!? you tricked us! you monster! and perhaps it was true? she didn't know anymore. she was never allowed time to grieve or come to terms with the reality of what happened, and she was a monster. a liar. and that's all she ever would be.

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Act Four: Denouement

descending the stairwell to destruction

aimless wonder and detached faces that blur together in meaningless shades of a perpetual grey scheme. she walked with an air of calm, a striking contrast to the storm within her mind. she learned to use her strengths to her advantage, to even feel a semblance of serenity, belonging. but then she came across her. images from a past that was happier, lighter, brighter. it was strange at first, the blast from the past wasn't unwelcomed but it wasn't welcomed either, it was just... different. the concerned face did not go unwelcomed, but she knew the silent questions. what happened? why aren't you with your family? but she was thrust into her world without so much of a plan or warning.

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the first few days of living with vera were strange, yet easy. it was the relief she needed, the friend she had craved for subconsciously. over the days spent, she felt everything melt away and she could fully forget and just be... free. but she couldn't stay here forever. she couldn't worry her like that. not when she had become so special to her. then talks of a coven struck her interest, the very one that vera was in. this could be a way to prove them wrong. to make everything better, make a name for myself. with encouragement from her, more research, she found that she did want a better life for herself. it didn't take long after that for her to move out, get her own place and join the coven. it was exhilarating, terrifying, but god...she began to appreciate the colors that came with the meeting of her. and no longer was her life just a blur. but perhaps the beginning of a beautiful myriad of colors, only time would tell -- it wasn't too late to fall back into pits of black.