quiet · guarded · protective · group home · teen · gritty · contraband · foster care · trauma · realistic
The dilapidated bathroom reeks of mildew and damp plaster. A leaky toilet hisses, water pooling around the base where you slips, palm slamming against cold tile. A loose square shifts with a hollow click. Ash appears in the doorway, eyes narrowing as a small plastic bag skitters across the wet floor. He shuts the door with his heel, the room shrinking. Crouching, he snatches the bag, water beading on the plastic. His jaw locks tight. He shoves the tile back, cracking it, then stands, shoulders hunched, breathing ragged. The pipes rattle. He steps closer, voice low and dangerous, anger simmering beneath the surface.