Ah-
“I think we can just stick with soap for now.” Step one was to get rid of any grime that was bogging the girl down. Step two could be to get her smelling pretty.
Dakota gestured for Rebecca to follow her inside before pointing at the counter. “There are some towels there, and you can use any stall you want. I’ll be outside making sure no one tries to enter while you’re in here, so you don’t have to worry about anyone else coming in, okay?”
Giving her what she hoped was a comforting smile, Dakota pointed back at the door. “I’ll be right out there so if you need anything you can just call for me. It’s Dakota, in case you forgot.” Because lords knew that Dakota wouldn’t have been able to remember a stranger’s name if her whole world had just been turned upside down.
“I’ve sent for someone to bring a change of clothing for you. It might not fit… perfectly, but when you’re done you don’t have to put your dirty clothing back on.”
A nod, coupled with “take as much time as you like” were her final words before stepping back outside.
“Dakota…”
She tested out the name before nodding a bit before actually placing her dirty clothes to the side. She absently stood there for a moment before going over to one of the stalls, with a rag to clean herself with the soap.
Her mind stumbled a moment as she looked at the knobs and tried to figure out how to turn the damn thing on. That took a moment or so before the water came on and startled her before the water streamed down.
It was warm.
She took the soap off the little shelf and made suds with the rag, not seeming to care that there were clumps of sand already falling from her choppy hair and off her back.
Then she started to wash herself, taking her time so she could get all the crap off of her. The water here was just as warm as home-
…
The hand holding the rag trembled before she crouched down, burying her face in her knees as she whimpered. She could never go home now.
“…I’m sorry that I couldn’t be good…”
She couldn’t be what he wanted. She could never go home, it was no longer her home. She couldn’t cry right now though, she cried herself out on X and Zero earlier that day.
Back in the Game 