New daily routine

Cassie paced for a bit, while Jentorra sat naked on the bathroom floor, avoiding the carpet for as long as she could.

They’d tried more outfits. Tops, dresses, even something dark and stretchy that Cassie insisted had been bought for her as a joke, and Jentorra hadn’t been able to bear contact with any of the strange materials for more than a few seconds.

Which left her here. Still nude, still trapped in this alien world.

The bathroom wasn’t that big. There was a small square, surrounded by clear plastic, with a complicated-looking mechanism inside that Cassie said was used for showering - quite what was wrong was the natural springs Jentorra had back home, she didn’t know. There was only barely enough room to pace, which Jentorra did the moment Cassie was out of view, the activity some small comfort to her.

Cassie had mentioned something about needing to send emails, missing class and contacting her family, which had seen her duck out of the doorway - given that was all Jentorra could see without risking setting foot on that carpet again, she waited. Walk to one side of the room, then the other…

She shifted her weight a little, and then leaned forwards, balancing on her hands and toes - exertion was her usual outlet, and exercise seemed about all she could do. (That and, admittedly, there was a little pride involved in keeping herself toned, especially now this was her situation).

After a while, Cassie moved back into the doorway, and the strangled squeaking noise she made alerted Jentorra, who quickly rocked back to sit up and cross her arms.

“So. Er. How’s it going?” Cassie said.

“This is very boring,” Jentorra said.

“Yes, well, sorry. Not much I can do,” Cassie said. “Dad’s still on his book tour, Hope’s at work, but as soon as they get my message, I’ll let you know.”

Cassie hesitated.

“It’s getting late,” Cassie said. “I’m guessing bedsheets won’t be safe for you to touch either? Do you want anything?”

“I’ve made do with less,” Jentorra said.

Usually not naked, she appended in her head. Still, she did her best to appear stoic and dignified - it was about all she had.

“So cool,” Cassie mouthed, then coughed. “Um, I mean. Well good luck. I’ll be just out here if you need anything.”

“I won’t be going anywhere,” Jentorra said.

It was something of a relief when Cassie closed the door. Then Jentorra lay down on the cold tiles, feeling the clamminess against her side - her legs, her chest, her head, all too rigid and unyielding.

Still, she’d always preferred beds that were too hard, rather than too soft. Softness could mean anything; it’d be easy to end up swallowed by an amoebisaur if you took a nap in the wrong place. At least you knew where you stood with something solid.

The night passed faster than she expected. She was used to sleeping in awkward places, even if she did jerk awake a couple of times, and needed to remember her situation all over again.

Her first night in the world above.

She was doing a few more push-ups when the door opened. Still flushed, she rocked back to sit up, covering with her arms to look up to see Cassie. Now, the other woman was in a loose shirt that went a third of the way down her thigh, her legs bare, and her hair a little messed up. Blearily, Cassie rubbed her eyes. She blinked.

“Huh. Not a dream. Good to know,” Cassie said.

She paused, then adjusted the bottom of her top.

“Hi,” Cassie said. “Um.”

“Hi,” Jentorra echoed.

Cassie hesitated. She fidgeted for a moment. Jentorra fidgeted much more overtly.

“Er. Any chance you can wait out here?” Cassie said.

“No,” Jentorra said.

She eyed the carpet warily. Cassie sighed.

“Figured,” Cassie said. “Just, kinda have to shower.”

“I can’t wait on that floor,” Jentorra said. “And I’m not going outside again.”

“Yeah,” Cassie said. She sighed. “That figures.”

Cassie hesitated, again. Then, reluctantly, she stepped forwards; Jentorra kept her distance, as wary of Cassie’s top as anything.

“Just, um, don’t stare,” Cassie said.

“Like you weren’t staring?” Jentorra said.

Cassie went beet-red. Still, she reached into the shower stall, shirt riding up just a little as she leaned in to turn the water on.

“Um. Do you want to shower too?” Cassie said. She squeaked. “After me, I mean!”

“If I can see how this contraption works,” Jentorra said.

“Oh, it’s pretty simple. Just kinda, er, stand under the water.”

“I know what a shower is, Cassie,” Jentorra said. “Turning the water on looks… simple enough.”

“Right,” Cassie said.

She hesitated, again. Then she quickly slipped her shirt off, hesitating with it in her hand for a second, before throwing it out of the bathroom and out of reach of Jentorra. Flustered, she ducked into the shower, nervously meeting her nude roommate’s eyes.

“Well. Never done this with company before,” Cassie mumbled.

Cassie’s body wasn’t as toned as Jentorra’s, but it had the signs of someone clearly beginning to challenge herself, the hints of firmness where it would matter. She was bare between her legs, unlike Jentorra, drawing the warrior’s attention for a few moments before Cassie quickly covered with her hand.

Jentorra fidgeted herself, finding the situation as awkward as Cassie. At least Cassie was doing something - she was just standing there and waiting, trapped by her reactions to substances that were apparently common in this world.

Jentorra covered her breasts with her arms, almost unconsciously, as Cassie washed herself - there were more products involved there than Jentorra quite knew what to do with, though she did admittedly seem to be doing it hastily. After a few minutes, a dripping wet Cassie ducked out of the shower, and hurried over to the towel, trailing water behind herself and hiding behind her arms. She wrapped herself up in the towel, flustered.

“Okay so. Um,” Cassie began. “I’m going to see if dad’s replied yet, so you don’t have to go on living in my shower, okay?”

“I am very okay with that idea,” Jentorra said, red-faced herself.