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[cleanoceandesigns]

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[ellesthots]

Fateful Beginnings

XXXI. “deflection”

parts: previous / next

plot: Bruce takes care of you.

pairing: battinson!bruce wayne x fem!reader

cw: 18+, drugging, concussion

words: 4.8k

a/n: the title… did we really expect anything more from Bruce? 💀

“…Bruce Wayne?”

You sought to cover up your heaving chest, to close your wide eyes, to look any nanogram less suspicious than you did, but you needed to think. But you didn’t have time to think. Her eyes took an occasional pit stop on yours, otherwise they watched Bruce slowly go back to picking up the broken glass. There was no other way around it. You didn’t have a pretty way to say it, so you just did. “Yeah.” You gulped. “My phone, it, called him.”

The drum of pain in your head took a backseat to the adrenaline coursing through you. How disorienting is it for her to find out right now? Even with the drugs in her system, even after being pummeled into the concrete, you knew by the glint in her eye that she was drawing a list of ten thousand different questions to throw at you the second you were alone. You wondered how much the drugs lowered her inhibitions, and if she would risk asking you right then. How long have you guys been fucking, and how long were you gonna wait to tell me?

Bruce stood up, having successfully wiped enough of the biggest shards to direct his attention to the situation at hand. He smiled at her, only a bit. “Hi. You’re Y/N’s friend, correct?”

He wasn’t making this go down easy. He could’ve come in swinging with an explanation of why he’d dropped in, and would’ve made it look seamless. Why wasn’t he leveraging his charisma? Making things more and more suspicious, a grave you’d have to fight to dig out of?

She responded, without any body language indicating she was about to introduce herself. Still as a statue, like a deer in headlights. “Yeah. Margaret. Marie.” She waited a moment, then turned and stumbled back to your room with urgency. You carefully stepped around the glass and ignored Bruce’s hushed calls after you.

You shut the door, hoping the adrenaline would see you through the end of this conversation without passing out from pain. Quick steps caught up to you when you sat beside her; you desired nothing greater than to fall back on your pillow and sleep the night out of memory. Seemed like Bruce would never let you hear the end of it if you did. Something, something needed to monitor something, something concussion.

Surprisingly, she was angry yet restrained. You might’ve been in awe of it if she didn’t assume straightaway that you’d had less than pure intentions with the man. “When were you going to tell me?” Mar’s voice was still hazy, slurry, but her mission wasn’t. “Keeping the fucking boyfriend,” she paused, looking like she might throw up from the drug. “Of all boyfriends,” Sigh. “A s-secret.”

You started to disagree with her but she was forthright. “Too fucked to talk.” She shot you a glare and stood, walking slowly to the bathroom. You followed her, a silent agreement between the both of you to make sure the other was okay. She moved to the shower right after, and you felt a pull toward the kitchen to let Bruce know everything was all good—but you didn’t. You waited with her, got out a clean towel, and only left for a few seconds to grab her clothes once the water turned off and she was on the slip-resistant mat.

Once she was safely tucked into bed, you wandered back out to Bruce, who was sitting sunk into the couch cushions; he perked when you walked out, scooting to the edge of the couch. As far as asking about how the conversation went, it eluded him; it felt too self-indulgent for the circumstance. He did another glance at the whole of you before meeting your tired gaze. You noted the broom sitting rested against the counter.

You gestured back to your room. “She’s going to sleep.”

“You can’t check on her like that.” He saw the way you leaned against the fridge to steady yourself, and the fluttering of your eyelids every time you took a step or said a single syllable. “I’m staying.”

“No.” Shaking your head was a mistake; the room began to wiggle, and he stood abruptly before you held out a hand to keep him from walking over.

“And she can’t check on you.” His tone was firmly in hardheaded territory, ratcheting up a notch every time you refused to heed it. If you were any less encumbered by pain you would’ve told him off for being so autocratic. In lieu of an argument, you slowly balanced one foot in front of the other to sit on the far side of the couch. You pressed your head gently against the back cushion and wheezed–stomach sleeping tonight, I guess.

Like a goddamn seismometer, Bruce attuned to your every twitch and wince with precision. “I’ll run to get some meds.” He walked to the door and looked back, noticing you peer at him through sleepy, sore eyes. He’d have to hurry. In anticipation of your protest, he left speedily.

Relax… You shut your eyes and tried to make the room spin a bit less. With Bruce no longer polluting the environment, you were able to take some deep breaths that made you realize your stomach was cramping. You managed to get to the kitchen and grab a few slices of bread off the back of a loaf, and nibbled at them while you sat.

“Hey.” You awoke to a gentle tap on your shoulder. Bruce was standing with a plastic bag in one hand, a glass of water in the other. It freaked you out how quiet he could be. A just-opened bottle of Tylenol sat on the floor below him, the top punctured in the shape of his thumb. You slowly pushed up, the world even more bleary now that you’d gotten a nap in, and he handed you a branded pill. As you swallowed it he squatted and dug out an instant cold pack, rattling it and squeezing it before walking to the kitchen to grab a rag.

“Your head felt hot earlier. Might have a bump.” He handed over the cloth-wrapped cold pack and you settled it against your pulsing, aching scalp. After a minute it began to soothe the throb. You muttered a thanks and rested your eyes. On the precipice of dreamland, he startled you awake.

“Is there anyone you want to call?” He was at the kitchen counter removing the rest of the items from the baggie. You didn’t strain your vision to see what he got. “Someone has to check on you every two hours.” He turned and tucked something into the fridge, and moved the broom back to the closet. Seeing him navigate your apartment so seamlessly was disorienting.

You’d begun forming a sarcastic response before remembering you’d told him not to stay. The evening was shifting in and out of focus; you thought he was being too anal, but… ugh. He was right. Two people in different states of fucked up, the most conscious one with a head injury. It wasn’t overbearing, but he made it seem so.

For a split second you considered calling Rai; Mar and him had met briefly last year, twice or thrice while you were getting late-night snacks together after your edibles had kicked in, or coming home from a night out–but you didn’t want to bother him. It didn’t bother you to inconvenience Bruce.

The fridge light illuminated the back of his hand and you saw the thick scabs; he’d acted so normal tonight you’d forgotten all about it. Lost in your own attack. It would be nice to keep an eye on him, figuratively, as you were certain you were about to pass the hell out. You’d know his whereabouts. Be able to know if he freaked out. You wondered what Mar would think about having a strange man, a fucking celebrity she’d only seen in the news, wandering around alone while she slept vulnerably in the other room. It didn’t sit right. You needed to stay up.

You fought the sleep that tore at your eyelids and noticed him opening a Red Bull. You gestured to it and his brow furrowed. He held it up as if to ask, ‘this?’ and shook his head. “Caffeine isn’t good after a head injury. You need to rest.”

Your voice was muted, your body hurtling towards sleep. “She doesn’t know you.” The cold pack was helping quite a bit; that, or he got rapid-acting pain meds. Bruce looked down, seemingly in thoughtful consideration.

He knew what you weren’t saying. Only a willful idiot would argue about the implications of a man patrolling an apartment late at night; especially given the circumstances. He’d helped enough roofied women to know how wobbly they were; he’d overheard enough at the station (and personally stopped more than a handful) about how the men in Gotham orchestrated their assaults and scrambled the minds of their victims so they couldn’t properly testify. He remembered how still you’d gone after graduation. How you refused to be alone with him. Then, after the interview: how you’d lingered on every piece of his outfit and glanced to the corner of the alleyway to look for a street name.

“I don’t have anyone to call.” It was said sheepishly. Pathetically. At least, that’s how it sounded in your head. He mused a moment more and asked for your phone. “I can set it up to record video in the kitchen. You can turn it off when you wake up.” He walked over and held out his hand for it. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”

If he weren’t Batman that would’ve raised your suspicions. If you hadn’t already spent multiple nights alone in his house without problems when he hated you, you might have hesitated more than you did. As it stood, you forced yourself to trust your body, trust what you knew of his record, and let yourself fucking rest.

He turned on the sound before hitting record, showing you he was pressing it and placing it against a cup on the stove. Luckily you still had your charger on the counter, which he plugged in, then sat at the table. Your eyes were heavy. You gave in.

“Hey.” You opened your eyes to see Bruce standing next to you, holding up four fingers. The black around his eyes confused you until you blinked a few. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

You murmured a response. “Four.”

“What’s your name?”

“Y/N.”

“Okay.” He turned, and your eyes closed to the sight of his jacket.

“What year is it?”

You opened your eyes again. The room was a bit brighter now. “Uh, 2024.”

“What’s my name?”

“Bruce.”

“Good.”

You fell asleep again to the sight of his back, and the dense woven fabric of his jacket.

“Where are you right now?”

God, you were positively exhausted, and irritated as hell. “Couch.”

“Whose couch?”

“Mine.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

He held up a peace sign. “Two.”

He peered closer. “Let me see your eyes.” He grabbed his phone and shined the flashlight at your face, and you yelped. He startled. “Sorry.” He leaned closer and searched your irises, telling you to follow along with the light. You felt the soft breeze of his exhale on the tip of your nose. Satisfied, he turned it off and pulled back. You blinked as tears sprung to wet your eyelids. “How’s the ice treating you?”

You felt the mushy warmth of the ice pack, and slowly reached around to pull it out from under you. The rag was soaked with condensation, and you handed it off to him. “Fine.” You mustered the strength to roll over and quickly sank back into sleep.

“How many–”

You gasped and sat up, his perfect reflexes snapping to attention, narrowly missing his outstretched hand from whacking your forehead on the upswing. “Ow!” Your hand flew up to your temple and he reached below him for the glass of water and meds. “It’s time for another dose.”

You swallowed and gulped, and glared at him as you answered his finger questions. “Seven.” God! Your body was lit up with rage at having been interrupted; it was hard to shake, rattling around in your bones. SLEEP!

You felt a gentle tap, and when you opened your eyes next, your head wasn’t in excruciating misery. The room was brighter, even as the curtains had been closed, and you smelled burning. Mar grinned at you. “Whew, thought you might be comatose.” She popped the rest of her toast in her mouth. “You should probably wake up, it’s like three.”

Bruce rose from where he was at the table. Mar leaned in and whispered to you, and you strained to hear her. “He wanted to stay until you woke up. In case he needed to drive you to the hospital. Said after drugging and shit you can’t drive for like, a day.” She grinned to herself and held out her hand for you to take, her voice going back to normal speaking volume. “C’mon, I managed to make some pancakes with your empty-ass pantry.”

Why is she so casual about this? About being drugged? About being here? About him? “I uh,” You cleared your throat, your body existing in a strange liminal space between last night and healed. “I need help picking an outfit,”

She guided you to your room and you avoided looking at Bruce, now acutely aware that he’d spent the entire night basically staring at you sleep while you were covered in dirt and sweat. She shut the door and you plopped on the bed. She went to your dresser like you had actually meant it, not that you needed a moment alone. “Mar.”

“Hmm?” She spun around and looked at you for a second, her mouth curling into a smirk. “You little witch.”

“What?”

“I can see it.” She nodded to herself, sucking on her teeth to a smack at the end of it. Her hands gestured from you to the door and back, the mischievous smile crinkling her eyes. “You and him, him and you.”

God, when did she get so happy? You hadn’t known she’d be acting like it was her birthday the second she perceived you betrothed. “Are you good? Your body? Head?”

She continued on like you hadn’t spoken. Her singsongy tone and energetic posture answered for you, you figured. She paced the room with nearly a skip in her step. “Were you with him that one time, before Mora’s? Oh, I knew it!” She snapped her fingers and gasped excitedly. “Ooh, scandalous.” A lightbulb had gone off, apparently. She walked closer to you with her eyes wide, her mouth parted. “Sleeping with your client, I see.” She winked at you and gasped again. “That’s crazy. Ahh!!” She squealed and you shushed her, your ears going red. “Stop.”

“I can see why you wanted to keep it a secret.” She was practically hyperverbal, and you couldn’t see a way in that wasn’t physically closing her lips between your fingers. “People would assume you only got it because you fucked him. Which isn’t true, obviously. You can be a bomb journalist and still let yourself have fun.” She winked at you again and you wanted to vomit. “You trained him well, I gotta give you kudos. He wasn’t giving anything away.”

Your stomach did somersaults at the thought of her drilling him about whether or not you two were together. The knots were painful, not fun. “Mar.” You tried to borrow Bruce’s tone from the night before. It didn’t make a dent.

Her thoughts were getting away from her, all tumbling out together. “That makes sense, with that, yeah! And then… yup. And the staying in Gotham! Wow. Was that the night he officially asked you out? Did you give him an ultimatum? I feel like he’d be hard to pin down otherwise. God, fucking BRUCE WAYNE are you fucking serious!” She doubled over, giggling. Your chest panged not exactly as it had when you’d met your friends for coffee, but it was similar enough to sting.

“We’re not together.”

“Uh huh.” She winked again, waltzing back to the dresser. “Why else would he stay here all night worried about you? Comfortable enough for you to accept him staying over… yeah, yeah.”

“We are not together.”

“You have sweats, shorts, or leggings. What do you want?” She thumbed through your middle drawer.

“Look at me.”

She grabbed a pair of sweats and tossed them to your left on the bed. You glared at her. “I promise you, we are not, will not, will never be together.” You said it as loud as you could without risking him hearing. You didn’t want him knowing you talked about him. That you were still having to talk about this. That everyone in your life had been hounding him about your ‘relationship’, making it seem like whenever he left the room you couldn’t stop gushing. Now you were on damage control.

Mar took her phone out of her pocket and rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Gianna is gonna pick me up.”

“Why ‘ugh’?”

She held up a black screen. “Phone’s dead. We’re gonna get some coffee and head back to her place.” She sipped on some water you hadn’t realized was sitting on your dresser. “Wanna come?”

Thursday. “No, sorry. I have work tonight.”

“You’re still going?”

“The candidates will probably be there. Can’t miss it.”

KNOCK KNOCK. Mar set down her glass and nodded to you, scooping up her clothes from the night before. “Thank you, for everything. Text me later. After you and Mr. Wayne get some alone time.” She winked again like she was doing you a favor, like she hadn’t heard anything you’d said, and walked out to the front door. She hesitated before opening it and turned to him. She said something you couldn’t hear and then pointed to your bedroom.

Bruce walked into your room with his eyes down and walked toward the far wall. Then you watched Mar open the door and leave, half of Gianna’s face in view before they left in a flurry of laughter.

You were the first to glance up, you thought, but he was already looking at you. He nodded. “How’s your head?” His voice had more roughness than even the weekend had given him, and you could only imagine it was from both having to stay up all night and the next day, and probably talk more than he ever had before. Mar was nothing if not an extrovert.

You carefully shifted in bed and cleared your throat. “Good. I mean. Hurts. But fine. Better.” You looked down again, his unwavering gaze settling onto you like a weighted blanket that was too heavy. “Thanks, again. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Said in the same no-nonsense tone. Like you were trying to say the Earth was flat. Like you were looking at a dog and calling it a cat, and he didn’t have time for tussling about it. He walked briskly past you and back to the kitchen, and you felt beckoned, with no signal from him to follow. You followed on his heels again, feeling a subtle role reversal. Now that your head was a manageable throb, you had all hands on deck to hyperanalyze his mental state.

Except, walking into the kitchen felt like being naked. He was putting breakfast away, placing the remnants onto a plate you assumed was for you. You noticed your phone sitting on the counter and reached for it; it was hot, and when you ended the recording you weren’t sure it would save a fourteen hour video. But it did. What fucking secrets did this hold?

Rip the bandaid off. “I see you met my friend.” Weird! Reroute! “She said you talked.” You instantly regretted opening the can of worms, not wanting to know, not wanting to discuss it…

He nodded as he rinsed off the pan. “She’s nice.” He pondered a second, as if deciding whether or not to share more. You bit your cheek. “Protective.”

You hoped he wasn’t aware of how red your cheeks were. She was gonna get a mass of texts later. Breathe. She was fucking drugged, maybe she didn’t even mean to be like that. The warm brick in your hands held the scripture, and you couldn’t stop the curiosity bubbling to hear what his take was before watching it back. “How so?”

Poking the bear was fun as ever, because he abruptly stopped cleaning and gave you a sideways look. He shrugged, then the absolute faintest of grins tugged the corner of his mouth. “Said she’d fuck me up.”

It was funny. He’d been the one to save you both from getting fucked up, and here your friend had come at four in the morning with her pitchfork.

The next part blurted out of you like an exorcism. You couldn’t bear the thought of him thinking he filled your thoughts when he was away, that you giggled into corners, whispering in the ear of whoever was nearby about your wildest dreams and fantasies. “I don’t talk about you, by the way.”

He looked at you, expression unreadable. He was quiet for too long, his hands slowing as he continued his wash and rinse. Buying time. As he clinked the last plate onto the rack, he sighed. You thought he might say something, but he didn’t. Now you felt embarrassed. “How are you doing?”

His face squished together, weirded out. “Me?”

Did you even have to say it? You let the silence sit, and he picked it up after a few orienting blinks. His intonation was more melancholic. “Fine.”

“Had any med side-effects?”

“Aren’t you the one who got assaulted last night?”

“I’m just asking.”

He shut off the water and dried his hands on the kitchen towel. A single patter registered as your gaze tore away from its fibers. It was still bizarre to have him be here. Touching normal things. Brought right back to the Bruce you conceptualized prior to the attempt. Was that version of him gone now? An event like that had to be perspective-shifting, right? A life ready to end, could’ve ended, but here he remained. Or were you entirely off-base?

“Thought we were past that.”

“What?” Your thoughts were a maze. He rolled the top of the flour down and clipped it. He peered at you suspiciously, his movements a bit jerky. “Pity.”

“I didn’t realize it was pitying to ask about medication.”

He changed the subject entirely. “Got in contact with Gordon. Guy’s in custody.”

“Who is he?” You grabbed the plate and started chewing on some toast. You were getting tired of only eating bread.

“Lee Miller. Former graduate student at GU.”

“Former?”

“After last night.”

Damn. A perp getting actual consequences? Per usual, he stared at you, confused. Your reactions were always unexpected.

“You look shocked.”

“Thought he’d get a slap on the wrist.”

“At minimum it’s assault. Likely a felony.”

He had so much to learn. “Maybe I should write about it.” You set down the stale bread and started on the pancakes. They were cold and chewy. “Horrible Man Faces Consequence for Horrible Actions”.

Bruce sneered. He again looked like he would respond, but didn’t. The next minute passed by in brittle silence. He finished putting everything away in the pantry, cupboards, fridge. You felt strapped to the floor, your heels nailed in one place. When he stood and didn’t do anything, lingering, a brutal emotional flashback gripped you. You swallowed back tears. Tucked your thumb into your palm to grip it. You could barely breathe. You asked again, imploring honesty. “How are you?”

The air between the two of you was tight. The longer he didn’t answer the more anxiety boiled up into your throat and flushed your cheeks. You started to sweat, your forearms flushing cool, a flash of prickling heat. You couldn’t feel your hands. It took every crumb of strength to stay standing, let alone to keep looking at him. He broke the contact. His chest caved in a little too far.

“Tell me.” It was coming out rougher, firmer, but you couldn’t redirect it. Another minute of silence.

You couldn’t understand nor handle him not answering. The hair on the back of your neck stood up. You gasped at the front of your speech. “I’m not letting you leave until you tell me. Unless you’re honest. You have to tell me the truth. All of it. You have to.” An embarrassing whine curled the end, and you sat in it without apology. Is he really making me beg?

