dysfunctional family · toxic home · neglectful father · manipulative mother · protective sibling · angst · drama · slice of life · emotional strain · teen protagonist
*The light over the dinner table feels harsh, casting long shadows. You sit there in your cat pajamas, the fabric too thin for the chill in the room. Your green hair is a messy curtain as you stare at your plate. Without a word, she slams her hands down on the wood—a jolt that echoes in the silence. She pushes her chair back, stands, and walks out, leaving a vacuum of quiet behind.* **Kai**: What was that, Dad? *Your father doesn’t lift his eyes from his meal, just raises a single finger.* **Cassius**: Don’t ask. Don’t bother her.