dancing on cold feet (se)
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
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MP: 9427
#1
EVIE
like love is a bad word
It is her first real return to the place she has always called home, and already she is departing it. After checking in on her shop to service her regulars - aware of her move and now resorting to bulk orders - Evie shoulders her newly filled pack with seeds and starters for the greenhouse, and sets out early for the Greatwood.

Celebrations and traditions were sometimes all they had growing up. The crutch they leaned on to keep them marching ever onward, no real end in sight. Guided only by the light in the distance that was only really a reflection of their flickering hope. Evie wishes she could go back to those people, those who lived and died only knowing the barrier. She wishes she could take their hands in her own and tell them we made it. It feels unfair sometimes that she is now able to explore this large, grand world when her ancestors could not.

So in deference to their sacrifice, she heads into the Greatwood. Ludo's woods call to her, but she does not venture towards them just yet. Simply taking the time to gaze upon the changes already in motion in the Wildwood. The color that invades each living thing in a brilliant display of death in motion. Evie has more to mourn this season, and it weighs heavy on her soul.

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#2
Amalia
the shield of safrin
It has been some time since she last ventured into the Greatwood, but the scent of changing leaves and the feeling of soft earth beneath her feet is as familiar as ever. It is good to walk beneath the boughs without seeing a tinge of darkness; it is good to know the woods are thriving, the blight almost a distant memory from the year before.

So much has happened in such a short time- but so it has been for the past three years, ever since the Outlanders started arriving in such droves. Each year brings with it greater challenges, bigger problems, new worlds to explore. Amalia has been stretched thin of late, venturing from mountains to beaches and trying to act as Shield to it all... it is nice to take a quiet moment and walk beneath the trees.

She walks slowly, taking it in, her bare feet protected by leopard pads and fur. Jyoti floats lazily beside her, happy to be back among the woods. She is holding her staff in one hand, her shield worn across her back: she plans to train a little today, to increase her proficiency with things other than claw. The pair does not expect to see anyone save perhaps the shadow of a fae, so it is with some surprise that Amalia catches sight of a familiar shock of red hair ahead. Breath catching in her throat, the girl steps around a tree and now she is there in full: Evie, her friend- her sister in truth.

Does she know? Has Sam told her?

There is a shyness, an insecurity that comes over Amalia, anxiety pulling familiar strings in the recesses of her mind. It feels like she sees the older girl less and less; is she avoiding the baker or simply too busy? Never so uneasy in the other's presence before, the slender waif clutches the length of faintly glowing crimson wood, unsure what to say. In the end she settles for what is simplest, a quiet greeting beneath the trees, coral lips pulled awkwardly into something like a hopeful smile. "Hi, Evie,"
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,182 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#3
EVIE
like love is a bad word
Despite what the Fae had done to her family when the Greatwood had first been discovered, Evie can't feel any true trepidation standing beneath these mighty trees. The boughs are turning glorious colors overhead, and she turns her face to the sky to feel the weak warmth dappling through dying leaves to kiss across her cheeks. It's a moment of serenity that she doesn't often experience anymore, so taken with her new duties as Assistant Grand Healer, as magical student and newly installed citizen of Halo. It makes it all the easier to be snuck up on, though she doesn't think the woman who does the surprising means it. She startles a little nonetheless, blue eyes blinking open and heart thudding hard before familiarity washes over her the moment the younger woman appears in her field of vision.

There is no such sense of hesitancy in Evie, still blind and ignorant to all that has happened, to Amalia's grievous injury and the revelations that Amalia and Sam have weathered on their own. Still an outsider, last to know even in her own family. But there is no hurt here, only joyous reunion, and Evie smiles brighter than a summer sun as she shrinks the space between them to drop a kiss upon Amalia's brow and squeeze her tight. "Lia! What are the chances? How are you?" Brightness dims into a regretful downturn of her brows, squeezing Amalia as if the tightness of her grasp can erase her prolonged absence. "I have so much to tell you, I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I'm...well, I'm living in Halo now. It has been hard to get away." For all their hardiness, there is much work to be done in Halo to help the citizens, and she has been unaware of the swift passing of days when entangled in such constructions.

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#4
Amalia
the shield of safrin
The bright greeting and warm embrace are exactly what twenty years of friendship have led Amalia to expect from Evie. The feeling of lips on her forehead, the arms around her shoulders, the herbal and earthy smell of her friend; all of it is so familiar and comforting that the Shield wants to cry, deaperate for their halycon youth, already in mourning for the disturbed calm.

She is the quiet to Evie's enthusiasm, though perhaps a little more than usual today. It's so easy for her to return the embrace, clinging to the older woman as tight as she might to any lifeboat. "I'm okay," she half-lies softly, pulling back enough to meet the bright blue eyes she knows so well.