The truth was, he wanted to run out the second you asked. He wanted to run far, far away, and never see you again. He wanted to run away from himself, and you weren’t letting him. You wanted him to sit inside of it. Talk about it. Feel it. He was doing everything in his power not to. He’d been worried about you last night, but that wasn’t the full extent of why he’d stayed. Staying gave him a task. A time-consuming, monotonous one, but those were hours he didn’t have to answer to himself.

It was strange to see someone suffering because he wasn’t burdening them. Like the earth’s tilt was all backwards, all wrong. He felt himself constructing a wall in real time, brick by painstaking brick. It scared him. How hard it was. With Alfred it went up like a revolving door; a natural baseline to slink back to. It wasn’t like that right now. It wasn’t like that with you. All he had were words you saw transparently.

Admitting it felt like clawing his own skin off. His face drew sour. “Bad.” He was only peeking into the shoebox, not upending it. He wasn’t doing that for anyone. Didn’t matter how much you pleaded. Alfred had eventually learned it was a futile effort, and you would too. However, as the witness… he had to give you something. And he had. Bad.

“How’s your safety?”

He laughed. It ulcerated your gut. “I’m serious.”

He walked around the kitchen island—you lunged across it when you thought he was headed to the door, and he shot a look at you as you missed his elbow. He continued to the couch, each step of his sending a shockwave through your body until you knew for sure he wasn’t heading out. You received it as a subtle power play. You wanted to scream.

He knelt to grab your discarded glass, taking his sweet time walking back to the sink. Caught between a rock and a hard place, you were gutted by equal urges to curse him out and soothe him. The gentle, caretaking Bruce had evaporated. He was guarded. Purposely shutting you out. Trying to make yourself sound firm only made you more feeble. I WANT to know fought with I NEED to know which fought with pleasejustfuckingtellmegoddammit.

“You said it yourself: I don’t want your pity. Any of it.” Biting. Callous. Without a care in the world for how you would receive it. Your ears got hot.

“I’m checking on your safety.”

“Don’t want it.” Maybe if he made himself clear enough, you’d know to step back. If he let you in now, you’d think you could get in again, and that was a habit he wanted to break before it started.

Your scoff couldn’t be contained. “I—”

It alarmed you the speed at which he pivoted from the sink to bore his eyes into you. Fucking Batman again. His tone was resentful, undercutting his word choice. “You helped me. Thank you. Leave it at that.”

He wasn’t being considerate. He didn’t have to be, but he wasn’t, and that hurt you more than you were willing to admit. It all suddenly felt profoundly silly. You’d expected his coldness to vanish. Maybe some sort of bullshit camaraderie borne of tragedy. But as he scooped up his face covering and flipped up his hood, you couldn’t help but feel this was the last time he’d ever be in your apartment. The last time he’d ever discuss the attempt. A severing.

You didn’t chase him to the door as he’d expected. You weren’t giving him any fuel to move his hand to the doorknob. Fuck. The room’s silence left a chasm wide enough for him to feel like an asshole. The greater half of his conscience yelled at him to be better.

He left anyway.

[buzziightqueer]

Three's Company

that one fic where i went lowkey crazy and wrote them all getting freaky

warnings: smut, hair pulling

5.2k words

Alex loved the rain. She loved the way it pattered against the windows, creating soft white noise for her to tune out the world. A time when Alexandra Cabot could be fully relaxed was rare, but the rain got her a step closer. 

She sat on the couch, curled under a blanket, reading her latest case file. Typically she would move to her desk or the dining room table, but she just couldn’t resist the cozy atmosphere of the den in the darkened rainy glow. Her cat, Arthur, sat atop the other half of the large file stack she’d been sorting through for the past hour. If he wasn’t cleaning himself, he was swatting at the tassels on the knitted throw. 

Alex’s vanilla candle burned, creating a calming warm smell that contrasted with the cool tones reflecting from the window. Even though her work was anything but, she felt light and at peace. The quiet was… too quiet, though. 

The door burst open, immediately ending her leisure time. 

“Jesus Christ!” A voice called. Casey Novak walked into their shared apartment soaked to the bone. “It’s pouring buckets.” 

“Pouring buckets?” Alex questioned, looking up from her files, chuckling. 

“Yes, pouring buckets.” She doubled down, kicking off her shoes and hanging her coat on the rack. Her briefcase was slick with rain and not wanting to make a mess, she simply laid it on the front mat. “And I took my bike today, of course. The weatherman lied! He said no rain,” She pouted. 

Casey crossed the room, kissing Alex’s head and petting Arthur softly. She ruffled his fur until he meowed crossly and jumped down. Alex shot daggers in her direction, Casey muttering a wincing “sorry!” for disturbing their time spent curled up together. 

Casey flopped down next to Alex, reading the in-hand file over her shoulder before Alex snatched it away. 

“Confidentiality!” Alex called dramatically, leaving Casey to roll her eyes. 

“I’m nosy,” Casey protested.

“You just spent all day at the office and now you’re home wanting to… read more about the law?” Alex questioned. 

Casey finally gave up, bounding off the couch and calling over her shoulder, “I’m showering! My hair is going to curl from the humidity–I can feel it.” 

Alex frowned to herself, secretly disappointed. She loved Casey’s curly hair on those rainy humid days when the straightener didn’t cooperate. 

Figuring her quiet time was over, she carried the files off her lap and placed them on the coffee table. She swept herself into the kitchen to grab two large wine glasses. It was Friday and Casey had a long week; losing cases, problems with being the new girl in the unit, she needed to be pampered. And if Alex was good at one thing, it was pampering. 

When the shower water turned on, Alex began pouring a fancy red wine into the glasses. Placing them on the end tables, she then turned her attention to the fireplace. It wasn’t cold enough for a full fire yet, but Alex knew that Casey loved the sounds of nature. The rain outside and the fire crackling would be her exact idea of paradise. 

Fifteen minutes later, Casey emerged from the bathroom, her red curls now glossy from the shower, her skin rosy from the warmth of the water. She was wrapped in a fluffy robe, toweling her hair dry. 

“Oh my god, you didn’t dry your hair,” Alex said, crossing the room to twirl a damp curl around her finger. “Is it Christmas?” 

Casey smiled, her dimple on display, “I know you like my hair natural and, well, it’s Friday. I don’t have work tomorrow, so I’ll indulge you.” 

Alex wrapped an arm around Casey’s shoulder, handing her one of the two wine glasses. It was only then that Casey noticed the decadent fire and atmosphere Alex had put together while she was in the bathroom. 

“Oh, you romantic,” Casey teased, taking Alex’s hand and leading her to the couch. She sat, swinging her legs onto Alex’s lap. The short robe didn’t leave much to the imagination– especially in this position. 

Alex watched as Casey sipped her wine, her eyes wandering over her flushed skin, the way her damp curls stuck to her neck and shoulders. She reached out, gently playing with a strand of Casey's hair, her fingertips tracing along the nape of her neck.

"You look...ravishing," Alex murmured, her voice soft and thick. 

Casey quirked a brow. “Because of the hair or because I’m in your robe?”

Alex's lips tugged into a smirk, her fingers continuing their exploration, tracing the edge of the lapel on the robe.

"Both?" she admitted, her voice low and suggestive. She shifted her body, moving closer to Casey, her hands roaming across her shoulders and down to her waist, pulling her in closer. The faint scent of her freshly showered skin was intoxicating, and Alex couldn't help but press her lips to her neck, trailing kisses along her collarbone.

Casey hums, appreciative. “Mhm, did you miss me today or something?” 

Alex smiled, hungrily, “I miss you every day.” With a swift movement, she pushed Casey back against the couch, hovering over her, her light blue eyes dark with desire. Her hands roamed further beneath the robe, pulling at the sash that held it closed. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” Alex confesses, trailing kisses down Casey’s neck, “about all the things I wanted to do to you when you got home.”

Casey lets out a soft whine, obviously affected by the words. 

“Me neither. I always do when you have days off without me being home.” 

A sly smile tugged at Alex’s lips, pushing her robe off her arms. She pressed her body against Casey's, pinning her down on the couch, her lips hovering over her chest.

"You always do?" she teased, her hands sliding up the inside of Casey's thighs, her fingers slowly caressing the soft skin of her inner thighs. 

Casey nods frantically, only making Alex cockier. She enjoyed how Casey reacted to her, the way her body twitched with need at every slight touch. Her hand slid down, running over her hips, proving her point. Casey bucked her hips into Alex’s touch as she settled in between her legs. 

"You could've come in the shower with me, you know," she said, raking a hand through Alex's hair.

By now, Casey knew all of Alex’s weaknesses and vice versa. She knew how sensitive Alex was and how much she liked her hair messed with. Sometimes, she put it up just so she could feel Casey tear through. 

Alex let out a soft moan as Casey’s hand ran through her hair, her eyes darkening with desire. She leaned into the touch, her body pressing against Casey’s

"Oh trust me, I wanted to," she admitted. 

She captured Casey’s lips in a bruising kiss, her hands roaming over the bare skin of her chest. 

"But now you're here, and I have you all to myself," she whispered, her lips trailing down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses in their wake.

"Yes," she gasped.

She leaned back, admiring the view before her. Casey, beautiful and flushed, laid out beneath her.

"Look at you," Alex murmured, "So lovely, so responsive."

"And all yours," she nods, pulling Alex's hair slightly.

Alex let out a small moan as her hair was pulled, the sensation sending a shiver down her spine. She nipped at Casey’s chest, leaving a small mark.

"Case," she breathed, "you know how I like it when you do that."

She could feel Casey’s hips arch into hers, could feel the heat of her desire as their bodies moved together. If there was one thing Casey liked more than receiving, it was making Alex feel good in the process. In the past, she had always been solely a giver. She liked to hear their sounds, know how she was doing, and usually got off just by getting them off. But with Alex, god with Alex… it was so different. Every time they were intimate, it was a religious experience. 

Alex's own desire was growing stronger, her body responding to every movement, every sound that came from the redhead. Alex let out a low groan as she felt Casey's hips grind against hers. It was a tempting display, one that made her own control waver, but she was determined to maintain the upper hand. She quickly pinned Casey's hips down, preventing any further movement. 

"Please.." she begged

Alex's resolve was faltering. Casey’s plea, the pleading tone in her voice, was almost too much to bear. She wanted to give in, to give the girl what she wanted, but she also wanted to make her wait, to make her desperate.

"Please what, Case?" she asked, her voice a low, sultry whisper.

"Please touch m-" 

A knock sounded at the door.

Alex froze her ministrations, cursing the interruption. She reluctantly got off of Casey, an uncomfortable heat now emanating off of her body. Casey sat up too, slower because of the heat between her legs and the need coursing through her, but she was quick to slip the robe back on and cover herself. 

Alex crossed the room, fixing her hair and trying to make herself look presentable. Or at least not like she was about to have sex. She looked through the peephole, squinting. These things weren’t exactly easy when you had horrible eyesight and thick-framed glasses. She could make out a black coat and short-cropped dark hair. 

Alex opens the door slowly, “Olivia?” 

Olivia Benson stands on the other side, hands in her pockets. She takes in Alex’s disheveled appearance and then looks past her to Casey on the couch, looking similarly suspicious. 

“Am I interrupting something?” She asks, an almost amused look crossing her features. 

Alex quickly cleared her throat to compose herself, “No, not at all.” She motioned for Olivia to come in. When Olivia walked past her, Alex made an exasperated face at Casey for their unwanted interruption. Casey stifled a laugh. 

Olivia wandered further into the living room, taking in the fire and the wine. It was obvious she had picked a bad time. 

“Olivia?” Alex said, breaking her out of her haze. “Is everything okay?” 

She seemed to hesitate and think it over. “I… well, I have been meaning to talk to you about something.” She spoke in a quiet voice that was so… un-Olivia. 

Alex's heart sank slightly, her mind jumping to a million different things. What could she possibly want to talk about at this hour? She tried to keep her voice steady, though she couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.

"Okay," she encouraged. 

Olivia took a deep breath, pausing for a few seconds.

"It's...it's about Casey," she said, her eyes darting over to the redhead on the couch.

“Wait, me?” Casey got up to stand where they both were gathered. Now her mind was racing too. She had only worked in Olivia’s unit for a couple of months. Had they already decided that they didn’t like her? Was she about to get fired by someone who wasn’t even the SVU unit chief? 

"Can we..." Olivia glanced at Alex, then back at Casey, "Can we sit down for this?"

Okay, now this definitely felt like Casey was getting fired. 

They sat down, Alex following Casey, taking her hands. Olivia sat in the lounge chair across from them, eyes continuously flickering back to Alex and Casey’s obvious affection. 

Olivia glanced back and forth between them, her expression serious.

"How long have you two been together?" she asked, her voice even and controlled. 

Alex and Casey couldn’t tell if this was a genuine curiosity, or if this somehow had involvement with Olivia’s work. Was she usually so straightforward in interrogating her friends? 

"A few months," Alex finally said, her voice steady despite the knots in her stomach. "It's only recently started to get serious though."

“And you’re already living together?” Olivia questioned. 

Now Alex felt like she was on trial. “Well… I mean technically? I moved here because my apartment flooded. Casey was my closest friend who also was an ADA, so we started carpooling, staying together, and this all just…happened.” 

Alex didn’t want to give away too much, they were trying to keep things private at work. Only Huang knew, really, but that was because he just happened to be an almost psychic shrink and also Alex’s best friend. 

Olivia studied them for a moment, her gaze unflinching. It was as if she was evaluating the sincerity of their answer, trying to see if they were telling the truth.

"And you’re… committed?” she prodded, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

Alex bristled slightly at the skepticism in her tone, her protective instinct kicking in. She squeezed Casey’s hand, a silent reassurance to both her and herself.

"Yes, committed," she repeated, her voice firm. "We're in a serious relationship, and we're happy together."

Olivia nodded, her expression softening slightly, though there was still an air of tension in the room. She leaned forward in her chair, bracing her elbows on her knees.

"And you're...exclusive?" she asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.

Alex could feel the tension in the room growing thicker, the conversation edging into dangerous territory. She wanted to know where she was going with this. 

Casey’s face remained stoic, but her fingers squeezed Alex's. “Why are you asking so many questions?” Casey asked.

Olivia took a deep breath as if she was steeling herself for something. She glanced at Casey once more before finally speaking.

"Listen... this is going to be... difficult to hear. And I'm warning you, I don't want either of you to freak out, okay?"

"The preface isn't really helping, but alright," Casey said, warily. 

Olivia nodded, seemingly bracing herself. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"The truth is...I have feelings for Casey."

The confession hung in the air like a heavy cloud, the room growing deathly silent. Alex's heart seemed to stop, her breath caught in her throat. She glanced at Casey, who had gone completely still beside her, her face unreadable.

Casey's face showed pale shock "I..what?"

Olivia let out a shaky breath, her eyes flickering between them.

"I didn't mean for it to happen," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "It just...did. I tried fighting it, I really did, but the feelings just grew stronger. I tried to hate you when you first started but…"

Well, that made more sense. Casey always thought Olivia and Elliot just hated her for no reason and ostracized her as some cruel newbie ritual, but maybe it was more than that. Elliot obviously liked Olivia. So if Olivia let it slip that she was eyeing Casey? God, she felt like she was back in middle school. 

Olivia looked between them, her expression almost sheepish.

"I know it's not what either of you expected to hear. But I couldn't keep it in any longer. It's been eating me up inside." She let out, hanging her head a little with the revelation. “I never even noticed it until I saw you two together. I was so envious at how you two acted. How happy you made each other. I always wished it could’ve been me making you both happy.” 

That last part made Alex’s eyes flick up. “Did you want to be with..both of us? If you were thinking like that?" she asks, not wanting to assume, but also curious. 

Olivia’s eyes widened at the question, clearly not expecting it. She swallowed hard, her hands clenching on her lap.

"I-I...yes, I suppose you could say that," she replied, her voice shaky but honest. "I know it's...unconventional, I know it's not what most people would expect or understand, but the thought has crossed my mind."

The truth is, it has also crossed Alex and Casey’s mind. It was never something they seriously pursued, but they had talked about it and were both open to adding someone in if the time was right. They knew how they felt about each other and didn’t need anyone else to fulfill their needs, but they were both busy people. Three people working in law enforcement basically still amounted to about one and a half people altogether. 

Casey and Alex both shared an intrigued glance. 

Alex grabbed Casey’s hand, moving for them to both sit closer on the cushion more towards Olivia’s chair. She found herself sitting just inches away from the woman who had just confessed to having feelings for her and her partner. The proximity felt both exhilarating and dangerous.

Without thinking, Alex reached out and tucked a hair behind Olivia’s ear. Alex watched Olivia’s reaction intensely, making sure she was reading the room correctly and not stepping on anyone’s toes. 

Alex looked back, whispering something to Casey that made her blush. Olivia wished that she knew what they had said, but she didn’t have much time to think because suddenly Alex was kissing Casey deeply right in front of her. 

It was unexpected, yet sent a shiver down her spine. The way Alex grabbed Casey’s chin and took charge, Casey plump, full lips reddening and glistening as Alex obliterated her mouth. It was so rough and passionate, Olivia already felt her stomach fluttering. 

When they broke free from each other, both women’s eyes were dark with lust and desire. Casey had already been pent up from before, but now? She was insatiable. 

Finally, Olivia spoke. "That was-" she began, her words trailing off as she struggled to find the right ones. She ran a hand through her hair, her eyes flickering between them. 

"It was what?" Alex leaned in, breath lingering with Olivia’s. 

Olivia swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on Alex’s lips. She seemed mesmerized, caught in the magnetic pull between them.

"It was... unexpected," she murmured, her voice low and hoarse, "And... exciting."

The response was simple: “Did you like it?” Casey chimed in. She had been quiet, mostly having Alex take the lead, but she wanted to ensure they all weren’t too far gone before they discovered how the trio felt. 

Olivia could feel herself falling deeper into the web of this magnetic tension, her defenses crumbling under the weight of her attraction. She let out a shaky breath, her eyes dark with desire.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, "I did."

Alex nodded, grabbing Casey’s hand for support before she captured Olivia’s lips softly. Olivia gasped softly at the contact, ready for this to happen, more than ready, but still surprised when it did. She felt a rush of warmth spread through her body when Casey’s hand caressed the back of her neck. Having Casey peppering light kisses behind her while Alex devoured her lips whole was heaven.  

With a sudden urge, Casey whispers, “Pull her hair,” she kisses the shell of her ear. “She loves it.” 

Olivia’s eyes widened at the suggestion, a flicker of desire flaring in them. She turned her gaze to Alex, taking in her flushed cheeks and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. She reached out, her fingers tentatively trailing through Alex's hair, gently massaging at her scalp, and then tugged just slightly, testing Alex's response.

Alex let out a soft moan as Olivia’s fingers tugged at her hair, just enough to get her attention. The unexpected move sent a shiver down her spine, and she unconsciously leaned into the touch, her eyes half-lidded.

Olivia seemed encouraged by Alex's response, her grip on her hair growing more firm. She tilted Alex's head back, exposing her throat, her eyes roaming over her face as she leaned in, her breath hot against her skin.

Alex's breath caught in her throat as Olivia’s grip on her hair tightened, the sensation both possessive and erotic. Her heart was racing, her body responding to the mixture of dominance and desire in the air. She leaned further back, submitting to the hold on her hair, her eyes meeting Olivia’s in a mixture of arousal and surrender.

"Kiss her," Casey encouraged, nipping and leaving soothing kisses on the backs of Olivia’s shoulders. 

