S a l e t é I I

XII - Oreilles - Onze

"Stamps?" Monet asked, not catching on at first. It didn't take her very long at all to uncover Cassia's line of thought.

"You wish to send a letter?"

"I figured that if I can't get back to my district easily, maybe I could send one...? I could tell my family where I am, and that I'm okay."

Cassia was hopeful, though that hope was sharp, the sort of feeling that could easily slice one's fingertips if poorly handled. Despite that streak of optimism, and as the other half of her had expected, Monet didn't appear entirely sure of such an idea, and she looked off to one side as she began to contemplate what she was listening to.

"They might be able to come and find me, or they could at least find out that I'm alright, so they don't worry as much. If it's possible, I really want to do it. Please?" Cassia reiterated, that hopeful side swelling up all the more, though Monet's expression didn't change or shift in any way.

"It may not be impossible to acquire things like stamps, or an envelope, but..." The girl in red began, pacing ever so slightly now as she spoke, her initial statement causing expectation to rise within Cassia, that ending but making her worry.

"It's risky."

"Risky? Sending a letter is risky...?"

"They won't send anything up to Merveille unless they know where it's coming from. I'm not even sure what this place's formal address is, and even if I did know, giving that information away is what makes the whole thing a gamble." Monet explained, her tone calm and collected like always. Her tone seemed to rub off on Cassia, her own voice remaining calmer than it otherwise might have been as she listened.

"If the authorities find out that there's a group of Jouets living in an old warehouse... There's a chance they could come knocking."

"Could I at least try sending it? Even if I don't have the address here? I could just... Use someone else's, or something...?" Cassia replied, unwilling to give up on the idea so soon.

Monet took a moment to observe her, maybe studying her expression, or evaluating how she really felt on the matter. The younger girl had begun to falter, the prospect of her idea being another dead end starting to rattle her otherwise firm demeanour and her attempts to appear strong willed.

Cassia felt as if there wasn't much point in trying to conceal any emotions or facts from the older girl, as she still got the impression that hers was a gaze that pierced directly through you, seeing anything and everything.

"I suppose you could try, at the very least. It's worth looking into."

Cassia felt as if she could relax again for a moment, a rush passing through her now, dispelling much of her immediate tension.

"However." Monet began, bringing her back to a point of focus in a direct manner, her tone ever so slightly sharper - even a subtle change remained noticeable when it came to her voice.

"We don't have anything in the way of stamps, and we don't have any envelopes. If you want to try this plan of yours, you'll need to find both. The depot that handles any outgoing items won't accept a letter without those formalities."

Cassia nodded firmly, fully intending to put in whatever effort was necessary. She certainly didn't want the other girls to take the time to assist with it, considering that they had enough on their own plates already.

Part of her felt naive, but she didn't allow such a feeling to weigh her down, and her intentions remained strong.

"If you manage to get your hands on what you need, then you'll have to find someone who can deliver what you've written to the depot, which is on the other side of the district. Getting there for a Jouet would be risky, and we always need to minimise that element."