Matching the smile with her own, Amalia lets herself fall into conversation as though she didn't have a thousand secrets to share. "You've been in... Halo? Tell me about it? You must have seen Maea, then..." Had her friend joined Zariah's new school, too? It's an unsettling thought. "What are you doing there?"
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,182 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#5
EVIE
like love is a bad word
Even in the grips of her own effusive excitement at seeing her best friend (her sister, in ways she doesn't yet know) Evie knows Amalia far too well for the slight warble if hesitation in her voice to go unnoticed. Brow crinkling in concern, the older woman withdraws just enough to gaze down into a pale, delicate countenance. "Are you? What's wrong, what did I miss?" Unaware of the gravity of such a question but unable to leave it unspoken. Always the one to poke and prod until Amalia let's go of the grief and poison inside her heart. Draining the pain from the wound.

Mara's name makes Evie sigh softly, hand still drifting comfortingly over Amalia's arm as her aqua gaze goes distant. "Yes, she actually accompanied myself, Hotaru, and Jigano as we explored the mines. We didn't have much of a chance to speak, but seeing her was...certainly a surprise." Evie hadn't wanted to think it, but as a Natural, it had been far too morbidly easy to believe that Maea was simply dead. Growing up she had never been afforded the luxury of something like closure. Not with the barrier, LongNight, and failing crops alike all spiriting away souls without care for who they left behind. "I...Zariah offered me an opportunity at training in Halo. I hold less than no love for her, but I'm...I'm so tired of hiding away from who I am. Especially with my magic growing past just healing." There's a deep, blackened pain that clings like tar to each word, praying Amalia will understand, will not hate her for her choice. "Then Loren made me Assistant Grand Healer, and getting medical care set up in Halo...I'm sorry I've been gone so long Lia." A regret she doesn't take lightly. Evie has settled decently in Halo, but her heart still aches every single day because of the distance she has put between herself and her family.

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#6
Amalia
the shield of safrin
What has Evie missed? Amalia smiles, but it holds little warmth. "A lot. But I want to hear about you first." She holds onto her friend's hand desperately, eager for good news, to preserve this calm for as long as she can. Soon it will all fall apart, and their histories will change.

Surprise doesn't even begin to cover how Amalia feels about Maea's return. "She said she somehow wound up in Halo- and that only a week had passed for her. But she disappeared right after that whole queenship thing and... I don't know. It's strange." Shaking her head, she looks to the older woman for an opinion. There are few she would be as frank with, almost none left who know the history between them all.

And then there is Zariah, and Loren, and the Shield cannot help her deepening frown, obviously unhappy with where her sister has wound up. Still holding woman's hand, she begins to walk through the woods. "Evie... I trust you, but... be careful, okay? The Lauceleyns... they're not like us. Not like anyone. Even Loren. He's a good man, but..." Anxious and unsettled she moves to drop Evie's hand, uncomfortably rubbing her own wrist. "He's kind of a mess. And I can't have anyone else I love getting hurt right now."
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,182 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#7
EVIE
like love is a bad word
There's no denying that Evie has missed something. Something important, potentially huge. It lives in the strained lines of Amalia's smile, the dull color to her vibrant eyes. But she is not outright denied, and Evie doesn't intend to let the Shield hide away from her for very long. She can be patient...for now.

"It's definitely... convenient," she says slowly, picking her words carefully. Amalia has always been a worrier, and Evie doesn't want to add that weight to her sister's shoulders. "I feel like I hardly know her anymore." Recalling the woman's sharp greeting and her own puzzled reaction. It had been just the three of them for so long, and to have their reunion smeared with unexpected bitterness and stoicism had been heartbreaking. She prays that Amalia had not been subjected to the same.

Evie trails behind the maiden whose hand she still holds close, eyes taking in the sights once more as a cold wind skins past her ankles. When the touch is broken Evie frowns, shame and regret writhing in her breast as she moves to gently touch her hand to Amalia's elbow. Easier to shake off if the woman desires. "I know. I'm being as careful as I can, but making myself valuable early on is the best I can do." Though she likes Loren decently considering their genial meetings, Evie doesn't outright defend him, wondering what he has done to earn Amalia's distrust. She steps closer, gentle hands moving to pause the anxious motions she witnesses. Staring earnestly into shuttered eyes. "You know I'm not adventurer like you. I'm likely the safest of us all right now, nobody wants to visit Halo in Leafchange," she laughs weakly. "But I can't keep letting my magic control me. You know that." Amalia more than anyone must understand how desperate Evie is for control. For community. Even if Zariah is the one heading the group.

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#8
Amalia
the shield of safrin
"Me too," Amalia agrees, wrinkling her nose unhappily. "She seems... harder, now. Violent. She wanted to fight me- physically." She doesn't add that the threat was made while the Shield lay in an infirmary bed, fully at Maea's mercy. It had been followed up and echoed in days after, the glint of aggression in those pale eyes still setting the waif on edge.