She tugged once more on Alex's hair, pulling her closer, before claiming her lips in a deep, hungry kiss.

Alex's body responded immediately to the kiss, her hands instinctively coming up to grip  Olivia’s shoulders. Her head was spinning, her body caught in the intoxicating mix of sensations - the pull of her hair, the feel of Olivia’s lips on hers, the lingering presence of Casey near them. She let out a soft whimper into the kiss, her resistance melting away.

Her hands slid down Olivia’s shoulders, gripping at the fabric of her shirt, anchoring herself to something tangible as she lost herself in the sensation. Every pull on her hair sent a jolt of pleasure through her, further heightening her response to the dominant gesture.

Casey moaned from the view, licking at OIivia’s neck and unbuttoning her collared shirt from around the back. 

Olivia’s breath hitched as Casey’s mouth moved down her neck, the material of her shirt parting and revealing more skin for Casey to discover. Her head was swimming, her thoughts a jumble of sensations, all focused on the two mouths and four hands that were sending her senses into overdrive. 

"Is this okay?" she whispered, biting Olivia’s earlobe. 

Olivia shuddered, the sensation sending a jolt of pleasure through her. She managed a nod, her voice betraying the desire and excitement coursing through her.

"Yes," she gasped out, her hands gripping tightly to Alex's waist as Casey ripped at her bra desperately. 

Alex turns to Casey, lifting her up from Olivia’s chest by her chin, and giving her a slow, languid kiss. “And you? Are you okay?” She checks in. 

Casey’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes darkened with desire, and she bit her lower lip before nodding.

"Yes," she breathed out, her voice betraying her own arousal. "I'm...I'm okay."

"You sure, baby?" Alex said, kissing her cheek sweetly.

"I'm sure," she affirmed, her voice a bit breathless. "I'm... I'm more than okay."

"Good girl," she said, climbing onto Casey’s lap and straddling her. Casey let out a shaky breath at the sudden closeness, her hands automatically coming to rest on Alex’s hips, moving her back and forth gyrating on her lap. 

Casey couldn’t help looking over and into Olivia’s wild eyes. Olivia took this as her cue to step closer, her body fitting into the space between them, her hands coming to rest on Alex's shoulders. The proximity was intoxicating, each woman's breath mingling with the others, the air thick with something that was both primal and electric.

Alex wordlessly slid herself down, placing kisses along Casey’s stomach, Casey’s muscles tensed in anticipation, her hands clenching the material of the couch in a desperate bid to keep control of herself.

She grabbed Olivia’s hand, "So wet for us," she cooed. "Look, Liv," she motioned for Olivia to examine the effect they’d had. 

Olivia couldn’t look away. Her eyes roamed over Casey’s body, now practically bare, and the words Alex uttered as she teased around where Casey needed–god, it was almost all too much. She took a step forward, her own hands reaching out to touch Casey too, her touch tentative and reverent.

Casey’s breath hitched at Olivia’s sudden contact, her body arching involuntarily. Olivia’s mind was fuzzy, too much pleasure, too many things she wanted to touch. 

"Mhm, doing so well, Liv," Alex said, moving back up and capturing Casey’s lips "Isn't she, Case?"

Casey’s brain was too hazy with pleasure to formulate a coherent response. She nodded, her head still spinning. “So good,” she reassured. 

“Casey can take more than that,” Alex reminded Olivia. See how worked up you got her?"

The teasing only made Casey arch up into Olivia's palm more. Alex kissed Olivia, all tongue and teeth, making Olivia's tentative motions increase on Casey’s thigh. Olivia removed her other hand, though, grabbing the back of Alex’s neck to deepen the kiss. 

Alex noticed Casey's whines of unfulfillment and decided to stop distracting Olivia altogether. “Who do you want to taste?” She purred into the crook of Olivia’s neck. 

Alex smiled a cat-like grin, enjoying Olivia’s dilemma. She glanced at Casey, laid out and waiting, and took mercy on her. 

"You should start with Casey," she whispered, her voice low and sultry. "She's been so good for us."

Olivia’s breath hitched at Alex’s suggestion, a shiver running down her spine. She turned to look at Casey, taking in the flush on her cheeks, the look of need in her eyes. The next touch was electrifying, sending a jolt of pleasure at finally being touched through Casey’s body. Casey’s body arched, wordlessly imploring Olivia to continue. 

Olivia’s hands were tentative initially. Her touch was gentle as she got her bearings and explored the territory in full. She ran he hands up Casey’s thighs, over the curves of her hips, then back down, swallowing thickly as she eyes the woman’s slit. 

Alex sat back next to Casey, taking the lead once again to whisper into Casey’s ear. “Encourage her, darling. Make noise for her,” she sucked at her weak point behind her ear, making her hips buck. 

Casey’s head fell back as Alex kissed and sucked at her neck, already red and marked from earlier. Casey writhed under their combined touch, overwhelmed by so much heat in so many areas. 

Olivia shyly began kissing Casey’s thighs, hands prying her legs apart. Olivia had never done this with a woman, and she was afraid her inexperience was showing. Alex, though, was too perceptive not to reassure her. 

“Don’t be afraid,” she said to Olivia, bending down to kiss her cheek. “I’ve eaten her out more time than I can count.” 

Olivia swallowed hard, her cheeks burning. Despite her own inexperience, she could feel her body responding to the imagery. 

“Show me,” she said, her voice quiet and ragged. 

“You want a demonstration?" she stood, leading Olivia up by her chin.

Olivia nodded, her eyes fixed on Alex’s face, her expression a mixture of curiosity and lust. Mostly lust. She allowed herself to be led upward, following Alex’s movements. 

Alex placed a kiss on Olivia’s lips before pushing her down softly onto the couch. Alex, finally having enough, ripped the remainder of the robe off of Casey, leaving her completely bare. Olivia was timid, only kissing around the exposed skin, but Casey was hers. 

Olivia’s breath was taken away by the sight before her, her eyes roving over every inch of Casey’s fully exposed skin. The woman was beautiful, stunning, and seeing her in all her glory was almost overwhelming. She felt a mix of desire, need, and something else, some emotion she couldn't quite put a name to. For a moment, she couldn't look away, her own body responding to the scene unfolding before her.

"Like what you see?" Alex teased huskily, kneeling in front of Casey’s open legs. She met Alex’s gaze, her own expressing a mix of desire and hunger. Her hands subconsciously gripped at the couch, her knuckles almost white as she attempted to control her own body's response to the sight before her.

“Watch, Liv,” she warned. “Eyes open.” She reminded the detective as she licked a long stripe up Casey’s cunt. 

Casey couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips as Alex’s tongue made rough contact. Alex knew how impatient Casey was, that all this teasing had to already have her close, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t take her time. 

Casey’s eyes fluttered shut at the sensation, but then flew open realizing that Olivia was there watching. Their gazes locked, Olivia losing all sanity. Olivia was rocking back and forth on the couch, trying to find some friction. 

Casey took pity on her, motioning her over. As Casey was about to unzip her pants though. Alex sucked directly onto her clit. 

“Oh, fuck!” she cried, balling a fist in Alex’s hair. 

Alex inserted two fingers, her slick mouth lifting momentarily. “Praise her, Olivia. She needs you,” she stated before going back to work. 

Olivia’s mind buzzed with excitement and nervousness as she stumbled through her words, wanting to do whatever it took to please Casey, but at the same time, her inexperience made her feel clumsy and unsure. She never had this kind of problem with men. With them, it was all unemotional and quick. Over and done with.

"You... god, you look so beautiful," she managed to stutter, her voice low and raspy, her eyes fixed on Casey’s face. Casey moaned at the compliment, at how surprisingly gentle it was in contrast to Alex’s skilled tongue. 

“You’re doing so good for her, Casey, I wish it were me,” Olivia said, only realizing what she had implied after it left her mouth. “I've thought about touching you so many times.”

Casey groans, bucking into Alex’s face, riding it. Olivia didn’t think her words would have that much of an impact, but she continued. 

“You always wore those unbuttoned shirts,” she recalled, running a hand up Casey’s neck. “They drove me crazy. I wasn’t able to focus on the briefing when you were there.” 

Casey was caught in the middle of it all, lost in a sea of sensations, her body aflame with desire and need. The combination of Alex’s insistent, skilled tongue, and the sincere, honest words from Olivia was almost too much to bear. She found herself arching her back, her hands gripping the couch, her entire body a live wire, every nerve ending alive.

Every sound, gasp, and moan, lit a fire under Olivia, accentuating her confidence further. Alex doubled her efforts, the sound of Casey’s wetness echoing out into the room. The calming sound of rain was now replaced with something else. Alex looked up and noticed Olivia’s lustful gaze. 

“Kiss her,” she ordered, voice almost unrecognizable. “She’s close.” 

Olivia responded desperately, kissing her, swallowing her lips whole. Whatever Alex told her to do, she would. Whatever it took to please them both. She noticed the fast pace which Alex was sliding her fingers in and out of Casey, curling them to make her cry out, completely at her own disposal. 

Casey responded desperately to Olivia’s kiss, holding onto the back of her neck to keep her mouth still while she rode Alex’s face. Casey couldn’t focus on anything, her need too strong. 

When Alex curled her fingers, finding the spongey spot inside, Olivia whispered, voice sultry, “Come, for her. Come for us.” 

And Casey did. Olivia swallowed Casey’s moans, holding her tightly through her climax, feeling Casey trembling. Casey’s body came down slowly from the built-up pleasure, running a hand through her curly hair, sweat glistening on her forehead. 

Alex released her grip on Casey’s thighs, removing her fingers once Casey began to sit up, and held them out for Olivia. 

“Suck,” she instructed, holding out three fingers for Olivia. Olivia’s eyes widened once she realized what she had to do. What she wanted to do. Arousal shot through her as she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around Alex’s fingers obediently. The action was wanton and bold, and almost enough to make her come from the overstimulation and unresolved desire. 

Once Alex was satisfied that her fingers were clean and not a drop was wasted, she pulled them out of Olivia’s mouth with a pop. 

She licked her lips, cleaning off the remainder of Casey’s juices before turning to the two women before her. 

“So?” Alex began. “Who’s next?”

[tsuki-xoxo]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑: 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬

⚘. playlist: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone

""Shut up!" she repeated. She gripped her arm tighter as his words lodged itself into her heart. Tatsumaki this Tatsumaki that. Join her, be her. Like mother like daughter. When will it stop?!"

cw | depictions of physical abuse and violence | 10.2k

M.LIST | ᗢᘏᓚ | TAGLIST | ᓚᘏᗢ. IV

Minori’s eyes fluttered open. The first rays of sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. She blinked against the sunlight and furrowed her brows. This wasn’t Thanatos. She sat up. There were no sterile white walls, iron bars, or the dampness that clung to her skin. Instead, the room smelled of fresh paint.

Since being taken in after the Hecate Massacre, Minori never found a proper place to call home. She had spent the past thirteen years at Thanatos. Every day had been a battle for survival, and the scars, both physical and emotional, ran deep. Teachers had shown no mercy. They often singled her out for punishment. Their words cutting as deep as any blade. Guards had taken a cruel pleasure in making her life miserable, abusing their authority to inflict pain. The other students were no better. Driven by fear or hatred, they isolated and tormented her relentlessly.

When Minori was finally admitted into U.A., Sora declared that living in a place as depressing as Thanatos would only hinder and worsen her education and well-being. With the help of Nezu, the two had slaved over paperwork for the Hero Commission for hours. They only agreed to Sora’s terms once she took complete responsibility for Minori. If Minori went rogue, authorities would blame and charge Sora as an accomplice.

So, here they were.

Minori traced the edges of the bedsheet. It was soft, foreign, like borrowed skin. She sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched her stiff muscles. She padded down the hallway. She was careful to step over the creaky floorboards to not wake Sora, and entered the bathroom.

Her eyes flickered to the mirror. There were dark circles underneath her grey eyes, the same color of the steel walls that had imprisoned her. She removed her bonnet. Her curly white hair was a matted mess of tangles and knots. She reached for the faucet. The water that rushed out was clear, not murky and brown like the water from Thanatos. There was no need to scrub herself raw.

She had barely gotten any sleep since arriving at U.A. Her mind would drift to her time in Thanatos.

It always began the same. The sound of footsteps that echoed off the walls as it grew near. Shadows moving on the wall. Then, a blinding pain as the baton connected with her ribs. There was no escaping the blows. If she attempted to resist it would only get worse. The guards would kick and beat her until they felt satisfied. Sometimes, they wouldn't stop until she lost consciousness.

When she came to, it would be morning and her body would ache all over. She lied still on her cold, hard cot and listened to the stirring juveniles for as long as she could. But, her time was always limited. Soon, the guards would force her out, ignore her protests, and drag her down the hall. They'd throw her into the cafeteria where she'd scramble to her feet, pushing through the bruises that would bloom on her body, and try to grab something, anything, to fill her empty stomach.

It was a battle to survive. But now she was at U.A. and a week had passed. She hadn't had any encounters that resembled her time at Thanatos. In fact, her interactions had been rather pleasant. There were the usual glares of course, but for the most part everyone ignored her like a fly on the wall. It was nice. Quiet.

Well, everyone besides one.

Minori turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her body. Ashido's bubbly and friendly personality was so different from her own. The girl was like a ray of sunshine. Bright, warm, and a constant presence. Everything Minori was not. It was strange.

Though Ashido has kept her distance, the battle trial incident hadn't stopped her attempts to interact with Minori. She continued to smile in her direction. There were a few times where Minori caught the pinkette coming toward her direction and stop abruptly. Ashido would hesitate and then turn back around, visibly restraining herself.

It didn't make sense. Her persistence. Why couldn’t she just leave her be? Steer clear from her like everybody else did. She was tired of seeing those hopeful amber eyes peer over her corner. Minori could feel the warmth and anticipation in her gaze. It made her skin crawl. She didn’t want it. Minori didn’t want a friend. Not Ashido, not anybody.

Minori entered the kitchen. It was filled with an assortment of food and cooking supplies, a luxury that she was not used to. Her time in Thanatos had only ever provided her with a small amount of gruel and stale water. She rummaged through the cabinets.

“Good morning, Minori. Did you sleep well?” Sora entered the kitchen with tousled hair and wrinkled pajamas. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the eggs. “Want some?”

She nodded. Sora whisked a few eggs in a bowl. It sizzled as she poured them into the pan.

“How are you feeling? Are you adjusting okay?” Sora asked and plated Minori’s scrambled eggs. “You've thrown yourself into your studies since we got here. Have you thought about speaking with any of your classmates?”

Minori dug into her meal and frowned. "I'm fine.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “Aren’t I supposed to be focusing on my work at school? I’m not on a vacation.”

Sora sighed. “Of course you are. But you haven’t bothered speaking with anyone. You can do different at U.A., it’s not Thanatos. Why not make some friends?”

“I don’t need to make any friends,” she grumbled.

“Everyone needs friends. They make life a lot more enjoyable, especially when you spend the majority of your days studying. You could speak with Ashido? I see the way she looks at you. She wants—" Minori shook her head. "Why not?"

"She's just trying to get on my good side." She stabbed her fork into the eggs. "It's not real."

Sora hummed and crossed her arms. "And how would you know that?"

"Because she's pretending." Minori scowled. "There's no reason for her to actually like me."

Sora's eyes softened and she pulled the seat across from her. "Why would you say that?"

Minori shoveled more eggs down her throat. When she finished, she started washing her plate, her back turned to Sora. “I just know. I know what it's like to have people pretend that they care.”

Sora’s face dropped, and she rubbed the back of her neck. "Look, Minori. I know I can't magically erase the past. But, you can't live the rest of your life guarded. People want to know you. To be friends with you. You should let them."

"I don't want to hear this right now, Sora." Minori grimaced and stormed out of the kitchen. "I'm gonna get dressed. Thanks for breakfast." 

She slipped on her uniform—a grey blazer, a white dress shirt, and a red tie with a green skirt and stockings. Once ready, Minori grabbed her bag and joined Sora by the door. They stepped out into the cool morning air. The weight of their earlier conversation hung heavily between them. Minori's mind churned as they walked. She didn’t want to think about friends, about opening up, about trusting again.

She glanced at Sora and swallowed the lump in her throat. But damn she hated seeing Sora like this, with furrowed brows and downturned lips. And she was the cause of it. Guilt gnawed at her insides. She was being unfair-- she knew that. But she couldn't help the venomous doubt that crept up on her. She looked down at her scuffed sneakers.

"Minori?"

"Hm?" She glanced up.

Sora peered at Minori, her eyes soft with concern. Her brows were slightly furrowed in thought. Her hand reached out, almost instinctively, to brush a stray curl from Minori's face. A small, reassuring smile tugged at her lips. "Minori, I know you don't want to hear this, but I need you to understand something. You've been through so much, and it's only natural to build walls to protect yourself. But not everyone is out to hurt you. You can't go through life not trusting anybody, not taking the risk. What if they really want to be your friend, what if they’re genuine? What are you going to do, turn them away because you’re afraid?"

Minori chewed on her bottom lip. The weight of her words felt like a rock in her stomach, and she couldn't find the words to answer her.

Sora gently squeezed Minori's shoulder. "All I’m saying is that you should give Ashido a chance. If you truly think she's pretending, you'll know. Just don't shut her out without giving her the benefit of the doubt. And don't let your past define who you are. You are a good person, Minori. You deserve friends and to have fun, so please don't keep pushing everyone away."

Minori wanted to believe Sora, to trust that Ashido's kindness was genuine, but she had been hurt too many times by people pretending to care. How could she possibly open herself up to that kind of pain again? It was a risk. Too much of one. But the genuine concern in her eyes, the earnestness in her voice, and the love in her words... maybe, just maybe, Sora was right. A niggling feeling crept up Minori's spine. Sora had been by her side since she was nine years old, and not once had she let her down.

Minori released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Okay, I’ll try."

"That's all I ask," Sora reassured.

They continued their path toward U.A. The morning air had a gentle breeze. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on their path. Minori walked with her head down, her mind still wrestling with Sora's words. As they rounded the corner, a waft of burnt sugar tickled her nose. She followed the scent and spotted a blonde, well-built figure ahead. He wore a disheveled school uniform. His pants were ridiculously loose—a familiar sight to everyone at U.A. who knew Bakugou.

Minori furrowed her brows. Why was he walking here? She and Sora had never crossed paths with him in this direction since she started at U.A. Minori was about to ask aloud, but paused. Sora lingered slightly behind, fiddling with her shoe. She narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Just tying my shoe," Sora said, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

"Sora, you're wearing zip-up boots," she deadpanned.

"C’mon, Minori! Speed up. I don't want you to be late now." She wiggled her brows. "I'll be right behind you."

Minori hesitated, her heart pounding. She looked back at Bakugou, then at Sora. With a sigh, she nodded and trudged forward. She kept her eyes glued to the ground and nibbled on her lips. Her hands were clammy.

Bakugou's shoulders stiffened at her presence. He craned his neck and peered down at her. They only had an inch height difference, but he still managed a harsh glare like she was a bug beneath his shoe.

She clenched her jaw. "Is there something wrong with walking beside me?"

He raised a brow. "No one gives a fuck about you. Why are you next to me?" He eyed the figure behind them. Sora lingered a few feet away, whistling to herself.

"Why are walking here? I walk this path all the time. You don't."

"You stalking me?"

"What? No." She rolled her eyes. "I have better things to do than follow you."

He scoffed. "Yeah, fucking right. Then why are you worried about where I'm walking? Mind your damn business, Casper."

