“What were you thinking? Better yet, were you thinking at all!? What was going on in that blasted mind of your Sion!?”, Mr. Estrix paced around the foyer as he scolded Sion, his skin coloured a soft shade of Amaranth. It was the same exact colour that Orion would be dipped into when he was in a mood. Their physical resemblance was so eerie that Sion was tempted to call her father, “Orion”.

While Mr. Estrix was stomping around the foyer, Mrs. Estrix was standing statue still against the wall. Her face was in a gruesome scowl, slitted eyes carefully examining the scene unfold. To Sion, the worst part of her demeanour was the scowl. That revealing, monstrous scowl. If it was on her father, Sion could neglect it to an extent. On Collera Estrix it was a sign. A sign of disaster. And more importantly, a sign of wrath.

Collera stalked her way to her husband. With a single tap, Avaro stopped his prancing. She coughed into her Crimson glove, before strutting to Sion. Corella cupped her daughter’s face, all affection erased from the action. Sion’s mother glared into her eyes, the tears that barely existed before, flooded all at once.

No words were spoken. Her actions were enough. Sion broke.

“I was simply grabbing some cake for Orion and me! We were starving, and then I heard Father talking to Mrs. Feurter, and I couldn’t help it! I swear I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, it just happened! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, it won’t happen again, I promise!”, Sion bawled out.

This time, it was her father’s turn to break. Avaro rushed to his daughter’s aid, dabbing her tears away. Fury was cloaked by regret.

“Sion! I’m sure you won’t ever do it again, it’s a normal thing for you to eavesdrop but we don’t want you to worry about unnecessary things when you are so young! Here, how about we get the Valmon tea, and cake that you love when we get home? Oh, Sion, I’m so sorry for troubling you!”

At her father’s weeping, Sion’s own misery flickered out of life. 

“I-I’m fine…” Her words of comfort were stronger than she thought of her father as she pushed them out of her mouth.

Her father wrapped his hands around her, hugging her into suffocation.

“Oh, Sion! My precious daughter! My precious, precious daughter!” After multiple cries of rejoice from Avaro Sion was free from the stiff embrace.

It was then that her pendulous attention swung right back onto her mother.

Corella was in the same pose as she was before. The only difference was that her scowl was deeper, more ingrained in her face than it was just minutes before. Her eyebrows were furrowed into her eyes, forehead creased into sandy waves. Everything about her screamed, “VEXED”, in bright neon letters.

And Sion doubted her actions caused it. 

Corella could get weary, and sometimes even furious with Sion, but vexed was an emotion only Orion could pull out of her. In fact, the feeling was becoming one of Corella’s biggest traits as Orion came of age. 

All this meant she had gotten Orion in immense trouble. Without even trying to. And her mother and Orion were their best when they were far, far apart from each other. 

If they were even just in the same room it would cause mayhem. And in her opinion, this day had more than enough chaos to last a week.

“Mother?”

“Hmm?”, Corella muttered, not even sparing a glance at Sion.

“Would you like some cake?” A lame attempt at peace-making. Even for a child. Everyone knew that Corella Estrix despised sweets, it was simply a fact of life. Anyone with a proper, functional mind wouldn’t use cake of all things as a bribe for someone like that. Even the lamest mediators knew that.

And yet Sion decided to use cake. 

Idiocracy came during the worst of times.

Corella raised her eyes to meet Sion’s. There was pity hidden in those. Obvious, burning pity. Unwanted. Unneeded. Yet given.

“I’ll have your cake”, Corella sputtered out. Even Mrs. Fueter was surprised by the statement, and she was someone who wasn’t by the strangest of things. 

Before long, Corella Estrix was eating Valmon cake. Avaro Estrix was sat beside Corella, he was nibbling tiny crumbs of his desert. Mrs. Fueter was seated opposite the couple, sipping on warm tea. Sion was seated on a plush cushion, attempting to imitate Mrs. Fueter’s graceful sips of her juice.

No one was thinking of Orion Estrix. He was still on the chair in Mrs. Fueter’s guest room. Dazy eyes patiently waiting for his sister to come. 

After Avaro had finished every last bit of his cake the family retreated to their room.

No one was worried over Orion Estrix. He was fast asleep, hunger almost killing him.

The couple were finally in their room, and Sion went to the vanity.

No one has a single thought concerning Orion Estrix. He was getting choked from his sleep as gloved hands slashed a thin slit across his neck.