The feeling of a hand on her elbow nearly stills Amalia; when it moves to her wrist she finally pauses, turning back to Evie but not meeting those blue eyes. "I know." Sighing, reluctant, she looks away, worrying her lip. "I know you'll be careful. And I'm glad you, you're learning more about your magic." The but is left loudly unsaid: she's already made her argument, and she doesn't want to fight. "I wish my mother was still here to train you... but you always have me. For whatever that's worth." Finally raising her onyx gaze, she searches her oldest friend's face. "I know I've been busy but... I miss you."

A glimmer of sunlight hitting water catches her attention then, and she's grateful for the distraction because they are nearing dangerous ground. "Oh, look!" Turning toward it suddenly, she pulls Evie along, just as she might have when they were young. The water is iridescent in the dappled light, glittering and tantalizing, a beautiful thing. "It's a wonder puddle. I heard about them, but I never... I didn't see any last year."
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,182 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#9
EVIE
like love is a bad word
"Fight you?" Voice pitches high with incredulity at the mere idea, absolutely gobsmacked. "Why in the world would she want to do that? She's never been a fighter in the first place, health issues aside." It's a revelation that makes her stomach cramp uncomfortably with a protective ferocity she is not used to feeling. While she'd been understandably confused, Evie had at least been happy to see Maea alive and well. Now she wants to find her and shake her about and demand what the hell her problem is. Training and sparring us one thing, but Evie can't help but assume this didn't align with that, not with how Amalia worded it. Evie is no major contestant herself, but she's not afraid to go to blows to keep Amalia safe.

"I miss her every day," Evie admits softly, recalling those beautiful days standing hip-to-hip with Amalia at the back counter, or poring over old books when she was barely old enough to heft them around herself. Sometimes she still feels so lost, so unworthy of her title and talent. She misses the woman fiercely, considering her far more of a mother sometimes than the one who had given her life. "Having you means the world. You're always the first I go to, and you always will be." It's a promise as much as a reminder. That no matter the distance, Amalia is the one she entrusts to her deepest secrets. "I have missed you so much, ever since the barrier has fallen we've barely had time to spend together." Especially with Amalia's relationship with Deimos, and the growing strength of The Voice and what that means for her brother. Evie can't help but miss the old days. Simple, even in their isolation.

Evie is pulled from her nostalgic longing as Amalia tugs her along, stumbling and laughing before hurrying along beside her. The glimmering puddle makes her pause and take in an awed breath, peering at it beside her sister. "It's so much more beautiful than I expected."

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#10
Amalia
the shield of safrin
"I guess she is now." The protectiveness Evie feels flies over Amalia's head, the idea of Maea - Maea - managing to injure a single soul still rather laughable to her. "The influence of her boyfriend, I imagine. Sunjata." The disdain is evident in her voice; despite their quasi-reconciliation, Amalia still sees the man as another blowhard Outlander.

She has more on her mind than Maea's latest mood swing, though. Reminiscing on the past, fearing for the future- she dwells on history and yearns for closure, smiling nostalgically when Evie admits to missing her mother as well. "She would be furious to see me now - Attuned, following Safrin, living with an Outlander." She grins ruefully, bumping her shoulder against Evie's. "But she would be proud of you. I think she wished you'd been her daughter. She certainly thought of you as one." There's no bitterness in Amalia's voice as she says this: she feels nothing but happiness for her friend's relationship with her mother, especially after learning more about the Wordsworth elders from Sam.

The puddles are beautiful, but it isn't at the water that Amalia gazes: it's Evie, the woman she loves as a sister, the woman who is her sister, a fact the Shield has no idea how to bring to light. "They say if you look at them you'll see things, like your future or... or your past. Or something. Something you want."

Biting her lip, she glances back down at the water. She's rubbing her arm with her right hand, a clear sign of anxiety, that there's something on her mind. It seems to glitter, but part of her is terrified to peer much closer and see what secrets it holds. Besides, the redhead has always been the bolder of the pair: it's consistent for the older girl to go first. "What do you see in it, Evie?"
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,182 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#11
EVIE
like love is a bad word
The name doesn't mean very much to her, only knowing the man in vague passing ideas. Evie is unlikely to even be able to pick him from a lineup, but she still can't help the frown that purses pettily at her lips. "Hm. I certainly never thought I'd be the last to have a man on my arm." Because there's nothing else to say regarding Maea's sudden change of heart. Evie's and Amalia's opinions clearly mean nothing to the albino woman. Best to turn what she can of it into a more lighthearted direction. Amalia seems worn down enough as it is.