"Real original," she drawled, her tone monotonous. "I've heard better."

"What?" He cocked his head.

"My name is Minori. M-I-N-O-R-I. Not Casper, or any other dumb nickname you can think of."

He clicked his tongue. "Don't care," he said, then, almost as if the thought just struck him, added, "Casper."

She sighed. "You're so infuriating."

"Good.” He smirked.  It'll get you to stop bothering me."

Minori rubbed her eyes and attempted to blink away her frustration. She searched her surroundings and saw U.A. loom in the distance. Her pace quickened. She was done, and with that Sora's words of encouragement de damned.

"Get out of my way, loser!" Bakugou barked and stomped a few feet ahead of Minori. She scoffed. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought Bakugou was trying to race her to the school grounds. That would be ridiculous, of course. But as he did, an item fell from his bag—his I.D. card. Without it, he wouldn't be able to enter U.A.

Minori snatched it up and turned the plastic card in her hand. U.A.'s crest shone against the morning light. Her gaze shifted back and forth from the card to him and smirked. "Hey, Bakugou!"

"Hah?!"

She threw the card at him and bit down the smile that threatened to part her lips. She'd be lying if she hadn't thought about keeping it for herself and watch him panic at the school gates.

His brows shot up as he caught it. "What the fuck was that for?!"

"You dropped it."

"And why did you throw it like a piece of shit?!"

She shrugged. "Seemed like you were in a hurry. Didn't want you to be late." An innocent smile finally broke through at his widened eyes. "You're welcome."

Bakugou's vermillion eyes glowered at her. They were intense, and she had the oddest desire to not look away.

"I don't need your fucking help," he snapped.

Minori held her palms up and feigned ignorance. "Well, I didn't want you to miss the chance to attend school and become a hero."

To her surprise, Bakugou didn't immediately retort with another biting comment. Instead, his jaw tightened and he stomped ahead. The two scanned their I.D. cards. Minori hadn't expected this interaction to be so easy. Nor had she anticipated how satisfying it would be to match wits with him. Back at Thanatos, any attempt to speak up or defend herself had always ended badly. But this... this was nice. Fun, even.

As they walked through the school gates and into the building, Minori felt strangely free. For the first time in a long while, she wasn't just enduring the day—she was engaging with it. It felt good to break her self-imposed silence. To push back a little and see that the world didn't crumble around her when she did.

She peeked at Bakugou. He was muttering and glaring at anyone who looked their way. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at her lips.

"What'd you say?" Minori asked, missing what he said.

Bakugou's gaze met hers and he scowled. "Why the fuck are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like a stupid fucking fish."

Minori gaped at him. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, like a goldfish. No thoughts behind those eyes." He folded his arms across his chest. "Not as bad as Dunce Face though."

Minori froze, not knowing what to make of his comment.

His scowl deepened. "Stop looking at me like that."

"You're weird."

"Fuck off."

"You fuck off."

Bakugou's lips twitched. Amusement flickered in his eyes. "Oh, I get it. You're not a goldfish. You're a sheep." He smirked. "Yeah, a stupid, shitty sheep who doesn't know how to think for themselves."

Minori's eye twitched. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." She slid the door open to their homeroom and readjusted the bag on her shoulder. Twenty pairs of eyes snapped toward them. The buzz of conversation tapered off. Classmates seated in clusters turned their heads. Their expressions ranging from curious to wary as they took in the unexpected sight. It wasn’t every day she exchanged words with anyone, let alone Bakugou.

Bakugou sauntered past her to his seat. "Whatever, Casper." He threw his bag down with a thud and kicked his feet up. "What y'all staring at?" he barked. Within seconds, he was bombarded by classmates Minori came to learn as Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero.

Her gaze flickered around the room. Ashido leaned against Jirou's desk in the second row. For a moment, Minori locked eyes with black sclera and yellow irises. Ashido's grin widened and she waved. Minori flickered her eyes to her empty seat just behind the row the girls sat. Her desk was right behind Ashido's in the third row next to Kirishima.

Sora appeared by her side, her hands folded behind her. "What did I say?"

"What?"

"About giving people a chance." She bumped her shoulder and winked. "That was progress."

Minori snorted and shook her head. She wouldn't call that progress.

"How about you try again?" Sora asked and jutted her head toward Ashido. "I'll be right by Aizawa's desk watching everything. I'll come get you if it goes south, okay?"

Minori bit the inside of her cheek and glanced back at the pinkette. She swallowed the knot in her throat and forced her legs to move. She was stiff as if she were walking on stilts, reminiscent of Iida's precise, robotic strides. "Hello, Ashido."

Ashido's eyes widened. "Hi!" She flashed a brilliant, toothy grin. "How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Me too!"

"That's good," Minori mumbled and looked down. "So uh—"

"How was your weekend?"

"Fine. I mostly studied and went over some stuff with Sora."

"Oh yeah! Ms. Ten, right? I love her. She's so cool! Her mutation affects her skin like me," she bounced in her seat.

Minori blinked in surprise. Her friendly aura was refreshing.

"Yeah, she is. Um, she told me to talk to you."

"Oh, what about?" She leaned forward.

"I, uh, well..." She trailed off. This was more difficult than she thought. What should she say? That she felt bad about ignoring her? Or maybe that she wanted to be friends? Neither seemed appropriate.

"Yes?" Ashido blinked.

"I wanted to say hi," she said, the words sounding more pathetic the second they left her mouth.

Ashido giggled. "Well, hi to you too! You can sit here if you want." She motioned to the empty seat beside Jirou.

Minori hesitated for a moment before sliding into the vacant seat. She didn't know much about the girl except that she was close with Kaminari.

"So," Ashido said, drawing out the vowel. "Did you hear that the Sports Festival is coming up soon? I'm super excited! Do you think you're ready?"

"No," Minori answered honestly.

Ashido slumped in her seat. "Me either! I can barely manage my acid levels, and I haven't even figured out the best way to use my horns in a fight. I was thinking about using them as battering rams, but I'm not sure if that would work. They're pretty sensitive. Maybe they'd break and then I'd have to deal with the embarrassment of being the only one in the class who broke her own horns."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You seem more than capable."

Ashido smiled brightly, her pink cheeks darkening in color. "Thanks! I've been training a lot since I was a kid, so I have a few ideas. I'm sure you'll figure something out too. You seem really smart."

"Thank you," Minori muttered, unable to meet her gaze.

"You're welcome." Her smile softened. "Hey, we should train together sometime! I bet you'd be a great sparring partner. And you could teach me some moves. It'll be fun."

Before Minori could respond, Professor Aizawa slid through the doors and called for everyone to take their seats. His favorite yellow sleeping bag hung over his arm. Everyone shuffled back to their respective desks as he stood up at his podium. Ashido offered Minori a small smile before turning back in her seat.

Aizawa lazily scanned the room as he waited for the chatter to die down. He glanced back at the corner behind him. His eyes lingered for an extra moment like he wanted to take a nap, but instead started class.

"Good work on the previous combat training. I saw the video and results," Aizawa said, his tone monotonous and dull. "Bakugou—" his blood shot eyes shot over in the blonde's direction— "you're talented, so don't act like a kid.”

Minori half-expected the boy to slam his fist down onto the table and yell out a curse, but he simply mumbled an "I know." His experience had humbled him, to say the least. He was still very much a flawed being, like the rest of the world, but his passion and drive was inspiring.

Aizawa's attention was then directed towards other students, critiquing their reckless usage. His black eyes scanned the crowd before stopping over one individual in particular, Minori.

"Ki, nice job defending not only yourself but your teammate as well. But stop holding yourself back." He narrowed his eyes. "You're capable of much more. If you're going to waste the potential you have, you should transfer out now."

Minori shrunk a little under his gaze before he directed his focus toward the class again. He announced a need to select class reps. Minori, though, picked at her nails instead.

She didn’t have years of experience with her Quirk like some of her classmates. During the battle trial, she used what she knew to the best of her abilities. But that wasn’t anywhere near as strong as her classmates. Yes, she was able to win but that was only because she played on the shock factor of her enemies. If she were in a real fight who knows what the outcome would’ve been.

She sighed and mindlessly raised her hand along with the other classmates to vote. She needed to train.

“As decided Midoriya and Yaoyorozu are your representatives. Congratulations.” The class erupted in applause. “After lunch today you all will meet me outside near the main entrance. We’re going to a new facility for rescue training. Be sure to change into your hero costumes before entering the bus. Homeroom is dismissed." He climbed back into his sleeping bag and rolled himself to the back corner of the classroom, out of sight.

A few hours later Minori found herself tucked in the booth with Ashido and others during lunch. The cafeteria swelled with conversation and the smell of fried food. She sat sandwiched between Ashido and Kaminari. Sero, Bakugou, and Kirishima sat across from her.

She took a bite out of the grilled salmon and rice on her plate and listened to her classmates chat among themselves. It was nice. She wasn't entirely sure how she ended up here. One second she was grabbing a lunch tray and the next Ashido appeared by her side, leading her to where she sat now.

"Hey," Ashido whispered into her ear, "are you okay? You seem nervous."

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Ashido's brows furrowed. "You're a horrible liar. If you need to take a breather at all please don't hesitate to do so. I completely understand."

Minori's eyes widened before softening with appreciation. She picked at the rest of her food and nodded. "Thank you."

Kaminari leaned forward with a bad attempt of a seductive smirk. "Ki, can I have the last piece of salmon on your plate? Pretty please?"

"Oh," she furrowed her bros. "Uh, sure?" She pushed her tray over to him. He shoveled it down his throat.

"Kaminari!" Ashido narrowed her eyes at him and snatched the tray back. "Don't be a pig."

“What?!” I asked.

"Are you still hungry, Ki? Why don't you have some of my lunch?" Ashido offered. She scooped up a spoonful of rice from her tray and hovered her arm in front of Minori to take a bite.

Minori blinked. "Oh no. It's fine. I'm good."

"What, are you a baby now, Casper?" Bakugou snorted to himself.

"Don't be rude, Bakugou" Ashido condemned and he rolled his eyes.

"No no, I get it! Bakugou feels left out. Here," Kaminari grabbed the chopsticks from Ashido's tray. "Say ahhh."

Bakugou growled and smacked Kaminari's hand away. "I'm not a fucking toddler Dunce Face."

Kaminari slowly sat back down in his seat. He leaned closer to Minori without removing his gaze from Bakugou, as if he was a feral animal seconds away from pouncing. "Y'know he might be sleepy instead." He whispered. "He has a hard time communicating. He's grumpy when hungry. We might be looking at a baby in man's body." Minori bit down the urge to smile, swallowing the laugh that longed to break free.

"What was that?!" Bakugou snarled.

"Nothing," Kaminari sang and raised his arms.

Bakugou's glare shifted to Minori, his brows drawing together. "What did he say to you?" he demanded.

She glanced at Kaminari who was grinning like an idiot. "You sure you wanna know?" She asked, her heart beating a little faster as she tried to hide her amusement. Bakugou's scowl deepened. "Alright," Minori mimicked Kaminari's sing-song tone. "He said you were sleepy."

"Sleepy?" Bakugou's voice rose an octave, clearly affronted. He shot a death glare at Kaminari, who was now laughing openly.

"Yeah, you know, like a baby," Kaminari added, not helping the situation. The table erupted in laughter, and Bakugou looked like he was about to explode.

"Oi, shut the fuck up!" he shouted. "That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard!" He turned back to Minori and narrowed his eyes. "And what the fuck was that?"

Minori looked between the two. "What was what?"

"That!" He waved his hands wildly, gesturing at her. She tilted her head. "Forget it." He shook his head and pouted.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Minori announced, mainly for Ashido to hear. The buzz of laughter and chatter around her was exhilarating but overwhelming. She grabbed her empty tray and headed toward the exit, needing a moment to breathe. As she walked by, she saw Kirishima attempting to rub Bakugou's back, but Bakugou swatted him away. A small laugh escaped her lips. With that, she turned and slipped out of the cafeteria, the noise fading behind her.

Her footsteps echoed with each step she took. However, before she could enter the bathroom, a piercing alarm blasted through the loudspeakers. Minori hunched over a bit as she covered her ears with her hands. She peered at her surroundings through the blaring noise. A flash of light caught her attention and what looked like a television camera caught her eye through the large windows.

"There has been a level 3 security breach. All students evacuate outdoors immediately."

Are those... reporters? What are they—?

"Ki Minori?" A voice called out to her. An older woman wearing a navy blue suit appeared behind her. Her glasses glinted as she looked down at Minori.

"Yes?" Minori asked louder than normal over the blaring noise.

"I was hoping I could get a word with you about your mother, Tatsumaki." The hairs on the back of Minori's neck prickled and her stomach twisted. "She's an old acquaintance of mine." The woman smiled and extended her hand. "Remi Tanaka, I'm a reporter with The Daily Star." Minori stared at the woman's hand for a second before reluctantly shaking it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ki. Your mother was one of the strongest pro heroes back in her day."

"I know," Minori murmured, unable to maintain eye contact.

"So, can I ask you a few questions about her?"

"I don't have anything to say." Minori clenched her jaw and stepped away. She glanced toward the exit. Students from all courses burst through the cafeteria doors and flooded the hallway. They shoved and shouted their way to the exits. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, Minori was already a good distance from the chaos, stuck with the woman before her.

"I'd love to hear your side of the Hecate Massacre. It's been over a decade since the incident and the world has yet to hear from the only witness."

Minori's body went rigid. She clenched her jaw and turned on her heels, glaring at the reporter. What the hell would they want to know about the Hecate Massacre? They have all the information they need. Ki Minori, daughter of notorious hero-turned-villain, did nothing as her mother decimated an entire population. Ki Minori: accomplice. Ki Minori: guilty. "I have nothing to share that you don't already know." Her voice trembled. "If you want to know a story, find and ask her." She spat.

"Why deny your only chance to share your side? Unless," she paused and scribbled in her notepad, "you have something to hide?" She arched an eyebrow, and a faint, knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She tilted her head slightly. Her gaze never left Minori's face. It was as if she were solving a puzzle only she could see. "The public has a right to know the truth from someone who witnessed it firsthand, don't you think?"

Minori clenched her fists. She needed to get away from this woman and her questions. But where could she go? She was trapped. The barrage of students had jammed the exit in a panic, leaving Minori to fend for herself and deal with these stupid fucking questions.

Remi leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You know, denying the public's right to know might make you look complicit. Is that what you want?" Minori's eyebrows shot up. She attempted to clarify, but further questions interrupted her. "If you won't tell us about Hecate, then tell the world what they want to know." She pointed her pen at Minori. "Where's your mother? When and is she coming back? Can you clarify your intentions here are U.A? Are you attempting to follow your mother's legacy? Why–”

A firm grip tightened around Minori’s arm. Before she could register what was happening, she was pulled backward. Her back collided gently with something firm, and she caught a whiff of burnt sugar. The familiar click of a tongue sounded from above her. She tilted her head just enough to see Bakugou's harsh glare, his arm loosely against hers. He scowled as he stared down the reporter. Minori let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Get lost old hag."

Remi pursed her lips. Her composure faltered for a moment. "And you are?" she asked, her pen dangled between her fingers.

"None of your damn business," Bakugou snapped. "Now back off."

Minori's heart pounded in her chest, partly from the adrenaline and something else she couldn't quite pinpoint. His stance was firm—unyielding—and for the first time, she felt a strange sense of relief wash over her.

"I'm simply trying to get a statement. Surely you understand the importance of the public knowing the truth."

"The truth?" Bakugou snorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You vultures don't care about the truth. You just want a headline."

Remi's smile returned, colder this time. "I'm just doing my job. If you won't share your side, Miss Ki, others will fill in the blanks. And those stories might not be as kind."

"That's enough!" Minori spun around. Sora glared daggers at the reporters as she stomped toward them. Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido followed.

Bakugou grumbled to himself and removed his arm from Minori. "What the fuck took y'all so long?"

Kaminari threw up his arms. "Man, you try pushing and squeezing yourself through a stampede of teenagers all hopped up on cafeteria mystery meat! It's like trying to herd cats in a thunderstorm!"

Sora turned to Bakugou, giving him a curt nod. "Thank you for stepping in." She placed a protective arm around Minori. "Let's go, Minori. You don't need to deal with this nonsense."

Remi raised an eyebrow, undeterred. "I have the right to ask questions. The public has the right to know."

Sora's expression hardened. "The public does not have the right to harass a student, especially not about matters that are none of their concern. This is a school, not a tabloid. If you want a story, direct your questions to the appropriate channels."

Remi huffed, adjusting her blazer. "Very well. But this isn't over. The truth always comes out." She turned on her heel. "I'll be in touch, Miss Ki."

Sora's patience snapped. With a sharp movement, she grabbed Remi's arm and yanked her away much to the reporter's protest. "Hey! Unhand me! This is a violation of my rights!" 

Sora ignored the woman's outbursts. "Kids, get ready for class. I have some business to handle." The two figures disappeared around the corner, their argument fading into the distance. The remaining students watched in silence as the commotion dwindled out of view.

"Are you okay, Minori?" Kirishima questioned.

Before she could answer, Ashido sprang up and wrapped her arms around her neck in a bear hug. “Oh, Ki, I was so worried when the alarm went off right after you left! Are you okay? Bakugou noticed you first. We tried to get Ms. Ten but there were so many students around, it took forever!” She pouted and reared back to inspect her face.

The tension in Minori's shoulders slowly began to ease, and her eyes softened as the warmth of their words and gestures seeped into her bones. They helped her. Her. "I'm okay. Thank you." Minori grasped Ashido's arms and took a step back. Her gaze swept over the group gathered around her. Their concerned faces, the genuine worry in their eyes, and the support they had shown— it all overwhelmed her.

Swallowing hard, she tried to find her voice again. "Thank you, all of you," she said stronger this time, but even she couldn't hide the slight tremble in her tone. Her eyes met each of theirs in turn—Kirishima's steady gaze, Kaminari's warm smile, Sero's encouraging nod, Ashido's comforting arms, and finally, Bakugou's intense stare.

Ashido pulled her into another hug, and this time, Minori reciprocated.

Outside Minori stood amongst her classmates as they awaited for their turn to enter the bus. Iida, with as stiff a hand as ever, whistled and chopped his arms for order as the class boarded. 

After the chaos at lunch, Midoriya resigned as class president. He nominated Iida to replace him. Clearly, he accepted his new position. Everyone except Minori and surprisingly, Midoriya, wore their hero costumes.

"Are you sure you're okay, Minori? I'm sorry, I should've been there."

Minori patted Sora's hand. "Yes, Sora, I'm fine. You don't have to keep asking." She answered for the millionth time already. "And stop apologizing. You didn't even do anything." Sora looked down and rubbed the back of her neck, her brows drawn together. 

Sora had expressed her guilt on positioning Minori to deal with the reporter on her own. She was so focused on providing space for Minori to befriend her classmates that she hadn't noticed her step out of the cafeteria. "Seriously, Sora I'm fine."

Sora sighed. "Okay. I'm still going to make a report though. That was totally inappropriate."

"You know I'm the only one who's going to suffer from it right?"

"Minori," Sora groaned.

"It's the truth." Minori shrugged. "It's not the first time I've been questioned, and it won't be the last. It's fine."

Sora's brows furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. "It's not fine. It's harassment. It's illegal. It's–"

"A waste of energy," Minori cut her off and crossed her arms.

"Fine!" Sora threw her hands in the air and sighed. She glanced behind Minori. "You should go and join your friends."

