Rough Draft Script Muted Episodes 1-3 (Patreon)

This is the rough draft blurb that I wrote when plotting this out - of all that has been drawn so far. More or less its been true to form but there are obviously some details that have been switched out! 

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Voice over “Run!!” 

“Camille Run!!” 

“Momma!!” 

Cut to Camille - grown up sitting up sharply in her bed, panting heavily. Show her back and the burn scars on it while she recovers. There is a knock at the door “Madam Camille, your aunt is waiting for you downstairs. Do you need assistance getting dressed?” 

“No thank you.” Camille responded - looking at her phone to see the texts from Avaline ‘today’s the day!!! Get up Lazy! <3’ These bubbles are narrated over images of her getting ready. Also looking at her phone to establish that this is a modern era despite the clothes. And starting to go down the halls that showed the portraits of former Matriarchs and powerful witches of the family. (as well as some frames like stained glass of the fable)

-when I was growing up Aunt Athalie liked to tell this fable to Avaline and I… A raven who is black as coal - was envious of the pure white swan. The foolish raven got the idea that if he lived like the Swan, swimming and diving all day long and eating the weeds and plants that grow in the water, his feathers would eventually turn white like the Swan's.

So he left his home in the woods and fields and flew down to live on the lakes and in the marshes. But though he washed and washed all day long, almost drowning himself at it, his feathers remained as black as ever. And as the water weeds he ate did not agree with him, he got thinner and thinner …. and at last he died.

So he left his home in the woods to live down on the water. But though he washed all day long- to the point of nearly drowning - his feathers remained black as ever. And though he ate all of the water weeds just like the Swan they did not agree with him. He got thinner and thinner… until he finally died.

Camille is now standing at the top of a twin staircase - that goes down to a landing that merges into one staircase the rest of the way down - with a giant portrait of Vanessa at the top of the landing where Avaline was already waiting and texting on her phone. 

-Supposedly the moral of that story is that changing what you do will not change who you are at the core…My Aunt claimed that she told that story to remind us that no matter what we did we were the Severin family. But after my mother died and I came to live with them… I started to feel as if that story meant that I would never be like her and Avaline, no matter what I did.- 

“I can’t believe my mother is making us get up at the crack of dawn for this when we aren’t even supposed to start the rituals until nightfall - this is ridiculous” Avaline said as she put her phone away in her clutch with a huff 

Camille stared at her and then made a face as she glanced up to the painting where Vanessa was wearing a similar outfit - similar in far as they were both rather revealing outfits. But Avaline noticed and smiled- though it looked more like a sneer. 

“What do you think?” She asked “I had it shipped here special for tonight - do you think it makes me look like her?” She smiled- more of a real smile now though it was obviously to flaunt as she flipped some of her blond main back over her shoulder. 

“Your roots are starting to come in.” Camille offered as Avaline’s face turned more white than usual before flushing in embarrassment as Camille smiled and made her way down the stairs with a laugh 

“It’s not like I can go to a salon while we’re in this dumb old house!!” She snapped after her before chasing her to catch up to her - laughing together before the shadow in the doorway fell over them and they went quiet instantly. 

Athalie was a tall and imposing woman. Her hair was dark save for the silver that had taken up most of the sides. She did not see a point in trying to bleach or dye her hair like her daughter did. “Good morning girls…” She said with her hands clasped in front of her as they so often were. Her Vulture perched on her shoulder - like the raven was on Avaline’s - Camille’s familiar however… was distinctly absent. “The reason you are awake so early is simply because of how important this night is for you and your futures… it is imperative that you are able to summon your demons correctly - do what needs to be done- and then then send them away without them breaking free of their seal.” She said as she motioned for them to follow her into the parlor where the chalkboard had been set up and another member of the family had cleaned it off and was putting out the food. 

The three of them had wings of gold decorating their necks - while everyone else had wings of silver. They came from the line that followed the first Matriarch of their family while the rest came from extended family. Severin was one of the few families that had such a distinct divide - sometimes someone might try for a title to be on the same tier as the rest but the head families strength was extensive. 

“Have you figured out what you are going to ask for?” Athalie asked as the girls nibbled on their breakfast that had been brought out. 

“I’m going to ask for a super husband that will fall wildly in love with me and that I’ll never have to come back to this broken down swamp house.” Avaline said and then flinched when her mother struck the table with the metal pointer. 

“This house is full of history! If you claim to love your great grandmother Vanessa as much as you claim then you will respect the home that she grew up in and the history here!” She said as the girls glanced at each other and then away. “...But the first part of that was very good.” She allowed as she relaxed and both girls sighed. “You?” She asked as hse pointed instead to Camille who tensed up again and furrowed her brow a little bit. 

“My wish…” She trailed, biting her lip.

“We have been out here for 4 weeks doing the rest of the preparations for tonight and you still don’t even know what you want to wish for?” Athalie asked, unimpressed. “Then I’ll tell you- you’re going to ask for the same exact thing that Avaline is asking for, and work to raise the status of our family.” She decided 

“Yes Ma’am…” Camille nodded a little bit as her aunt went back to discussing practicing the correct symbols to use to summon their demon. But Camille is clearly not listening as it all fades out to white and there is a bit of blank space before their is an image of a crow that is drowning. 

-I’m not a swan.-

The two girls were posted in front of two matching doors across from each other - tall and ornate and decorated with ancient writing. The ritual was almost always performed in pairs even if they were separate - it was just the way that it had always been. Camille’s twin had died in the fire, and Avaline’s sister had been stillborn. It wasn’t that it was necessary the Severin family just liked the symmetry of it. Also in matters of competition this was the final test to show who was Better. Athalie had lost to her sister - or she always felt that she had - now she was eager to see her daughter best her niece. 

The two had been changed into simpler almost sheer black robes - given the act that they would soon be performing there wasn’t much point in fancy outfits since it would soon be removed. Avaline wasn’t pleased by this since she had bought her dress specifically for tonight but she’d have to find some other use for it. 

The other members of the family lingered back - most of their necks decorated with Silver wings instead as they softly played haunting violin and cello music to go with the atmosphere of the candles and incense. 

“May the moon bless your summoning, and may the bond you share with the demon bring our family prosperity for generations to come.” Athalie said from behind the two of them before doors opened and they were instructed to go inside. The girls took one last look at each other before they were locked inside of their rooms alone… decorated with candles and the light of the moon that came in through the stained glass windows. They had to decorate the symbol themselves with their blood - which was pooled into a bowl and then drawn with a specially made feather brush for clarity on the marble floor. 

Camille wondered how well Avaline would do - but pushed that out of her mind for now as she focused. She was a talented wish, of that no one had any doubt - but she had always felt off… she felt that a part of her was missing somehow so she wasnt certain how well this would go. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she began to chant, placing her hands on the summons as she closed her eyes and focused on bringing forth the demon from the circle so that she might make her wish… for what… A husband…?? She didn’t really want that. But she supposed it didn’t matter what she actually wanted. 

A shiver of energy passed through the room, the music of rustling leaves interrupting the drifting music from outside the hall as a warm, full Spring breeze suddenly blew up from the sigil on the floor. It poured around Camille, riffling along her dress and setting her hair dancing as a bright golden vine began to curl upwards from the center. The bulb at its end glowed like the sun, leaves fat and green as more vines started to twist up and out of the gap in space and time, some of them ending in bulbs that opened to reveal chittering teeth...but the center one stayed closed for now, slowly growing.