After dinner, Cassie changed into her bathing suit before heading to the outdoor pool. Cassie was understandably uncomfortable about Aftran watching her change, and if the Yeerk could have closed her eyes, she would have. Cassie exchanged her clothes for a bathing suit as quickly as she could, trying not to look at her body as she did so, discomfort and near shame rising up in her.
It wasn't, Aftran knew, because the human was ashamed of her body. When they had first met, decades ago, Cassie had made comments aloud about having gained weight. When Aftran had first entered her mind, she'd felt Cassie's discomfort at not being thin, in spite of the fact that she did not care about fashion. Body image, at least for teenagers, must have been so ingrained into society that even someone like Cassie was aware of where, in her opinion, she was lacking.
Had Aftran remained in her head, she would have told her host that what she believed was fat was actually muscle. In the short time they had together, really both times, the topic hadn't come up. Or, at least, Aftran hadn't brought it up. Not out of callousness, but because there were other immediate pressing matters at stake.
Karen had only been a child, and without older siblings, but even she had heard her mother and her nanny make the occasional comments of having gained or lost weight. Of needing to exercise more. Of not being able to fit into one outfit or another. Karen had believed both women to be beautiful, had told them this before Aftran took over her body, and Aftran had repeated these phrases to appear to be in character. Even though Karen had been her first host, and too young to understand, Aftran had been able to pick up on the discomfort that humans, especially females, thought about their physical structure.
Cassie, Aftran pieced together now, had grown into her skin, as the humans called it. She, as Aftran had seen through her borrowed human body before Cassie had infested her, was the right proportions for a human her size. She was not overly large, nor was she model thin. Her muscles-Aftran felt this now, especially-were pronounced. Cassie might have even been able to be an athlete, had she desired that path. The time this child-woman-spent on her feet, combined with a generally healthy diet, provided her with a healthy appearance. Cassie no longer felt insecurity about how she looked, however guarded she was around others.
No. Cassie's insecurity came from being observed. It was back to the whole intimacy of the Yeerk-human relationship. Hork-Bajir, Gedds, and Taxxons (the latter she assumed) did not wear outer layers, and their bodies were exposed to the world. Humans, at least most humans, covered most of their body most of the time. To watch another human without all of their clothing, unless the human was exceptionally young, required an reason for it not to be taboo. A spouse. A medical professional.
(I hope this gets easier,) Cassie murmured, half laughing and half grumbling, once she'd managed to get her swimsuit on.
(I can't say from personal experience, but I imagine it will,) Aftran replied, honestly, but hoping her tone was soothing.
(I knew that this would happen, when I thought about hosting you,) Cassie said, with a slight laugh. (But I tried not to dwell on it. Especially since finding you was my main priority. You could have been anywhere, Aftran.)
Aftran smiled, mentally. (You would have found me eventually, the way the message was playing. It was fortunate, though, that I was in an area that I heard it faster, and could cover the distance easily enough.)
(And that you wanted to,) Cassie reminded her, with a mental smile of her own.
(Why would I not want to?) Aftran asked, even though, being in Cassie's head, she knew the answer.
Which Cassie knew.
(You know. You wouldn't want to enslave me, or anyone,) her host reminded her. (Even if the war was long over. Even though everything is so much different, now. There are still some Yeerks who feel that way. Ones who never had hosts, but heard about the atrocities committed during the war. Others who did have hosts, and feel so guilty...)
Cassie's voice trailed off.
Aftran understood. It was one thing to blame the empire, but each Yeerk had free will (and, she knew, some discretion) over how they treated their hosts. Aftran might have said heinous things about humans being meat to Cassie and Marco, but she'd done her best to make Karen's experience bearable.
Well, what she had determined bearable. Aftran had never tortured Karen, and under the rules of the empire, this treatment of an involuntary would have been considered extremely generous. Granted, Karen's age allowed Aftran leniency that (she believed, anyway) would not have been tolerated with an older host. Even someone Cassie's age.
(Are you persuading those Yeerks otherwise?) she asked, even though, again, she knew the answer.
(We tell the younger ones that they're not responsible for the sins of their ancestors,) Cassie began, (and the ones who feel guilt...I mean, they probably infested involuntarily at one point or another, but they're hardly the ones whose crimes sentenced them to the other pool.)
The one with limited access to Kandrona rays.
(We want them to make up their own minds,) Cassie added. (While it's true that there are more humans who want a Yeerk than Yeerks available, at least right now, it would be almost as cruel to make an unwilling Yeerk take a willing host than the other way around, you know?)
(I do,) Aftran replied. (Anyway, with this new technology, I imagine it won't be a problem for very long.)
Cassie grinned. (That's the hope.)
They dove into the water, and Cassie swam nearly the entire stretch of the pool without coming up for air. Aftran was impressed. Not that she was surprised, but still, impressed.
Cassie laughed. (Like I told you. I love swimming here. I'm glad, you know, that I'm able to do it. So many can't.)
Meaning that they both didn't have the funds for a private pool, and that there were many humans who didn't know how to swim. Aftran wondered, briefly, how many humans temporarily suffered from a fear of pools in general because of the Yeerk Pool. Of course, the difference between a swimming pool and the Yeerk Pool was like the difference between the Yeerk home world and Earth...or so she'd been told...
After several laps, Aftran noticed the diving board. She nudged at Cassie's mind. (Can we?) she asked, taking gentle control of her eyes to focus them in that direction.
Cassie rolled her eyes, but her tone was affectionate. (Oh, all right. You want to...?)
(Are you sure?) Aftran asked, a little surprised.
(Just as long as you stick to gentle control,) Cassie requested. In a lighter tone, she added, (Don't forget that you're in a human body, not a humpback whale.)
Aftran sent Cassie an image of a Yeerk sticking out its tongue. (For your information,) she said, in a mock haughty tone, (a humpback whale would never be able to attempt the feat of climbing a diving board.)
Cassie burst into giggles. (Then, go ahead, Aftran.)
Aftran took over, gently, swimming over to the edge of the pool and climbing out. She walked to the stairs to the diving board, then climbed with caution. Her host's feet were wet, and even with Cassie's experience, she didn't want to risk falling and injuring her. Even if they could morph out...
Using Cassie's experience, Aftran landed rather gracefully in the swimming pool, the water swallowing her up before her head came up. It had been a little startling, but still very enjoyable.
(Try again, if you want,) Cassie offered, and Aftran felt the affection in her voice.
They practiced diving for the next half hour or so, then retreated to swimming laps, and finally, laying on Cassie's back in the water. When it was clear that Cassie was tired, Aftran (still using gentle control) lifted her out of the pool and dried her off. She walked her host back into the house, then into the bathroom, where she helped Cassie wash away the chlorine in the shower, and then dress her for bed. At no point did she take control to the extent that Cassie could not intervene, as Aftran was determined to keep her promise, but her host's mind was nearly asleep by the time Aftran had brushed her teeth and put her to bed.
(Good night, honey,) Aftran whispered, tucking the covers around them.
(Night, Aftran,) Cassie murmured. (Thanks.)
Aftran, smiling within her mind, did not need to ask for what.
Cassie slept peacefully, contentedly, through the night.
Author's note:
This is the second chapter in a row where I've wanted to just end the story, but there's still some more ground to cover. I suppose that, at this point, there will be a fair amount of fluff. After all, Cassie and Aftran both have what they need and want, and there's not going to be any huge event that will stop their happiness. All the same, there are characters who I hope will show up (it's ultimately up to Aftran and Cassie and these characters!), and places to revisit. So, suffice it to say that this isn't over yet!