Minori nodded and gave Sora one final pat before turning on her heel. Ashido beckoned her over.

"Here, you can borrow this!" Ashido beamed and stretched out her arms. She draped her cropped vest with white fluffy lining over her arm.

"For what?"

"I know you still don't have a hero costume, so I thought you'd like to at least go in with some of a costume than none at all." She handed her the vest. "It's very stylish."

Minori offered a gentle smile and nodded. "Thank you, I'll wear it with pride."

On the bus, Minori sat beside Ashido. She rested her head on the window and the fluff from Ashido's vest tickled her nose. She took this moment for some well-needed shut-eye after an all-too-eventful day. She couldn't sleep on such a bumpy ride, but it was nice to take a moment to breathe. She was almost able to ignore the conversations surrounding her; almost.

"Who the hell are you to say I won't go pro?!" Bakugou barked at Tsuyu, the frog-girl. His lips pulled back in a snarl. "You wanna fight?"

"See?"

"We haven't known each other long. So, it's amazing that everyone knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage," Kaminari teased.

A verbal fight soon broke out. The atmosphere was mostly composed even as other students joined in teasing Bakugou. Everything seemed to be going well until the attention shifted to Minori.

"Unlike Bakugou, there's no chance for Ki to ever become a pro. She'd never do well on the popularity charts. Not after the massacre." Tsuyu stated, her voice monotone and bluntly insulting. Minori clenched her trembling fists. Tsuyu's words penetrated and lodged themselves deep in her heart.

No matter where she went, she would never escape her mother's legacy. Like mother, like daughter.

"That's not true," Ashido spat.

"C'mon Tsu, was that really necessary?" Kirishima frowned.

"It's a fact. Ribbit."

"That's enough." Aizawa’s tired gaze angrily flashed toward her section of the bus. "We're here, stop messing around."

Minori fidgeted with the buttons on Ashido's vest as she tried to brush Tsuyu's words off. Off the bus, her eyes widened at the size of the dome. It was so big that she couldn't see the other end of the building's walls.

A small individual dressed in a spacesuit greeted the class. She introduced herself as Thirteen, the professional rescue hero. The facility, known as the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short, was an advanced training facility designed for disaster simulations and search and rescue. Thirteen led them down the bricked path, pointing out the various sections. There were rocky mountains, urban centers, waterways, fire zones, and much more.

An odd sensation prickled at the edge of Minori's skin. It was faint, an almost imperceptible shift in the air, like the flutter of a butterfly. She brushed it off, attributing it to the new facility.

Thirteen explained how she was here to assist the class in participating in successful rescue missions. Everyone listened intently, growing more excited to try search and rescue drills. As Thirteen and Aizawa were about to split the class into groups, Minori's feeling intensified. A tingling sensation spread across her skin. It started at her fingertips and worked its way up her arms. Minori’s eyes darted around, trying to pinpoint the source of disturbance.

The air around her seemed to thicken, growing heavy and charged. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ashido whispered.

"Something's not right," Minori mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

Minori squinted and strained her eyes, trying to peer into the center of the large facility. Her heart quickened as she noticed a strange distortion in the space directly ahead. The air around the water fountain appeared to be rippling. She stepped forward, her senses on high alert. The temperature around her dipped and goosebumps traveled up her arms. Her eyes widened as the water began to shift and stir. A dark mass began to grow, and the surface of the water darkened, forming a circular shape.

"There," she said, pointing. The distortion grew larger, expanding rapidly until a large, black cloud formed. Minori's chest tightened and her heart slammed against her ribs.

"Everyone, huddle up and stay together!" Aizawa's tone was grave. "Thirteen, Ms. Ten, protect the students."

Thirteen raised her arms, ushering the class to gather. "What's wrong, Aizawa?"

"Those are villains!"

"Minori!" Sora's urgent voice cut through the din as she tried to push through the crowd of students. Bakugou flung both explosive palms backwards, blasting toward the villains. Kirishima followed behind him.

A heavy, foreboding weight draped itself over Minori. It felt like tons were crushing her, making it harder to breathe. She tried to run toward Sora, but her limps felt heavy, sluggish.

Before she could react, a dark distortion began to ripple in front of her, warping the space like a vortex. The air shimmered and twisted, creating a swirling, inky portal that stretched open with an ominous groan. Minori's eyes widened in horror as the warping gate materialized, cutting Sora off from reaching her.

A low, almost inaudible hum filled the space, growing louder as the air twisted and churned. Minori's heart raced. Her instincts screamed at her to move, but the dense pressure around immobilized her. The temperature suddenly rose, like the air was becoming denser.

Minori's breaths came in short, uneven bursts as she struggled to make sense of the chaos. The heaviness in her chest was overwhelming. She could barely move as the gate completed its formation, and the area in front of her was now a maelstrom of dark energy.

Dozens of dark swirling masses appeared throughout the plaza, swirling and growing in size. A horde of villains filed into the plaza, one by one. A few of them held melee weapons, and all looked unsavory. In the center stood a man with multiple hands placed all over his body. Shaggy, light blue hair grew from underneath the palm of one on top of his head, and another covered his face. To his left stood a man who looked to be made of the same black mass as the portals, and he wore a large silver neck brace. The sight of them both made Minori's skin crawl.

"Look at all these promising heroes!" The villain with many hands cackled before he frowned. "We're here for All Might? Where is he?"

Aizawa jumped into action and faced off against the horde of villains. But as he did, the black-misted villain raised a hand. Another swarm of black portals scattered throughout the class. The distortion crackled with a menacing energy. The space around it warped and bent as if the very fabric of reality was being torn apart. The world seemed to freeze for a moment, the only movement coming from the pulsating, swirling gate that consumed her and classmates around her.

The black-mist villain chuckled, his voice deep and distorted. "Greetings. We are the League of Villains. Forgive us, but today, we've come to U.A. High School, this bastion of heroism, to end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace. Don't get in our way."

Minori's stomach lurched as a spiraling tunnel of darkness sucked her body in. The ground vanished. Her surroundings melted into an endless void of black mist. It was as if she was floating through an empty space, drifting through the ether, her body weightless. She could hear the faint shouts of her classmates, their voices muffled and distant. A wave of nausea swept over her, and her head swam. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to steady her breathing.

She slammed against the ground and cringed, the air in her lungs knocked out of her. She laid there for a moment, dazed. She blinked a few times, trying to orient herself. Slowly, the world came back into focus. She was in the middle of a city. Broken down buildings and piles of rubble surrounded her, the sky a hazy gray. A cool breeze drifted through the air, rustling her hair. To her left, a few feet away, stood Bakugou and Kirishima, who looked equally disoriented.

"Where the hell are we?" Kirishima grumbled, rubbing his temples.

"The hell if I know!" Bakugou snapped, his red eyes darting around. "What's the situation? Why the fuck are we separated?!"

"They split us up on purpose," Minori replied, her voice trailing off as she scanned the area.

"Then, what? These assholes are here to take us hostage or something?"

Minori shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. If they wanted to take hostages, they wouldn't have sent us off alone. They'd want to keep us all together."

"Maybe it was just bad luck?" Kirishima suggested. "They just didn't know how many people were here and split us up randomly?"

"That's a big fucking assumption," Bakugou muttered, his scowl deepening. "What's your theory, then, genius? That they wanted us separated?"

Minori hesitated, trying to connect the dots. "This is definitely a planned attack. It's too coincidental that we were all separated." Minori bit her lip. "You heard them. They're here for All Might. Separating us would make it harder for the teachers to defend us all."

"We've got a smart one," a gravelly voice growled and emerged from the shadows. Groups of villains joined him, many carrying weapons. "I'll have fun shutting you up!" He lunged towards her with a maniacal grin as the other villains bombarded the three.

Minori gasped and ducked as the villain swung his fist at her. The blow grazed her arm, and she stumbled, the force of the impact throwing her off balance. She grunted and rolled onto her side, using her momentum to regain her footing. She spun around and faced her attackers, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan.

Bakugou and Kirishima were already engaged in battle, their fists flying. Bakugou's explosions were bright flashes of light and deafening bangs. He moved fluidly, his movements sharp and precise. Kirishima's hardened fists smashed into the villains, sending them sprawling.

Minori took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her focus shifting inward. The air around her seemed to come alive, swirling and vibrating with energy. She could feel it. The molecules that surrounded her, the currents that flowed through the atmosphere. It was as if she was connected to the very fabric of the universe. As if she was the one who commanded the elements themselves. Her power was like a drug, and she was the addict.

She opened her eyes, her irises glowed with a tinted blue. Minori lunged towards her opponent, compressing air and punching her enemy in the stomach in rapid succession. Just as quickly, she sent a kick to another who flew backward. Their bodies crashed into the buildings, shattering glass and concrete.

Minori's heart pounded as she surveyed the scene. Villains lay scattered around her, some groaning in pain, others unconscious. Kirishima and Bakugou stood panting a few feet away.

"Is this all of them? They're so weak." Bakugou heaves, catching his breath along with the rest of them.

"Alright. Let's hurry up and go save the others!" Kirishima urged, his voice strained. "I'm worried."

Bakugou's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. "If that's what you want, then go alone. I'm gonna beat that warp gate guy to a pulp!"

"Huh?! You're gonna act childish at a time like this? Besides, that guy's attacks are—"

Minori butted out of their conversation, her brows furrowed. The particles shifted in the air and the gentle flow around her seemed to ripple. Her body tensed as a faint chill brushed against her skin.

"Minori?"

Her spine tingled and she strained her ears and caught the faintest sound—rustling.

"Get down!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the moment of confusion.

Bakugou and Kirishima reacted instantly. They dropped low as Minori thrust her hands forward. A blast of air shot from her palms toward the source of the disturbance. The blast collided with the sneaking villain, sending them tumbling back before they could strike.

Bakugou scoffed. "If all they're sending against us are these idiots then everyone should be fine."

Kirishima perked up. "You think so? I didn't know you were so calm and rational, Bakugou! I thought you were more like— Die! Die! Die! Right, Ki?"

She hums in agreement.

"I'm always calm and rational, Shitty Hair!"

"Oh yeah, that's more like it."

"I'm outta here." Bakugou spins on his heel, his hands in fists.

"Hold on! We'll help. It's best if we stick together."

The three walked toward the plaza with a plan formulated to take down the warped villain. The trio concluded that the villain's body was not entirely made of mist. Otherwise, he wouldn't have worried about Bakugou's and Kirishima's earlier strike. Physical attacks can work against him, all they have to do is catch him by surprise.

The scene that greeted them however was anything but welcoming. Minori's eyes widened. Her classmates stood frozen as they stared in shock, terror, and confusion. Aizawa laid helplessly in Tsuyu's arms. And then there was a beaten and worn down All Might as he struggled to unravel from the grasp of a bird-like creature. Black feathers decorated its entire body, but its head was the most atrocious. Its head was cracked open to reveal a pulsating brain.

Worse of all, a certain greenette ran into the heat of battle, right into a warping gate.

Bakugou's sharp, crimson eyes fell onto Minori's frame for a second, before he pounced. It was the signal.

"Move! You're in the way, Deku!"

Bakugou was loud, arrogant, and quick to fight. That much was obvious. But, he was also smart, brave, and heroic. Minori couldn't help but admire the way he carried himself with such unwavering confidence. His explosive power and fiery determination was captivating. But it was his unyielding resolve and refusal to back down from any challenge that truly drew her in. He didn't care what others thought of him and his "villainous" attitude, he was going to become a hero no matter what. Seeing Bakugou push through, undeterred by the opinions of others, gave her hope. She watched as he held down and captured the warp-gate villain. His eyes burned with an inner fire. In that moment, she saw the greatness he was destined for. If Bakugou could strive to be a hero despite the odds, then so could she.

"Now, Ki!" Kirishima yelled out as he activated his Quirk.. Following their plan, Minori and Kirishima teamed up to cover Bakugou. Kirishima threw a punch at the shaggy haired villain, but the latter evaded him. In that instant, Minori pivoted on her heel and maneuvered around her partner. She shot her foot forward, directing a blast of compressed air to the villain. His feet skidded against the ground as he struggled to regain his balance.

"Nice, Ki!"

Minori and Kirishima stood side by side. She bent her knees in a ready-position, for any sudden movements. But the man with hands all over his limbs hadn't dashed toward them like she expected. No, instead, his venomous red eyes gazed at Minori inquiringly.

"Ki?" he pronounced the name, the syllable rolling off his tongue. "Ki? Are you by chance related to the Ki?"

Minori recoiled at his excitement. She gritted her teeth and refused to answer, knowing who he was referring to.

The villain only took her silence as a confirmation. "I knew it," he rasped, throwing his head back and letting out a maniacal laugh. "Who knew that Tatsumaki had already infiltrated U.A. before we did? Her talent knows no bounds!"

Minori's eyes shrouded over in anger. She lunged forward and shot another compressed jolt of air. He dodged the attack and smiled at her violent outburst. His gaze sharpened as if he were savoring the confrontation with Tatsumaki's daughter. The resemblance, to him, was almost as exhilarating as meeting the real thing.

"Oh!" he admired. "Look at that power, just like your mother's! How delightful!"

"Shut up!" Minori growled. "We're not alike."

"Will you prove it?" the villain persisted, his grin widening further. "Show me that beautiful Quirk of yours!"

Minori shuddered and grasped onto her arm, the scar beneath her elbow throbbed. She knew exactly what he was seeking. When Tatsumaki had terrorized the city, she created vacuums that suffocated innocent people. Although Minori didn’t possess that exact ability, the expectation that she might share her mother’s dark tendencies was a constant, oppressive weight.

"Come on now, Ki," the villain taunted, his tone both mocking and enticing. "Do us all a favor and make your life easier. Join us! Live up to society's expectations!"

"Shut up!" she repeated. She gripped her arm tighter as his words lodged itself into her heart. Tatsumaki this Tatsumaki that. Join her, be her. Like mother like daughter. When will it stop?!

A firm hand on her shoulder awakened her from her evident self-destruction. "Ki! Calm down, we’re in this together," Kirishima’s voice cut through her storm of emotions.

Minori closed her eyes, drawing a shuddering breath as she fought to steady her emotions. The villain in front of her stiffened.

"You have far exceeded my expectations," the villain said, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. With a swift motion, he leaped back to a safer distance, his gaze never leaving Kirishima and Minori. "Go, Nomu!"

At his command, the monstrous creature raised its fist against Bakugou. Minori glanced at a bloodied and worn-down All Might as he struggled to shield them all with his body. Tears stung her eyes as her body rushed toward the aid of her classmate. The chances that All Might could cover himself and protect them were despairing low. If she could at least help the hero, then they'd have a chance, right?

The air crackled against Nomu's hulking form. Her mind screamed at her to stop; that she probably won't make it in time. With her last bit of strength, she willed the air molecules around her to shift. She dashed forward, the wind carrying her just enough to grab Bakugou. A gust of compressed air surged beneath her feet and propelled them forward.

Minori prayed to God at the last second. Prayed that she had finally made a difference, that she did something right. She peeked through her lashes and heaved a sigh of relief at startled crimson eyes beneath her.

Bakugou shoved Minori aside and rushed to his feet. His jaw slacked as The Number One hero threw himself back into battle. He refused any more help from his students and commanded they escape. All Might's relentless assault against Nomu blasted everyone in proximity further away. Minori's curls whipped against her face at the shockwave.

She staggered in a cluster with Midoriya, Kirishima, Todoroki, and Bakugou. The ground trembled beneath her feet from the force of their battle.

With one final blow, Nomu crashed through the ceiling, ending the villains' reign of terror. U.A.'s Pro Heroes surrounded the dome and captured as many villains as they could before they disappeared into the warped gates. The villain with hands obscuring his face shrieked in protest, and scratched fervently at his neck, drawing blood. His red pupils narrowed.

Minori stiffened almost immediately at the pair of condescending devilish eyes that stared straight into her own. Her lips pressed together. The villain tilted his head and retreated, disappearing with an unsettling promise in his gaze.

Minori's breaths came in shallow gasps as she shook her head, trying to clear the lingering unease. She forced herself to glance around. Sora was off in a corner, speaking to a few police officers taking statements. Minori’s heart ached at the sight. She wanted nothing more than to run and hug her, but her legs seemed rooted to the ground. Her body felt leaden and her vision blurred at the edges. She blinked a few times, struggling to stay upright.

From the crowd of students emerged Ashido, her cheeks damp with tears. Ashido’s lips were trembling, her eyes swollen and red. The sight of her distress cut through Minori’s brain fog and she rushed towards her.

"Ashido!" Minori called out, but her steps faltered at the new wave of tears in the black sclera of her eyes. A sudden sob escaped Ashido's lips. Minori stumbled a bit as Ashido threw herself into her arms, clinging tightly. She steadied herself and wrapped her arms around Ashido.

"Minori, you're okay!" Ashido wept. "I’m so relieved."

Minori sighed softly and pressed her cheek against Ashido’s head. She rubbed soothing circles on Ashido’s back, feeling the tremors of her cries subside into sniffles. "It’s okay, I’m fine."

As the class got updates on the bus about their teachers and classmates, the tension in the air slowly lifted. Ashido's arms tightened around Minori. Aizawa had sustained comminuted fractures in both arms and a facial fracture. Though he was battered, there was no severe brain damage. Thirteen’s injury, a deep laceration from her back to upper arm, was severe but she would recover.

The news, though grim, was a bittersweet comfort.

"Thank you for comforting me, Minori." Ashido loosened her grip and stepped back. "I feel a lot better!" She said with a bashful smile and heavy eyes. She looked exhausted. "I'll see you later." They waved each other off as Minori entered U.A. and Ashido headed over to her ride.

Minori.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Maybe she did have a place in U.A. after all.

Minori reached her locker, absentmindedly spinning the combination lock. Just as she opened the door, a sudden shove sent her stumbling sideways. She grabbed the edge of the locker to steady herself and scanned the empty hall. She frowned. Only a few students hurried past, oblivious to her existence.

Shrugging it off, Minori gathered her things and slung her backpack over her shoulder. After such a chaotic day, she craved nothing more than some peace and quiet. She hoped Sora's chat with the police would be swift.

As Minori rounded the corner, her heart skipped a beat. She nearly collided with Bakugou, who was standing in her path. His brow creased as he glared at her with piercing eyes. "Hey," he barked and fisted the collar of her shirt. "What the hell were you thinking back there?"

Minori blinked. "What?" With the close distance, every striking feature stood out to her. The red's vibrancy of his eyes, the slight frown that curved his lips, and the ash-blonde strands that fell across his forehead. Her mouth grew dry, and she gulped. She forced her mind to concentrate on his question.

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed further, his grip tightening. “I said, ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ I had it under control, and I didn’t ask for your help.”

Minori frowned, her voice edged with frustration. “Yeah, I got that. But it would be nice to understand what you’re talking about before you manhandle me!”

Bakugou’s expression hardened. “You know exactly what I mean! Pushing me out of the way like some damn hero. I don’t need saving!” He shoved her aside and released her shirt. “Know this, extra: I don’t owe you shit.”

Minori tilted her head. "Why would you owe me anything?" She inquired.

Bakugou’s response was a grumbled, “Because you intervened like a damn hero.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and glared at the floor. “You think I can’t handle myself? You think I need your help?”

Minori shook her head, her voice soft. “No, of course not. I just…” She trailed off, looking down at her feet. Her mind flashed back to thirteen years ago, to her frozen body, to the corpses surrounding her and her own failure to save anyone. Guilt gnawed at her. How could she blame his anger? Who would want to be saved by someone like her—a villain’s daughter? An accomplice? A fake? But…

She bit her lip, her voice barely rose above a whisper. "I wanted to do the right thing for once."