That weight transfers to her shoulders like a passing wind, settling like a shroud, as if she's standing beside Amalia once more as they grieve the loss of a mother in unison. The knock of their shoulders is familiar in that way, though it inspires only a soft snort of disbelief. "Maybe...but I think she would have come around to it. I doubt she'd be happy with me for leaving the Grounds and training with Zariah either." Or for broadcasting her magic even more, for breaking through the chains that had held her down since birth and ruining all the work they'd done in concealment and diversion. Perhaps they are both just scared little girls, still swallowed by the omnipresent shadow of the woman who'd raised them.

The light glinting off the puddle helps to chase those shadows away just the slightest bit. Tempered and smoothed by Amalia's familiar voice. Evie may have always been the braver of the two, but only because she has always taken her strength from knowing Amalia is there at her back. She steps forward with only the slightest hesitance, watching the shifting mirage that the surface seems to become as she leans over to better stare into its depths. The image unravels, mystical and wavering. "I see us at the counter kneading dough...and the first time I used my magic. The first time I was able to heal your skinned knee." They are rose-tinted memories surfacing with a clarity she hasn't had in quite some time. But then it changes, and now it's her hand moving to her elbow in a display of insecurity. "And...I see myself, using my magic freely. And my mother doesn't scorn me for it anymore. And the Gods don't hate me anymore." Her voice drops to a feeble wobble, feeling like this puddle has somehow ripped her heart from the cavern of her chest. As much as she wants it to be her future, she feels like it's just what she wants that's being reflected back at her. Because no matter how she has prayed and tried to be worthy of the love of the Gods, even The Voice didn't want her. Maea has Ludo, Amalia has Safrin, and Sam has The Voice. And Evie?

Well, Evie has herself.

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#12
Amalia
the shield of safrin
Amalia holds her tongue, not pointing out that she isn't particularly happy with Evie's recent choices. Instead she simply steps closer to the redhead, tilting her crown to rest on Evie's shoulder - more difficult now that they are roughly the same height, but comfortable and familiar nonetheless. "She'd be proud of you for being brave," the Shield murmurs, lacing her fingers back in her sister's.

When Evie steps forward Amalia holds back, letting the older woman investigate on her own, still afraid of what she might find. The first memory causes Amalia to smile; she shares it, of course, remembers those days keenly. The smile fades at Evie's next vision though, replaced by empathy and hurt for her friend. Scorned by her mother, unloved by the gods....

Without thinking the Shield steps forward, taking Evie's hand again.

"Do you want to know what I see?" She doesn't look at the puddle, though; she's searching into Evie's face, examining the blue eyes hopefully and adoringly. Amalia doesn't need to look in the puddle to know her hopes and fears, to tell her what she wants. She already knows it in her heart, sees it in the depths of Evie's liquid gaze.
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace
Evie Ignatius
the Evergreen
Warden of Halo / Apothecarist

Age: 34 | Height: 5'5 | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 8 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 30 - Luck: 30 - Int:
MICAH - Regular - Tide Jaguar
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 1,182 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#13
EVIE
like love is a bad word
Amalia's head on her shoulder is a familiar weight, and her own crown tilts to lean against her sister's as their hands find one another. As they always have, and always will. Fingers entangling and squeezing gently. Amalia's encouragements are softly spoken, and though her mother isn't there to say the words directly, Evie can't help but feel that they're being said directly through the Shield in a way that helps soothe her turbulent soul.

As her own visions fade, her hand reaches backwards searching for Amalia's, and finds it immediately. It's a singular comfort, and she closes her eyes to focus on the warmth between their palms instead of the storm inside. Only daring to open them once more as Amalia calls her back from that void, years of hoping and praying with no answer fading away under her sister's guileless gaze. "What?" she asks softly, voice incapable of coming out any stronger .

Table by Sky!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#14
Amalia
the shield of safrin
Evie's question is a moment of truth, a dangerous precipice on which she stands, daring to tumble off. She could fall or she could fly, and which one depends entirely on the woman beside her - the woman who has been by her side since they were youths, who has been a sister for years before recent revelations gave weight to the word. So why does it sit so heavy on her tongue, cling to her uvula and refuse to be spilled? Sister. Sister.

Family.

She inhales, looking into the puddle and finding exactly what she anticipated - or perhaps the image in her mind is so blinding, she cannot see anything else. "I see a family dinner. Me and... and you. And Sam. Together. Because..."

Turning back to Evie suddenly, Amalia stares up at the older girl, for all the world a child. Exposed and hopeful and terrified, she searches for understanding and acceptance while her toes curl and her fingers clench and her eyes glitter with keen, anxious hope. "Evie I... I learned about my father. And who he is. Was." Inhaling sharply, she forces the words out.

"Evie... we're sisters. By blood."
you drew memories in my mind
i could never erase
you painted colors in my heart
i could never replace


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