Bathing with Cassidy

She looked at the numbers on the doors yet couldn't remember which one was hers, "Hello there, you look lost," She jumped as she looked up and saw a new face talking to her, "Which room are you looking for?"

"1, um, 1, 3."

"113?" She nodded, "Oh, well, let me bring you to your hallway, I am Katie, you are?" She hesitated before looking lost, "What is your name?"

"I am Elena."

"You are new here?"

"Yes, I am new here," Katie walked with her and then they saw Cassidy heading to her room.

"Cassidy!" She turned and saw the two of them, "One of your little ones is lost," Cassidy smiled and walked towards Elena, "Well, I am going to go back to my hall, sleep well," Elena was a nuisance, yet they were smiling as they helped her.

"Elena, follow me, I'll show you to your room."

"Thank you, I wanted to ask you, Cassidy."

"Go ahead, what is it?"

"Did they humiliate you?"

"Well, yes and no, I did commit a crime, but Sam saved me before."

"What crime?"

"Murder, I killed."

"Oh," She looked nervous.

"But don't worry, Sam has allowed me to change, I am not violent anymore, but you know," Cassidy remembered what Fiora had told her, "Do you want to sign up to a class or something?"

"A class?"

"Aside from learning writing and such, like a class for gardening or for sewing, you know," Cassidy offered, "You don't have too, but you might make good friends."

"I will think about them."

"Okay, well, this is your room," She looked above the door and saw the figures that had eluded her before, 1, 1, 3, 113, "If you need me, just knock on my door, it is the last door left from where you leave, there is a small ribbon on the door handle," She smiled and let Elena into her room, "Oh, did you bath?"

"Um, no."

"Ah, well, did you get your night robe?" She nodded and showed it to her, "Then take it and come with me, I have to bath as well, so I will be heading over there, okay?" Elena nodded and left her room and followed Cassidy with the robe in her arms, "One second," She disappeared into her room and then returned with her night robe, "Let's get going, we probably won't have many others there," She took Elena by the hand and began walking with her towards the bath rooms that Juliet had showed Elena, "Do you remember where it is?"

"Um, um, um, um, um, um," She looked around and then pointed at one of the large doors, "There?"

"Mhm, good job," Cassidy walked with her and then they entered a candle lit room that had several places that were empty while some had clothes in a few of the places, "You can get undressed here and put your stuff in the places," Elena nodded as Cassidy began untying the knot that held her dress. Elena looked at her weirdly, "Elena? What's wrong?"

"Is there no private place?"

"We are between women, don't worry, I have done this before, and you will probably do this again with others," She nervously reached for the knots of her dress, "You want help?" Cassidy said, moving behind her and untying her dress, "There you go."

"This is weird."

"Is it? I never thought of that," She said, placing her night robe and dress in the slot, "Why is it weird?" She said as she began removing her underwear.

"Because, because, because, um, I was told that."

"By a man? Your father? Your mother? By a woman?"

"My father."

"You see, when a man tells you what to do with your body, well," She giggled, "That shouldn't be the only thing that makes your choice, you will learn to judge yourself, Elena, you are free here," She smiled and then stood, waiting for her to join her for the baths. She nervously covered herself, hiding her body, "Elena, do you see me hiding?" She shook her head, "So, if you want, you can keep yourself hidden, but I will be like this," She shyly revealed herself, "Let's wash ourselves."

"O-Okay," She was blushing as she entered the bathroom with Cassidy. She walked into one of the small pools that were the baths. Elena shyly put her foot into the water, "It's cold," Cassidy smile at her as she sat all the way into the water, "How are you not cold?"

"Because I like it, it helps you loosen yourself, just go in all the way," She nodded and then did what she said and then hugged herself once in the water, "The source is a cold source, so the water flows clear and cold."

"Brrr, I haven't washed myself in a while."

"How long?"

"A few days," Cassidy slid over and grabbed a small dish with a decently large cube on it, "What is that?"

"Soap, I am going wash your back, you know, the things you can't do."

"O-Okay, I never wash myself well."

"Okay, then I'll wash you."

"T-Thank you," She covered her face, "I am embarrassed."

"Don't be," She smiled as she took a piece of the soap and began washing her, "You are beautiful, and you shouldn't be ashamed of your body, or embarrassed, or humiliated by it," Her hand touched Elena's back and began washing it, "I was like you when I got here, but I didn't have as much help, yet Sam did everything he could for me," She explained as she continued washing Elena, "He taught me to regain trust in myself, and praised me instead of criticizing me, I slowly regain trust in myself, and well, now I help girls like you," She sounded like a mother, nearly, trying to make Elena less nervous, "I signed you up for classes, to learn."

"Oh, thank you."

"Mhm, you have a class alone."

"Who is my teacher?"

"Dariia, she is a kind, older lady."

"O-Okay."

"You will learn, Elena, you will be able to talk and read and write like me, it will take time, and effort, but you'll get there, it will start off hard, but it will always be when you learn something new."

"Okay."

"Can you wash my back?" Cassidy asked, "I'll continue washing you after, but we might as well," Elena's cheeks went bright red, "Are you okay?"

"I d-d-don't know."

"It is fine, I'll do it myself," She smiled, understanding Elena's discomfort, "What crime did you commit?"

"None."

"Really? False accusation?"

"What?"

"They said you did something bad when you didn't?" She nodded, "What was it?"

"Stealing money and food."

"Oh, many have that said about them, some are real, some are fake, well, can you lift your arm for me?" She lifted her arm as Cassidy began washing her.