you set me on fire from the sidelines

And just like that, it had all collapsed like a house of cards. Calamity had watched from the temple these past few months as tensions had grown so taut that there was nothing left to do but release it all in one great blowout. The aftermath had left Toxicity stripped of their family name. Abraxas tasted like ash in her mouth now. What did it stand for? They had all lost their way. She could imagine their father watching them from above, disappointment tainting his expression. It had been long enough now that she was beginning to forget what he looked like.

Was she a fool for hanging on to the past? Perhaps. But she couldn't stay if her sister was treated so poorly. If their faith was tread upon like it meant nothing. She had to go searching and rooting for any last vestige of faith here; sin seemed to lie around every corner. Whispers of incest had her struggling to keep her food down at mealtimes. The shrine that their father had fought so hard for, had died for, was steeped in muck and mire. Calamity's heart broken into pieces as she slunk around the exterior of the shrine, checking over one last time to ensure that Toxicity had cleared out her belongings. She was set to meet them in the swamp if she was released from Ashen without argument. Steeling herself, she called out for Hattori or Venom. There was a right way and a wrong way to do this. She had spent so much time hiding, especially since the Witch's Hut... just the memory was enough to make the hairs on her spine raise in alarm. Calamity would not sneak away, even if her paws were quaking and she found herself unable to speak as she awaited an answer to her call.