Bakugou’s scowl wavered as he studied her. Minori kept her eyes fixed to the floor, mentally berating herself. God, she did not mean to reveal that much. And to Bakugou, of all people? Wonderful. Marvelous, actually. She clenched her eyes shut. She did not want to talk about Hecate or her mom. But it was too late. She slipped up, and now he was going to ask a million and one questions and find out how royally fucked up she is. He'll hate her like the rest of the world and she'll lose everything all over again. Fantastic! A psychoanalysis session from the one guy who had never judged her for her past. But no, she just had to open up her big fat mouth, didn't she? She took a shaky breath, steeling herself for whatever interrogation was about to come.

He clicked his teeth, and Minori finally forced herself to look at him. His eyebrows furrowed tightly together as his gaze burned a hole through the floor. He shoved his hands into his pockets and took a step back. "Tch, whatever. Just stay out of my way," he said gruffly before turning and stomping down the hallway. His steps were quick and heavy. Minori stared after him, her jaw slack. That was not what she had expected—no questions, no judgment, and no disdain.

Abruptly, he stopped and pivoted back toward her, his eyes averted. His jaw was tight as he raked a hand through his tousled hair. “And… you did,” he muttered, almost too quietly to hear.

M.LIST | ᗢᘏᓚ | TAGLIST | ᓚᘏᗢ. IV

♡tagged♡ @yogurtsdayout @saltypuffin1040 @bkstars @eddiekkasps

[daughterofbearsandrivers]

Horror | 1.0 `yautja`

(<<) (>>)

Vague imagery of honey dipped college memories suddenly tainted with screaming and the indescribable sensation of hearing literal bodies being torn into pieces. The cracking of ribs so each bone snapped from the sheer pressure, flesh squished together as blood vessels burst and spewed out geysers of blood mixed in with their bodily fluids. The stomach lining, organs, soft fleshy innards not covered by bone was consumed like hard liquor on Saturday club night.

Being hit by a car or shanked for belongings in parking lot would've been considered a calculated mercy or bittersweet memory compared to the last moments of the town's population in the past forty-eight hours.

The faint scent of gasoline tingled her nostrils, sending a very faint high to her brain like the chemicals in the pools does. Resisting the urge to cough to flex the muscles of her body in the cramped space of the trunk, the female waited several moments in silence for the slightest shifting of movement or prowling seekers looking to harvest on the strength inept species. Feeling around for the latch on the backseat, bright midday sun poured in through the opening, she inched it forward as she paused every second or so.

'Goddamn it's bright.'

She noticed the torn edges of her emerald painted nails once she fully leaned the seat forward, stringy grime matted locks absorbed the rising heat in the car. Glints of other vehicles windshields momentarily made blackish spots float in her vision, she opened a water bottle once she slid herself out of the car's trunk. The milk spoiled, eggs overheated and bread crusty.

'Good morning America, today's going to be sunny clear skies, maybe chance of rain showers, highs in the whatever seventies and lows- oh shitzerdoodle.'

Leaning on her side to stay within the cover of the car's seat position, she peeked around the edges of the leathery seat, seeing a black mass creep by the front of the vehicle. Ducking down though avoiding on moving her weight around too much, the female stayed in that awkwardly tense angle until she heard it bash through a boutique's doorway a street down.

Sorting through the groceries, she salvaged whatever wasn't affected by the mid summer day heat. Collecting granola bars, a flashlight, screwdriver and some bullets, she found scattered underneath the driver's seat, into a fanny pack. Pressing the button for the window, it slowly slid down. Immediately the intense heatwaves of summer hit her skin, soaking into her body as her clothes suddenly felt too thick to wear at the moment once she eased herself out. 'In this heat I bet ice cream and water would boil. Why couldn't it be a hazy day of clouds.'

Crouching down a little she steered clear from fragmented and little clusters of splintered glass, her footsteps being silent as she could manage. Keeping herself fully aware to pause every few minutes to take a thorough survey of the area, ensuing she didn't have any creatures tailing secretly. Her eyes and top of her head peeking just over the edges of windows, hoods and tailgates of vehicles left stationary in the main street. The crevices of her body's figure little by little condensed with sweat.

Padding herself down a little, she silently lamented as she felt the grains of sand, smears of oil further clogged her pores. All that hard work going down the drain the longer she stayed in the heat and in these ripped and frayed clothes. Without notice her heartbeat sped up, an automatic nearly cemented reaction to the soft skittering of talons, menacing hisses and breathy snarls passing through frosted razor sharp teeth. She crouched down, doing a quick three sixty view of side to side, top to bottom. Seeing all the possibilities where her position made her vulnerable and potential to life ending choices. The vehicles were spaced enough for running and could be jumped across by anything. Though not many of the vehicles had high suspensions to crawl under. And several of the vehicles blocked her in, preventing her from crawling over the hoods from how big or sloped the hood is. Calculating the estimated seconds it would take to jump up, crawl onto the vehicle, run then do the same thing. Another raspy hiss, like sizzling acid in a softer tone. She flinched, her body contracting to still every nerve then slowly releasing to edge forward in a slight crouch.

They were moving by her, a mere vehicle apart.

A few feet away from her fate of being harvested and once again encapsuled in goop to be the fertilizer of an alien colony. She thickly swallowed, forcing back images depicting her chest being tore open from the inside, the sickening sensation of crunched bones. One step, the next and then her body responded in kind. Her fingers kept thumbed over the smooth fabric of her fanny pack, a small assurance against an illusion of control.

'My nails are so damaged and cracked. I should take them off.... though those charms are pretty.'

Her hands turned a bit red from touching hot asphalt. The shattering of a window made her heart burst into a flurry of emotion though she made herself keep stationary. Slowing peeking back over a window, she noticed they had rummaged through a van. More glass sprinkled to the ground. A bony black mass that showed every ridge of it's unnatural existence skittered then body slammed into a vehicle as they fought over scraps of a child.

'Damnit, that's so disgusting- don't, don't think about it. Keep moving.'

Hurrying in the most silent way possible, she crawled underneath a truck and stayed there for a moment to reassess the situation. Her heartbeat had calmed to a considerable pace without her having to manually breath slower. What she didn't calculate is the sudden crashing sound on the truck's roof, making it cave in as the vehicle itself sunk down a little from the weight. Seeing it's shadow on the asphalt, she realized it's the other creature.

He's crouched, his head swiveling around for a quick moment as it let out a roar. A shinking noise of a blade. Those spindly creatures screeched and lunged for him or a very few ran away.

Curled up beneath the vehicle, she felt it's weight shift and sway as the muscular thing fought. A couple vehicles exploded. Heat razed the ground, acidic blood dripped and splattered onto metal and paved rock. Melting it cleanly beyond repair.

'I can't stay here.'

The truck's undercarriage smacked against her head only solidified that thought. She let out a yelp then instantly felt her heart speed up, the accompanying blush and her mind working nanoseconds ahead. She turned her head and saw one of the black creatures hissing loudly at her while the two species created carnage just on her other side. It tried to reach it's talons inside, she fumbled for her screwdriver in the fanny pack.

Yanking it out, she hit the asphalt several times but got her few strikes in against the black alien, making it rethink it's strategy. Knowing it'll likely try to crawl in, she kept wildly swinging her screwdriver around while she felt around in the fanny pack for the few bullets.

The humanoid creature in weird armor slammed a black alien into a car.

She flinched as more acidic blood dripped down from it's broken skeleton. Finally pulling out a handful of bullets, she tossed the shells across the street and right by the burning vehicles destroyed by a plasma cannon blasts.

A roar and an answering screech, more limbs being cut and slashed into individual pieces.

Letting out a sharp exhale, she swung and frantically swiped at the black creature now joined by two more. One of their talons cut into her lower calf, nearly dragging her out before the tossed bullets ignited. They went off and ricocheted, startling the black creatures a few feet and making the beige colored creature snap it's attention to find the source.

Without hesitation she made a break for it, keeping ducked down as she rolled out on the other side of the truck, scrambling to her feet and sprinting hard. She vaulted, slid over the hoods of vehicles to the other side of the street. Noticing some other black creatures crash out of boutiques and whatever woodwork they came from, chased after her.

She wasn't from here though she did know which streets and areas had been the tourist hotspots. Bigger buildings, more hiding spots. Running barefoot on the hot streets of the town, she didn't look back and she didn't stop or veer off to hide. Pumping herself faster than ever, the female saw the distant shining chain link fence of the fair grounds. Darting to her right, she went down a sandy hill of pointed stones, passing by a few tall cactus before coming right up to the fence.

Jumping it, she crawled up and felt the links snag on her jeans to sharply pinprick her skin. Throwing herself over it to land in a puff of dust, she heard them crash into the fence and scramble up it as she continued to run.

She passed through the carnival, her feet sinking a little into the fine sand and feeling the gravel drag on the soles of her heel. Her sights settled on a merry go round, heading over to the controls, she bashed her hands against everything until the ride turned on and the music blasted out of the speakers. Every noise being amplified in her mind.

Their screeches raked her eardrums and made her body turn cold despite the very dry summer heat.

Running in the opposite direction, she went into a house of mirrors. Her figure reflected on the narrow figure warping surfaces. Taking a breath of air, she slowed her footsteps and moved deeper into the entertainment house. Her cheeks red and bright from exertion and anxiety, her heart thundering in her ribcage, she closely listened for any sounds of the black creatures as her breathing seemed to drown out everything else, even her thoughts.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧┍━☽【❖】☾━┑✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧*ੈ✩‧₊˚

A shift of movement as the female rubbed her upper arms, one of her hands keeping a hold on the flashlight she had. She stared at her reflections, the afterthought of an idling mind being how she needed a shower and change of clothes. As she still kept finding small pieces of that secreted goop on her person she'd been cocooned in only hours ago.

Rubbing away the crusted blood on her wrist, the female let out a silent sigh. Slowing getting up, she paused every few moments with her head slightly tilted and her body making minimal movement to determine whether or not she's safe to breathe.

Measuring her footsteps she walked to the exit that's aesthetically covered by a curtain, listening for another moment she heard nothing. Though her heart pounded a bit harder. Holding onto her flashlight, she noticed no sun shined at the bottom of the curtains or made the fabric seem thinner from it's light.

It must've been hours but at this point, hiding and waiting out for hours seemed to become her only source of exercise and constant state of what her life has come to. Peeking out, she drew the curtain to the side with the end of her flashlight's handle. The orange bulbed lights of the solar controlled lights were on, the sky completely black and the desert terrain standing still just like her.

As if the world now knew the events of what happened in the last five days changed the course of mankind's present and future forever.

The female gently tested her weight on the wooden steps before descending down the short staircase. On a last second thought, she took the curtains with her. Wrapping it around her figure like a jacket and dress, she quietly walked through the fair grounds.

Popcorn bags, cotton candy cones and some push toys laid on the dirt. Some lights of rides flickered like a dying candle running on the last threads of it's wick. Her flashlight in one hand and currently unlit, she went to a small gift shop. There was no phone or landline and no internet for the working iPhone she found dropped on the floor. Picking out a shirt one size smaller than normal, couple water bottles and some paper towels despite no one being around, she still went behind the cashier counter to change.

Uncapping the lids of the water bottles, she dunked the paper towels in the water, wiping it over her skin as she took most of the dirt off. Scrubbing and washing away the grime, blood, sweat and essentially the memories that came with the reason there's blood in the first place.

Sliding on the new shirt, hoodie, wrapping the curtains around her shoulders like a strap for future purposes. She found a water basin for apple bobbing, she dunked and shook her hair free what she could. A relief of one problem being dealt with settled her thoughts. Still no shoes to wear.

That night she opened one granola bar for dinner and slept in the cubbyhole of where they kept the extra plushies and boxes of other prizes.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧┍━☽【❖】☾━┑✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧*ੈ✩‧₊˚

There was no hurry to leave or go anywhere though one designation remained present in her mind the next day when she woke in the afternoon. Her family- well her grandparents had a place up in Alaska. If her memory served her right, which both fortunately and unfortunately did, there'd be enough canned food and natural resources for her to survive there without any worry. They hadn't sold the property but kept it as the ideal family vacation house in the winter.

With that her mind she gathered up four water bottles, dozens of granola bars, candy and some pop tarts from the fair grounds remaining food supply. Finding another flashlight, some batteries and a phone charger in the abandoned vehicles nearby. Apparently no one had kept extra shoes in their once day to day work life. Sliding on her backpack and keeping her fanny pack, she walked the cactus and brush ridden terrain.

SIDENOTE | reblog, comments and lmk if you wanted to be tagged for the next part.

[iamthecomet]

Mushy May Day 5

Grooming & Hair Braiding

Rating: E Characters: Mountain & Dew Featuring: Mountain's rats nest of hair. Dew's magic fingers. Word Count: 750+

Read under the cut or on ao3.

Mountain’s hair is a mess.  Dotted with sticks and leaves, looking like it’s been dipped in mud. Dew grimaces as soon as he sits down next to him on the touch. He reaches up and worries a clump of it between his fingers, pulling out a couple of lilac petals as he goes.

“Thought you were trimming the trees, not rolling around in the mud.”

“Fell off the step stool,” Mountain says with a shrug. He tips his dirty head against the back of the couch and Dew can practically see Cirrus have a conniption about it. “It’s been a wet spring.”

Dew drags his fingers through a particularly tangled section, earning him a pained growl from the earth ghoul. Dew deadpans. Flecks of drying mud flake off to land on the couch.

“You need a shower,” Dew wrinkles his nose at him. Mountain smells like dirt and sweat and lilacs. And while it’s not entirely off putting, the way mud is flaking off of his hair and onto the couch is. Mountain grumbles a little out of sheer habit of being bossed around by Dew. But it’s probably the fact that Dew is the one standing up and dragging him to his feet that makes his resistance half-hearted.

“Bath,” Mountain asserts as Dew shoves him from the room and Aether does his best to brush the dirt off of the back of the couch.

“Yeah yeah, whatever you want, dirt boy.”

“Why are you following me?” Mountain asks once it’s clear that Dew isn’t just throwing him out, but trailing after him toward his room. “You don’t have to watch me to make sure I really do it. I’m not a kit.”

“You’re going to need help.” Dew says, eyes flicking up to the mess of Mountain’s hair.

“I can brush my own hair.”

“Needs a lot more than a brush.” Mountain grumbles again. Dew can see the exhaustion behind his eyes, in the slope of his shoulders. The asshole in him wants to just allow Mountain to suffer since he wants to so bad. But he doesn’t. He follows him into his room, and waits patiently as Mountain runs a bath, strips. The room fills with steam as Mountain slips into the water, groaning as the water digs into his sore muscles. He sags into it. Dew kneels behind him. He puts two hands on Mountain’s head and pushes until the earth ghoul relents with an eye roll, dunking his disastrous hair.

It takes Dew a long time. Long enough that he has to run his fingers through the water to keep it hot. Long enough that his knees start to ache. He combs through each knot, each spot matted with dirt and leaves. He collects a small pile of foliage on the floor next to him. Twigs and branches and flowers.

Somewhere along the way, Mountain’s eyes slipped closed. He started to purr.

Dew drags his fingers through Mountains hair, over his scalp. He drags his other hand through the water again, bumps the temperature up. Mountain makes a small content noise, sinking deeper into the water, tipping his head closer to Dew.

“Where’s your shampoo?”

“Not yet,” Mountain mumbles.

“Mount—”

“Feels nice.”

Dew sighs, he adjusts his position so his knees don’t hurt so bad. He’s spent longer on his knees than this—he’s fine. He sinks both hands into Mountain’s thick hair, dragging over his scalp and down through the ends.

Mountain’s purr rachets higher and Dew doesn’t have it in him to stop—to just leave to let this end.

He’s made the first braid before he’s even decided he’s going to do it. Just letting his fingers move through Mountain’s hair on their own accord. He keeps going. Braiding and unraveling over and over as the tension in Mountain’s shoulders releases.

Only when it’s clear that Mountain has fallen asleep under Dew’s hands does he stop. Leaving one braid, just behind his right ear, for him to find later.

Dew presses a kiss to Mountain’s temple and stands up to stretch. He doesn’t go far—knows he still has to wash Mountain’s hair for him—knows he still wants to. He settles back on the floor, his spine pressed against the wall, watching Mountain sleep. In a little while he’ll be on his knees again, fingers deep in Mountain’s hair, covered in soap to his elbows.

But for now, he’s content to witness the rarity of a fully relaxed Mountain splayed out in the bath in front of him. He tucks his chin onto his knees, and waits.

[chromatic-lamina]

beanbag (AO3 link)

The thing about the huge, huge, huge beanbag that Hakugan had lugged on board when he'd joined them (packed to the softly- moulding-brim with snow geese feathers collected from friends and family), was that it was very white, and so was Bepo.

Laundry day and shower day for the towering members of their crew didn't come that often. Especially for the hairy Mink. Water needed to be rationed carefully and the oil that Bepo's body secreted was crucial for the well-being of his hide and hair.

However, once a month or so, Shachi and Ikkaku insisted that the orange boiler suit came off (yes, there was a spare, but they forgot to wash it last month—what, with escaping from the marines, and fixing the injured)—and that Bepo himself took a dip.

The Polar Tang was on the surface, and close to ice floes, and snow fell steadily on the decks. But it didn't stop Ikkaku and Shachi changing form, and Bepo keeping form, and all going for an Arctic paddle.

The crew had to entice them back with promises of cocoa and the raw thawed out remains of the sea king that the Straw Hat's cook had somehow managed to save from Luffy and pass their way in exchange for a few sutured stitches and reset bones for the rowdy crew. Doctor Tony had been exhausted and taking a well-earned rest.

Shachi would cook it up (throwing a few select entrails Bepo's way) once he returned to human form.

Bepo, back on board, shook out his fur. It didn't mat. It didn't freeze. His hide was oily and water repellant. So he dried quickly. Particularly in the sub. That didn't change the fact that his boiler suit was in the

laundry and Hakugan's beanbag was enticing, and Bepo's fur was designed to let him blend in with snow drifts. Translucent, like small strands of vermicelli, his hair appeared white with the reflection of the sub's lights.

So, was Captain resting on Hakugan's beanbag, or resting on Bepo resting on Hakugan's beanbag? Bepo was Captain's beanbag, so it was almost the same thing, but whereas Bepo lightly growled if anyone else tried to curl up on the beanbag he'd occupied—quickly followed by an apology—a light snore was the only sound heard when Law strode into the narrow rec room, spied the beanbag/Bepo, and plopped down.

"That Captain?" Shachi asked, shaking water from his ear.

"Nah, too loud. Gotta be Bepo." Ikkaku towelled her hair dry, before tying it up. Like Bepo, she and Shachi had some pretty neat moisture resistant tricks in their cetacean forms.

Kikoku crossed Law. He kept her close when they were on the surface. Bepo's black nose contoured the tip of his form at the highest point and Kikoku's red tassel moved with his exhalations.

The black pad of one paw crossed the other way over Captain and Kikoku let the observant know the Mink was there, and that Law and the crew were safe.

@chibiwitch98 I hope you like it! Thanks for the prompt.

[imbiowaresbitch]

When the Pressure Gives Way

On AO3.

Pairing: destiel

rating: mature (but it’s damn close to the line)

Summary: Dean is trying to avoid another argument with Cas, because his best friend is seriously pissed about something. He heads outside to wash Baby's mats with a pressure washer, and Cas follows, with an insanely tempting proposition. Dean can't resist the chance to help Cas wash his wings.

