Meeting the friends

Jentorra stumbled into the kitchen, and froze.

Maybe half a dozen strangers were standing around - students like Cassie and Kate and the other no doubt, chatting over snacks, when Jentorra barrelled in through the door. Casual conversation came to a screeching halt as the toned warrior wearing nothing but her warpaint burst in.

She had no way out. Her feet still ached lightly from darting over the floor outside, and if she risked a look back over her bare shoulder, she saw all the doors sealed shut behind her, with no promise of privacy or more smooth floors.

Either she stood here and braved the kitchen, or she threw herself out the window.

Speaking of, there was a window. Jentorra rushed for it, seeing some kind of curtain set into the top; she grabbed at it, tugging desperately at it before too many passers-by looked in.

“Um. Hi?” someone said.

Someone reached by her, tugging on a seemingly irrelevant string. Blinds, thankfully, slid down to obscure her from the window.

Then, lost for words, Jentorra turned around and returned her arms to where they had been, crossed over her naked chest. She cupped her breasts, awkwardly standing in place, trying not to think about how much they’d seen.

“Hey! This is the girl in Cassie’s room,” Kate said, walking in.

“She’s. Confident, huh?” one student said.

“Yeah. Didn’t even grab a towel,” Kate said. “Jen, right?”

Jentorra nodded silently, eyes wide.

A redhead, staring rather obviously in disbelief, stepped closer. She tilted her head.

“Rock on,” she said, offering a fist.

It might have been some casual gesture of familiarity on this world - Jentorra saw a fist, reacting instinctively and grabbed the wrist, pulling and executing a quick throw, pinning the redhead to the floor before hastily standing back up straight, fidgeting, covering her core with one hand after a moment’s thought.

They were staring again. Jentorra gulped.

“Listen, do you want something?” one said. They offered some kind of jacket - Jentorra flinched back, remembering trying on something similar with Cassie. “Er. Guess not.”

“Ow,” said the redhead from the floor. “No one going to comment?”

“I mean, it was kinda cool,” Kate said. “See why Cassie likes you. Where’d you learn that kind of stuff?”

“War,” Jentorra said.

“Intense. Cool,” Kate said, apparently not sure what else to say.

Jentorra shifted. She didn’t want to just be standing there, but there was nowhere else she could safely go. At least she knew she was safe in here - Cassie’s friends were harmless. She was mortified, but safe.

“So how’d you meet Cassie?” Kate said. “Union? Bar? Same class?”

In another realm while fighting a conqueror. Jentorra hesitated.

“Bar,” Jentorra said.

One of the other students took a seat. Jentorra experimentally mimicked her, taking a step backwards, then glancing at one of the seats - mostly hard plastic, it didn’t look much like the carpet or clothing that she couldn’t bear. She poked it, then carefully sat, looking almost demure with her hands on her lap.

“So. Any particular reason you’re naked?” the redhead said, standing up.

“Hey! You can’t just ask her that,” Kate said.

“What? We were all thinking it,” the redhead said back.

“I’m sure Cassie’ll tell us when she’s ready,” Kate said. “Jen’s just… Hey, want something to drink?”

“Yes. That would help,” Jentorra said.

Getting drunk seemed to be something that existed in both realms. It seemed rather beneficial just then.