~~

Dean didn't know what had crawled up Cas' ass lately, but his angelic best friend was rivalling Sam for bitch-face champion. He was nearly as uptight as when they'd first met, and now Cas was storming around the bunker, snapping at everyone. Rather than get into a fight he knew they'd both regret, Dean decided to head outside to clean off some of the gear that had gotten way too nasty on the last hunt. He'd already scrubbed down Baby, leaving her gleaming and gorgeous, the way she was meant to be, but the floor mats in the trunk and foot wells needed the pressure washer.

Dean changed into a ratty pair of cut off shorts, a ragged white t-shirt he could toss or bleach without worrying about it, and an old pair of white sneakers that had definitely seen better days. Dragging everything out into the sunshine, he started cleaning. Watching the grime and dirt and blood get blasted away was therapeutic, and Dean sighed as his shoulders loosened.

"What is that?"

Dean jumped a mile and fumbled the nozzle, which luckily cut off immediately, rather than flailing uncontrollably. Three thousand PSI could do some damage. Turning to see Cas watching him, Dean felt his cheeks heat as the angel's eyes raked over him intently. Hopefully, he could blame the flush on the heat.

"Pressure washer. That last case sucked, and I need to clean out these mats before I put 'em back in Baby."

"Why?" Cas asked bluntly, and Dean shook his head.

"Whaddya mean why? When… when you were human… after a shower, didja want to put on the same dirty clothes? Or were clean clothes way better?"

Cas tilted his head as he considered it, even as Dean bent to grab the nozzle and continue his job.

"A valid point. And this machine, it's effective?"

Dean chuckled.

"Not for people, but the floor mats, solid tools that need to be cleaned, blasting concrete or brick. It'll do all sorts of stuff."

"I see," Cas murmured and went silent.

For a long moment there was only the sound of the water hitting the mats as Dean carefully went over them inch by inch. There'd been some sort of ectoplasm on the body they'd hauled, and that shit stained if he didn't get it quick.

"May I try?" Cas asked, and Dean glanced over at him.

"You wanna clean the mats?" he asked, chuckling softly.

His laughter dried up in a heartbeat when Cas stripped off his trenchcoat and began loosening his tie. When the suit jacket came off and Cas started on the buttons of his dress shirt, Dean made an incoherent sound, and Cas looked at him quizzically.

"No, Dean. My wings. I haven't found the water pressure in the showers sufficient to clean them without assistance from another angel, but maybe this appliance will do the trick."

"Cas, buddy, you weren't listening. This is not meant to be used on a person!"

Cas paused with two thirds of his buttons undone, and Dean kinda wanted to kick himself for interrupting the angel. The golden skin he could see where his white shirt had parted was just begging for his touch. He tore his gaze away to discover his aim had wandered, and he was sweeping the spray back and forth over bare concrete rather than the trunk liner. Redirecting it, he watched Cas from under lowered lids, biting his lip as Cas stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside.

Cas stood in the hot summer morning sun, his skin gleaming, and rolled his head on his shoulders.

"Dean, I'm not a person," Cas reminded him gently, closing his eyes, and then immense, opalescent wings exploded into sight.

Read the rest on AO3.

Thanks to @cr-noble-writes for the beta!

Now with banner art by my friend cactusdragon517!

[cleanoceandesigns]

Purchase Water Resistant Outdoor Shower Mat Pad

A Water-Resistant Outdoor Shower Mat Pad provides a convenient and comfortable solution for outdoor showers or any wet area. Clean Ocean Designs offers sustainable outdoor shower mat pads. Crafted with sustainable materials, it's designed to resist water and provide a comfortable, cushioned surface for your feet. Order now and make the smart choice!

[bythebeautifullakeblog]

The Best Amenities in Villas Near Jigani Anekal Road

Escape the ordinary and discover the extraordinary. Villas near Jigani Anekal Road offer more than just a home; they provide a lifestyle upgrade. This guide explores the top amenities defining luxury living in this burgeoning area.

Private Pools and Outdoor Oasis

Immersive Pool Experiences: Size, Features, and Landscaping

Having a private pool is one of the biggest perks of villa living. Whether you prefer a sleek infinity pool or a family-friendly splash zone, choices abound. Opt for features like:

Waterfalls and spa tubs

Customized lighting for evening swims

Surrounding landscaping that adds to the beauty

Maintaining Your Private Pool: Cost and Considerations

Owning a pool comes with responsibilities. Regular maintenance is necessary to keep the water clean and safe. Here’s what to consider:

Cost of cleaning services

Chemical treatments for water balance

Winterization or repairs, as needed

Adding Personal Touches: Outdoor Kitchens and Entertainment Areas

Transform your outdoor space into an entertainer's dream. Consider outdoor kitchens equipped with grills and refrigerators. Cozy seating areas can enhance gatherings with friends and family.

Smart Home Technology and Automation

Seamless Control: Lighting, Security, and Climate

Home automation elevates everyday living. You can control:

Lighting with a simple voice command

Security systems for peace of mind

Climate settings to stay comfortable year-round

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Features: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Modern villas focus on sustainability. Look for:

Solar panels that reduce electricity costs

Smart thermostats to optimize energy use

Energy-efficient appliances that save water and power

Integration with Smart Devices: Voice Assistants and Home Automation Systems

Connect smart home devices seamlessly. Voice assistants help with tasks from playing music to managing schedules, making your life more convenient.

Fitness and Wellness Amenities

In-Villa Gyms and Fitness Studios: Workout From the Comfort of Home

Having a personal gym is a luxury that promotes wellness. Equip your space with essentials:

Treadmills and weights

Yoga mats and resistance bands

Mirrors for form checks

Spa-Like Bathrooms: Luxury Showers and Soaking Tubs

Relaxation is key for well-being. Transform bathrooms into spa-like retreats with:

Rainfall showers for a calming experience

Deep soaking tubs for unwinding after a long day

Outdoor Recreation: Jogging Paths and Yoga Spaces

Many villa communities offer outdoor amenities. Look for beautiful jogging paths and serene yoga spaces that encourage fitness.

Security and Privacy Features

Advanced Security Systems: CCTV, Alarms, and Perimeter Fencing

Feel secure in your villa with top-notch security measures. Features may include:

Surveillance cameras for monitoring

Alarm systems that alert you to potential threats

Fencing that outlines your property

Gated Communities and 24/7 Security Personnel: Peace of Mind Guaranteed

Living in a gated community adds an extra layer of safety. With on-site security, you can relax knowing you’re protected around the clock.

Privacy Considerations: Landscaping and Architectural Design

Privacy is essential for luxury living. Opt for:

Strategic landscaping that creates barriers

Architectural designs that prevent overlooking by neighbors

Gourmet Kitchens and Entertaining Spaces

State-of-the-Art Appliances: Cooking and Dining in Style

A gourmet kitchen enhances your culinary experience. Features to consider:

High-end ovens and refrigerators

Dishwashers that keep up with the demands of large gatherings

Ample counter space for meal prep

Spacious Layouts: Perfect for Hosting Gatherings

Open floor plans are ideal for entertaining. Ensure your living space allows for easy movement and interaction with guests.

Outdoor Dining Areas: Al Fresco Meals and Entertainment

Enjoy meals outside in beautifully designed dining spaces. Outdoor areas can make dining more enjoyable with views and fresh air.

Conclusion: Finding Your Perfect Villa Haven

The best villa amenities near Jigani Anekal Road cater to a modern, discerning lifestyle. Choosing the right Customized Villas for sale in Jigani depends on your needs and priorities. This guide provided actionable tips to help you find your dream home. Consider each amenity carefully to ensure your new villa truly feels like a personal oasis.

[dzeehome]

Are Turkish Towels Good for the Beach

Visit www.dzeehome.com to learn more about home bedding.

Did you know Turkish towels can be as small as 30½ inches by 72 inches or as big as 37½ by 69½ inches? These towels are loved by beach lovers for their mix of usefulness and luxury. They are light, dry fast, and soak up water well, making them the best beach buddy.

Key Takeaways

Turkish towels are larger than traditional bath towels, measuring around 40" x 70"

They are lightweight, weighing between 250-450 grams, making them ideal for travel

Turkish towels dry quickly due to their thin, high-quality cotton material

They are highly absorbent and sand-resistant, perfect for the beach

Turkish towels are durable and soft, with proper care they can last for years

The Benefits of Turkish Towels for Beach Use

Turkish towels are perfect for beach trips. They are light and easy to carry. This makes them great for a day at the beach without heavy towels.

Lightweight and Packable

Turkish cotton is soft, absorbent, and durable. Its long fibers make towels light and easy to fold. They fit well in your beach bag or suitcase.

You can carry many Turkish towels without extra weight. They save space in your bag.

Quick-Drying

Beach trips need towels that dry fast. Turkish towels are quick to dry. They keep you feeling fresh and dry after swimming or showering.

They are great for beach days or exploring nearby spots. Turkish towels are both practical and stylish. They are essential for any beach trip.

Absorbency and Sand Resistance

Beach towels need to be good at soaking up water and keeping sand out. Turkish towels are great at both. They soak up water fast, drying you off after swimming or playing in the waves.

They also resist sand well. This means you won't get a towel full of sand after a day at the beach. Their tight weave and flat construction help keep sand away.

Feature

Benefit

Absorbency

Quickly soaks up water from your body, hair, or the surrounding area, keeping you dry and comfortable.

Sand Resistance

Tightly woven fabric and flat-weave construction prevent sand from sticking to the towel, ensuring a clean and comfortable experience.

For lounging on the sand, drying off, or wrapping up after beach fun, absorbent towels and sand resistant towels like Turkish towels are key. They're a must-have for any beach towels collection.

Durability and Softness

Turkish towels are famous for being both durable and soft. They are made from top-quality Turkish cotton. This cotton is long-stapled, making the towels last longer and stay soft even after many washes.

These towels are different from regular ones because they get softer with each wash. Turkish cotton, like Egyptian cotton, makes them extra soft and high-quality. They can handle lots of use and still stay soft and absorbent for a long time.

Long-Lasting Material

The secret to Turkish towels' durability is their material. The long, smooth cotton fibers they're made of resist wear and tear well. This means they can handle lots of washing and use without losing their quality.

"Turkish towels are typically crafted from long, smooth cotton fibers, which makes them extra soft and more durable than other towel styles."

Versatility and Style

Turkish towels are more than just beach essentials. They come in many colors and patterns, fitting your beach style perfectly. Their light weight and flat weave make them great for other uses, like wraps, blankets, or picnic mats.

These towels are incredibly versatile. They go from beach to everyday life easily. They're perfect for a cozy wrap or a stylish beach accessory.

Turkish towels also stand out for their striking style. With designs from classic stripes to bold patterns, they add elegance to any beach scene. Their timeless look makes them a smart choice for years to come.

Turkish Towel Styles

Versatile Applications

Classic Stripes

Beach Towel

Vibrant Patterns

Wrap/Shawl

Minimalist Designs

Picnic Blanket

Soft, Neutral Tones

Bath Towel

Looking for a stylish beach accessory or a versatile textile? Turkish towels are the ideal choice. Their adaptability and timeless look make them essential for beach lovers and style enthusiasts alike.

are turkish towels good for the beach

Turkish towels are great for the beach. They are versatile and practical. They offer many benefits for a day at the beach.

These towels are lightweight and easy to carry. They dry quickly, so you won't be stuck with a heavy, wet towel. Turkish cotton absorbs moisture well, keeping you dry and comfy.

Turkish towels also resist sand well. They don't cling to sand like regular towels do. This makes them easy to clean and use for lounging or drying off.

Feature

Benefit for Beach Use

Lightweight and Compact

Easy to transport and pack

Quick-Drying

Stay dry and comfortable after swimming

Sand Resistance

Minimal sand accumulation, easy to clean

Durable and Soft

Long-lasting use and luxurious feel

Versatile and Stylish

Suitable for multiple beach activities and fashionable

Turkish towels are durable and soft, making them a great choice for the beach. They are versatile for many activities. Turkish towels are perfect for the beach, blending function and style.

Caring for Turkish Towels

Washing and Drying

Keeping your Turkish towels in top shape is key. They stay soft and absorbent with a bit of care. Here's what you need to know.

Wash them in cold or medium water with a gentle detergent. Don't use fabric softeners, as they cut down on absorbency. For extra softness, add a little white vinegar once a month.

Let them air-dry instead of using a dryer. Dryers can make them less soft and durable. Hang or lay them flat to dry and keep them plush.

With a little effort, your Turkish towels will keep you cozy on the beach. Follow these tips to keep them soft, absorbent, and lasting long.

Care Tips for Turkish Towels

Recommended Practices

Washing

Use cold or medium water temperature

Opt for a gentle detergent

Avoid fabric softeners

Add white vinegar once a month for softening

Drying

Air-dry by hanging or laying flat

Avoid high heat from clothes dryers

"With proper care, Turkish towels become softer and fluffier with each wash, lasting a very long time."

Choosing the Right Turkish Towel

Choosing the perfect Turkish towel for beach adventures involves several key factors. The size, weight, and absorbency are crucial for comfort and functionality.

Look for a Turkish towel that's generously sized. It should be big enough to wrap around you or provide space for lounging on the sand. Aim for towels around 70-78 inches long and 37-40 inches wide. This size ensures you have enough coverage and versatility for beach activities.

The GSM (Grams per Square Meter) rating is important for absorbency and quality. For the best beach experience, choose towels with a GSM between 320 to 700. These are highly absorbent and durable.

Think about the style and color of the towel that fits your beach look. There's a wide range of options, from bold patterns to subtle tones. Choose one that complements your style and enhances the beach ambiance.

By considering these factors, you can confidently pick the best Turkish towels for the beach. They will provide comfort, absorbency, and style for your seaside adventures.

Conclusion

Turkish towels are a great pick for the beach. They mix useful features with a stylish look. Their light weight and fast drying make them easy to carry and use.

They also resist sand well, making your beach time stress-free. Plus, they're very durable and soft, offering a luxurious feel.

By following care tips, like washing with similar colors and using less detergent, your towel stays vibrant and absorbent. This keeps your beach towel a reliable friend for many trips.

In short, Turkish towels are perfect for the beach. They offer both practical benefits and elegance. Whether you want something light, quick-drying, and sand-resistant or a durable, soft towel, Turkish towels will impress you and make your beach time better.

FAQ

Are Turkish towels good for the beach?

Yes, Turkish towels are great for the beach. They are light, dry fast, soak up water well, and keep sand out. They're perfect for a beach day.

What are the benefits of Turkish towels for beach use?

Turkish towels are light and easy to carry, dry quickly, and soak up water well. They also resist sand, making them ideal for the beach.

How durable and soft are Turkish towels?

Turkish towels are made from top-quality Turkish cotton. This cotton is known for being very durable and soft. These towels stay soft and strong even after lots of use and washing.

Are Turkish towels versatile and stylish?

Yes, Turkish towels are not just for the beach. They are also stylish and versatile. You can find them in many colors and patterns to match your beach style.

How should I care for my Turkish towels?

To keep your Turkish towels in good shape, follow these care tips. Wash them in cold water on a gentle cycle with mild detergent. Avoid fabric softeners. Air-drying is best, as high heat can make them less soft and durable.

How do I choose the right Turkish towel for the beach?

When picking a Turkish towel for the beach, think about size, weight, and how well it absorbs. Choose a towel that's big enough to wrap around you or use as a blanket, but still light and easy to carry. Look for a high GSM rating for better absorbency and quality.

[ironbacklinks]

Freshen Up Your Basic Bathroom Accessories For Style & Utility

When designing a bathroom that is both usable and attractive, the selection of the accessories that you use is especially important. Whether you want bathroom fixtures that are easy to operate or enhance the look of the room, the right accessories will boost your daily use of the bathroom as well as the mood of the interior. Below are the main types of bath accessories that every homeowner needs to have in their bathroom.

1. Towel Bars and Hooks

Even one of the most simple elements of the bathroom equipment is a towel bar or even a hook. Towel bars are fixtures that offer an ideal place that a towel needs to lie to avoid getting wet. It is also available in many forms of styling, material and surface so you can adapt to your preferred bathroom design. Indoor Hanging Solutions for small bathroom You are advised to install hooks on the walls of your bathroom depending on your wall space to make it more efficient.

2. Shower Caddies and Organizers

Shower caddies and organisers are ideal because they keep your shower essentials in place and easily accessible. These accessories come in different types, which has hanging caddies that fixes to the shower head, shelf that uses suction on the wall or standalone. Include water resistance and mold resistance in your options of utensil choice for preparation, for instance, using stainless steel or plastic. When used appropriately, soap such as your shampoos, conditioners, and body washes could create an enjoyable showering encounter if your products are arranged in an orderly manner.

3. Bathroom Mats and Rugs

4. Soap Dispensers and Dishes

SOAP DISHES & DISPENSERS are another family of products that are essential and functional to maintain a clean kitchen plate area. Some designs can give your bathroom a touch of class and at the same time reduce the use of items on sink counter. You should consider your bathroom design when selecting the designs of the texiles as they can be modern, traditional or plain minimalistic. A soap dish is also important and enables them accommodate bar soap without creating a mess on the counter tops.

5. Toilet Brushes and Holders

A toilet brush is very important yet may not be rated highly as other accessories but important in a bathroom. Choose a good toilet brush set that still comes with a cover to hide the brush after use. Select a design that will blend with the bathroom and it not become a blot on the face of the house. It is so important to clean the toilet with a brush, to avoid formation of stains and to have a clean smelling room at all times.

6. Storage Solutions

Otherwise, the bathroom can fall into an unorganized chaos which is why bathroom storage is of outmost importance. You will find cabinets, shelving units, or under sink organizer that meets your needs of space management. Floating shelves are excellent for showcasing aesthetic objects of art , opulently while concealed storage cabinets offer neat aesthetics for storing shower michael and cleaning products. It is also important to add baskets or bins for even more organization they are useful for small parts as well.

7. Mirrors

Mirrors are for reflecting light and acting décor for your bath and shower space, among other uses. There are few tricks which should be taken into consideration, such as the disposition of mirror in the room helps to create an optical illusion and more natural light. They include; framed mirrors, illuminated mirrors, and even wall mounted magnifying mirrors for easier use when grooming. They come in a wide variety, as for the style and size should match the general lay out of the bathroom.

8. Shower Curtains or Screens

Shower curtains or screens are the curtains that distinguish between the showering and the other sections of your bathroom, and can also be a way to incorporate a splash of color or textures to your bathroom. When selecting a shower curtain, one should treat the fabric and the dimensions, so that it fit the shower area adequately. There are waterproof models, which make their maintenance slightly easier. If you want the bathroom to look more chic you can opt for glass shower enclosures which is more open than any other enclosure type.

9. Waste Bins

10. Decorative Elements

To apply more style to the bathroom and make it look more unique and homelike, some decorations are ideal in the washroom. Furniture accessories such as candles, potted flowers, paintings and sculpute can also beautify the interior. The furniture should be resistant to the effects of humidity and moisture build up; it is also important for choosing furniture in appropriate color. Applying the right decoration in a bathroom, a bath taking experience becomes more like a spa treatment.

11. Bath Accessories

Bath aids include bath trays, sponges as well as bath bombs and all these small items can help turn your bath experience to a nightly delight. A bath tray allows you put your favourite book, cup of coffee or tea, a glass of wine or candles next to you while you relax. Take your time and be abreast with the current markets to get quality bath sponges or brushes for that skin. Functional properties of bath bombs include aroma and colour therefore they are used to enhance the appearance of bath and give it a relaxing feel.

12. Lighting Fixtures

The right kind of lights will be required for any sort of bathroom depending on convenience and looks. Discuss an overhead lighting system with central fixtures plus additional wall fixtures sconces plus task lighting around mirrors. Such lights sometimes can be controlled so that they are not too bright during night bathing and depending on one’s mood. The bathroom lighting fixtures chosen should match the style of the bathroom; it can be contemporary, traditional or country.

13. Toilet Accessories

Some of the other toilet accessories include toilet brush and holder and then toilet paper holders together with other decorative storage items. Holders for the toilet paper can be wall-mounted or freestanding and improve conveniences and organization in the bathroom. Furthermore, extra rolls can be placed in boxes that are designed to be placed on the wall, keeping the room looking neat.

14. Personal Care Items

Some of the essentials include toothbrush holder, razor and razor holder, skincare caddy among others in order to have a good bathroom set up. Select something that can be cleaned easily and that will be in harmony with the rest of your interior. Wall mounted organizers should be used for storing such things as to free up counter space and avoid unnecessary clutter.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right bathroom accessories becomes very important since it will meet the need and improve the beauty of your bathroom. When a person buys items that reflect their personality and meets their demands, he can create a usable space and at the same time relaxing and comforting.

[thehugandsnug]

The Complete Guide to Home Linen: Elevating Comfort and Style in Your Living Space

Home linen plays a crucial role in enhancing the comfort, aesthetics, and functionality of any home. From soft bed sheets to stylish curtains, home linen includes a variety of textile items that not only serve practical purposes but also add warmth, texture, and elegance to your living space. In this article, we’ll dive into the essentials of home linen, exploring the different types, key considerations when choosing them, and tips for maintaining their quality.

Types of Home Linen

Bedding Linen

Bedding linen refers to items like bed sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, and blankets. These items are pivotal to ensuring a good night’s sleep and a cosy bedroom atmosphere. The fabric you choose for bedding, such as cotton, linen, silk, or bamboo, can significantly impact your comfort level. For example:

Cotton: Known for its breathability and durability, cotton is a popular choice for bed sheets. Egyptian cotton, in particular, is prized for its softness and luxurious feel.

Linen: This natural fiber is valued for its moisture-wicking properties and relaxed texture. While linen sheets may feel slightly rough at first, they soften with every wash.

Silk: Silk is incredibly smooth and hypoallergenic, making it ideal for people with sensitive skin. However, it requires more delicate care.

Bath Linen

Bath linen includes towels, bath mats, and washcloths. The most commonly used material for bath linen is cotton, especially in varieties like Egyptian cotton and Turkish cotton, which are known for their absorbency and softness. Here's a quick breakdown:

Towels: Available in various sizes such as bath towels, hand towels, and face towels, they should be soft, absorbent, and fast-drying. A higher GSM (grams per square meter) indicates a thicker, more luxurious towel.

Bath Mats: These are essential for stepping out of the shower and protecting your floor from water damage. Cotton or memory foam options are common for their absorbency and comfort.

Kitchen Linen

Kitchen linen encompasses dish towels, aprons, oven mitts, and kitchen cloths. These items are essential for cleaning, cooking, and protecting surfaces from spills. Cotton is the most frequently used material for kitchen linen because of its durability, absorbency, and heat resistance.

Curtains and Drapes

Curtains and drapes not only provide privacy and light control but also enhance the decor of any room. They come in a wide variety of fabrics, including silk, linen, cotton, polyester, and velvet. Sheer curtains allow light to filter through while maintaining some level of privacy, whereas heavier drapes are more suitable for blocking light and sound.

Key Considerations When Choosing Home Linen

When selecting home linen, it’s important to balance comfort, functionality, and aesthetics. Here are a few fundamental variables to consider:

Material: Different fabrics offer varying levels of softness, durability, and breathability. For example, cotton is ideal for most bedding and towels, while polyester blends are often used in table linens due to their stain-resistant properties.

Thread Count and GSM: Thread count is important when choosing bed sheets. A higher thread count often indicates softer sheets, though anything above 400 may not provide a noticeable difference. For towels, GSM measures thickness—higher GSM towels are thicker and more absorbent, while lower GSM towels dry faster and are lighter.

Design and Color: Home linen plays a major role in defining the style of your home. Neutral tones like white, beige, or grey create a timeless, minimalist look, while bold colours and patterns can inject vibrancy into your space. Ensure that your choices complement your room’s overall decor.

Maintenance: Some fabrics require more care than others. For example, silk bedding or delicate lace tablecloths may need to be dry cleaned, while cotton items are often machine washable. Consider the level of care you're willing to commit to before making your purchase.

Tips for Maintaining Home Linen

Regular Washing: Bedding should be washed every 1-2 weeks, while towels should be laundered after 3-4 uses to maintain freshness. Always follow the care label instructions.

Proper Storage: Store linens in a cool, dry place. Ensure they are folded neatly and, if possible, place them in linen bags to protect them from dust and insects. Lavender sachets or cedar blocks can prevent moths from damaging stored items.

Avoid Overloading the Washing Machine: Overloading your washer can cause fabric damage and prevent proper cleaning. Give linens enough space to be fully submerged and agitated during the wash cycle.

Drying: Air drying is recommended for fabrics like linen and cotton as it helps retain their quality. Using a dryer, use a low heat setting to prevent shrinking and maintain fabric softness.

Ironing and Steaming: Some linens, such as tablecloths and napkins, benefit from ironing to keep them crisp and wrinkle-free. However, many modern fabrics are designed to be wrinkle-resistant and may not require ironing at all.

Conclusion

Home linen is an essential aspect of interior design and daily living, blending functionality with aesthetics to create a comfortable and visually appealing environment. Whether you're choosing soft bedding for restful nights, plush towels for the bathroom, or elegant table linens for special gatherings, selecting the right materials and taking proper care of your home linen ensures both longevity and enjoyment. By investing in high-quality textiles and maintaining them well, you’ll be able to enhance the beauty and comfort of your home for years to come.

For further information please visit the website:

[wedezineinterior]

Designing a Bathroom for Seniors: A Perfect Blend of Safety and Style

As people age, their living spaces need to evolve to meet new requirements, particularly when it comes to safety. One of the most important areas to address is the bathroom, a space that can pose challenges for seniors due to slippery surfaces, hard edges, and the need for balance. However, at WeDezine, we believe that functionality and safety should never mean compromising on elegance and aesthetics. Here’s a fresh take on designing a bathroom for seniors that combines safety features with a contemporary, stylish design.

1. Safe, Slip-Resistant Flooring

Slips and falls in the bathroom are common, especially for older adults. Prioritizing slip-resistant flooring is the first step in creating a safe bathroom. Opt for flooring materials that provide a strong grip, such as slip-resistant tiles, textured vinyl, or rubber flooring. These materials reduce the risk of falls and provide a stable surface to walk on.

Style Tip: To keep the space visually appealing, select flooring in soft, neutral shades like cool greys, warm taupes, or muted pastels. For a bit of personality, incorporate patterned tiles in shower areas or as accent pieces around the room.

2. Strategically Placed Grab Bars

Grab bars are essential for senior bathrooms, providing support and stability. Installing them near the shower, bathtub, and toilet can make it easier for seniors to move around confidently. But today’s grab bars go beyond plain, functional steel—there are sleek, stylish options available that seamlessly integrate into modern bathroom designs.

Design Integration: Choose grab bars with modern finishes, such as brushed brass or matte black, to complement your overall design theme. These bars can be subtly integrated into the bathroom layout, adding to its elegance while providing safety.

3. Elevated Toilets for Comfort

Standard toilets can be difficult for seniors to use, as sitting and standing from low heights can strain the knees and back. A comfort-height toilet, also known as a chair-height toilet, offers a more accessible option, making everyday use far easier.

Aesthetic Tip: Opt for streamlined, modern toilet designs that blend functionality with minimalism. You can match it with a high-quality, soft-close toilet seat in a color that ties into your overall bathroom scheme, such as soft beige or classic white.

4. Barrier-Free Walk-In Showers

Stepping over the edge of a tub or into a high-walled shower can be risky for seniors. A walk-in shower with a low or zero-threshold entry is a safer alternative. It allows for easy access without the need to lift legs high, significantly reducing the chance of tripping.

Design Note: Frameless glass doors can give a walk-in shower an open, airy feel. Pair this with a large, rain-style showerhead for a luxurious experience. Adding built-in seating inside the shower enhances both comfort and safety, blending seamlessly with the overall design.

5. Non-Slip Shower Mats and Seating

For added security, include non-slip mats in the shower area, and consider installing a built-in or foldable shower seat. These are particularly helpful for seniors who may need to sit while bathing.

Design Touch: To elevate the style, choose a shower seat made of teak wood or other water-resistant materials that complement your bathroom’s aesthetic. Shower mats in matching tones can add a cohesive look while enhancing safety.

6. Ergonomic Faucets and Handles

Traditional faucets may pose challenges for seniors who have arthritis or limited mobility in their hands. Lever-style faucets, which require minimal effort to operate, are a much more practical and comfortable choice.

Design Suggestion: Sleek, ergonomic faucets in finishes such as brushed nickel, brass, or matte black add a modern touch. Wall-mounted faucets or touchless options are not only easy to use but also create a chic, minimalist vibe.

7. Enhanced Bathroom Lighting

Adequate lighting is crucial in a senior-friendly bathroom. Ensure that every corner is well-lit, from the vanity area to the shower and toilet. For added safety, install nightlights or motion-sensor lights to help seniors navigate the space during the night.

Styling Idea: Incorporate a mix of ambient and task lighting. Consider adding elegant sconces beside mirrors for task lighting and using LED lighting in the shower area for a modern, energy-efficient solution. Warm, soft white lights can create a cozy and inviting environment.

8. Easy-Access Storage Solutions

For seniors, bending down to reach cabinets or stretching to access high shelves can be uncomfortable or unsafe. Installing low, easily accessible storage units will make daily bathroom routines smoother.

Design Insight: Opt for custom cabinetry that fits the bathroom’s dimensions while offering plenty of storage space. Use light-colored wood finishes or painted cabinets in white or pastel tones to maintain a fresh, open feel. Open shelving or pull-out drawers can add both convenience and style.

9. Water Temperature Regulation

Older adults are more susceptible to burns caused by hot water. Installing a thermostatic mixing valve or temperature-regulated faucets ensures that water stays at a safe, comfortable temperature, preventing accidental scalding.

Design Tip: Look for sleek, modern digital controls that allow you to preset the water temperature. This not only provides safety but also introduces a subtle, high-tech edge to the bathroom's design.

10. Wide Doorways and Spacious Layouts

For seniors who use mobility aids like walkers or wheelchairs, wide doorways and an uncluttered layout are essential. Ensure that the bathroom has enough clearance to move around easily and that doorways are at least 32 inches wide.

Space-Saving Tip: If space is limited, consider installing sliding barn doors or pocket doors instead of traditional swing doors. These types of doors offer a stylish look while maximizing the available floor space.

Conclusion

At WeDezine, we believe that creating a senior-friendly bathroom doesn’t mean sacrificing design aesthetics. By integrating safety features such as non-slip flooring, grab bars, and accessible showers with stylish design choices like sleek fixtures, modern lighting, and elegant storage, you can create a bathroom that’s not only functional but also a beautiful and relaxing retreat.

[moldassassins]

Mold-Resistant Drywall 

Mold-Resistant Drywall Options for a Healthier Home

When it comes to protecting your home from mold, one of the most effective measures is choosing the right building materials. Mold-resistant drywall is an excellent option for areas prone to moisture, such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements, and laundry rooms. This type of drywall is designed to prevent the growth of mold, helping to maintain a healthier indoor environment and avoid costly remediation in the future.

How Mold-Resistant Drywall Works

Unlike traditional drywall, which uses a paper-facing that mold can thrive on, mold-resistant drywall is made with a fiberglass mat. This non-organic surface makes it difficult for mold spores to grow. Additionally, the core of mold-resistant drywall is infused with moisture-resistant additives to further block mold growth. These features make it an ideal choice for moisture-prone spaces.

Top Mold-Resistant Drywall Options

Green Board Green board is a popular option for moisture-prone areas. It has a water-resistant core and a thicker, more durable face than standard drywall. While not fully waterproof, it is effective in areas with occasional moisture, like kitchens or bathrooms.

Purple Drywall This option is specially designed for high-moisture areas. Purple drywall is resistant to both mold and mildew, and it also offers enhanced durability and water resistance, making it ideal for bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms.

Cement Board Cement board is a great choice for areas that experience high levels of moisture, such as showers. It is water-resistant and highly durable, providing a long-lasting defense against mold.

Conclusion

Choosing the right mold-resistant drywall can help protect your home from the risks of mold, especially in moisture-prone areas. By using materials like green board, purple drywall, or cement board, you can create a safer, healthier environment and minimize the potential for mold growth.

[kuqix]

A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Perfect Rain Poncho: Fabric and Coating Recommendations

When heading outdoors for activities like mountaineering, travel, or even a simple hike, a high-quality rain poncho is an essential piece of gear. The right poncho will not only keep you dry but also ensure comfort and durability under various weather conditions. With so many options available, choosing the ideal rain poncho can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to selecting the right fabric and coating. In this article, we'll break down the key features of common materials and coatings, and explain how to choose the best combination for your specific needs. Let's take a closer look at the product types, such as Polyester Taffeta + PU Coating, Polyester Taffeta + Silver Coating, Oxford Cloth + PVC Coating, and Polyester + PU Coating, to guide you in selecting the ideal rain poncho.

3-In-1 Multifunction Portable Raincoat Poncho Canopy Mat Pu Rain Poncho Polyester Taffeta Pvc Polyester For Mountaineering Travel OutdoorOverview Stay prepared for sudden rain with this durable, free-size rain poncho for adults. Crafted from high-quality waterproof material, this poncho is desig

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Rain Poncho

Before diving into fabric and coating combinations, let's outline the most important factors to consider when choosing a rain poncho: - Waterproofing: A poncho's primary function is to keep you dry. The fabric and coating work together to determine its water resistance. - Breathability: While staying dry is important, ensuring that moisture from sweat doesn't accumulate inside is crucial for comfort. - Durability: If you're using the poncho for outdoor activities, its resistance to wear, tear, and abrasions is key. - Portability and Weight: For mountaineering or travel, a lightweight and packable poncho is essential. - UV Protection and Thermal Insulation: Some ponchos offer extra protection from the sun’s UV rays or help retain warmth, which can be a bonus in certain environments. Now, let's explore the most popular fabric and coating combinations for rain ponchos. 1. Polyester Taffeta + PU Coating Polyester Taffeta is a tightly woven, lightweight synthetic fabric that’s known for being smooth and somewhat shiny. When paired with a PU (Polyurethane) Coating, this combination creates a durable, flexible, and water-resistant poncho perfect for outdoor use. Features: - Waterproofing: PU coatings provide excellent water resistance, effectively keeping out moderate to heavy rain. - Flexibility and Weight: PU-coated ponchos made with polyester taffeta are lightweight, making them easy to carry on the go. They fold up compactly, which is perfect for travel and outdoor activities. - Durability: Polyester taffeta is resistant to abrasions, and the PU coating further enhances the material’s longevity. - Suitable for: Hiking, camping, and everyday outdoor travel where you need a lightweight, packable, and waterproof option. Why Choose It: If you’re looking for a poncho that’s versatile, lightweight, and offers great waterproof protection without being bulky, a Polyester Taffeta + PU Coating rain poncho is a fantastic option. It strikes a balance between durability and portability, making it ideal for mountaineering or travel. 2. Polyester Taffeta + Silver Coating This combination features the same Polyester Taffeta base but is coated with a Silver Coating, which offers additional reflective properties, making the poncho suitable for both rain protection and heat management. Features: - Waterproofing: Like the PU coating, the silver coating is also water-resistant, ensuring you stay dry during rain showers. - UV Protection: The silver coating reflects UV rays, making it perfect for sunny climates. This helps keep you cool by deflecting heat and protecting your skin from sun damage. - Lightweight and Compact: Much like the PU-coated variant, these ponchos are lightweight and easy to fold, making them great for travelers who want dual protection from both rain and sun. - Suitable for: Hot, sunny environments where you need protection from both rain and excessive UV exposure, such as desert hikes or sunny mountains. Why Choose It: If you need a rain poncho that not only protects you from rain but also shields you from the sun's harmful UV rays, Polyester Taffeta + Silver Coating is the way to go. It’s an excellent choice for outdoor adventures in sunny regions where you need both cooling and waterproofing. 3. Oxford Cloth + PVC Coating Oxford Cloth is a heavy-duty, durable fabric that’s often used in outdoor gear. When combined with a PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Coating, the result is a highly waterproof, tough, and sturdy poncho that can withstand harsh conditions. Features: - Waterproofing: PVC coatings are among the best for heavy-duty waterproofing. This combination provides maximum protection against rain, even in the heaviest downpours. - Durability: Oxford cloth is thicker and more resistant to wear and tear than polyester fabrics. The PVC coating enhances its toughness, making it highly resistant to scratches, punctures, and abrasion. - Weight: The trade-off for durability is that this combination tends to be heavier than taffeta or polyester-based ponchos. However, it’s perfect for situations where you need long-term durability over portability. - Suitable for: Heavy rain, tough outdoor conditions, or when durability is key, such as mountaineering, hunting, or long-term outdoor use. Why Choose It: For those who prioritize maximum waterproofing and durability over lightweight portability, Oxford Cloth + PVC Coating is an excellent choice. It’s especially suited for rugged outdoor environments where you need a poncho that can take a beating and still keep you dry. 4. Polyester + PU Coating Polyester is a synthetic fabric known for its strength and durability. When paired with a PU Coating, it offers a balance between flexibility, water resistance, and comfort. Features: - Waterproofing: The PU coating ensures solid water resistance, keeping you dry in moderate rain conditions. - Lightweight: Polyester is naturally light, and when combined with PU, the poncho remains portable and easy to pack for outdoor adventures. - Breathability: While not as breathable as some specialized fabrics, this combination offers better ventilation than heavier fabrics like Oxford cloth, making it more comfortable for extended wear. - Suitable for: General outdoor activities such as casual hiking, commuting, or light travel. Why Choose It: If you're looking for a lightweight, affordable rain poncho for general use, Polyester + PU Coating provides excellent value. It’s perfect for situations where you need a durable but not overly heavy poncho for everyday outdoor activities.

Conclusion: How to Choose the Best Fabric and Coating Combination for You

Choosing the right rain poncho comes down to understanding your needs and matching them with the correct fabric and coating combination: - For lightweight and compact travel: Go for Polyester Taffeta + PU Coating. It offers great waterproofing without adding bulk, making it ideal for hikers and travelers. - For UV protection and rain resistance in sunny climates: Polyester Taffeta + Silver Coating is the best option, providing dual protection from both the sun and rain. - For rugged, heavy-duty use: Oxford Cloth + PVC Coating is the most durable, providing maximum waterproofing and resilience for harsh environments. - For general outdoor use: Polyester + PU Coating gives you a versatile, lightweight poncho that balances cost, weight, and functionality. By understanding the strengths and trade-offs of each material and coating combination, you can confidently choose a rain poncho that fits your lifestyle and outdoor needs. Whether you're mountaineering, hiking, or simply preparing for rainy weather on your next trip, there’s a perfect poncho out there waiting for you! Read the full article