S a l e t é I I

XII - Oreilles - Douze

Going through things with Monet again helped to reinforce some of the positive thoughts in Cassia's mind, enabling them to carry her in a renewed, effective manner. The girl in red had been adamant about certain points, the nature of her conviction resonating with the newcomer, who took what she said in a serious light.

"You must remember that being a Jouet does not make you any less of a person. There will be those who disagree, and there is something simple you can say to them in such instances." The older girl was saying, still sat beside her on the central table.

"What's that?"

"Piss off tends to work, in general."

Cassia laughed gently, as Monet had posed quietly in a graceful manner as she'd uttered the phrase; seeing her in a less strict sort of form was quite intriguing, mostly because it seemed to be something more than a little rare.

They'd gone over all of her questions, and Cassia had found spending time with her - in a one to one setting - to be something quite... Nice?

She was imposing, yes, but she wasn't harsh. If she truly was a leader like figure for the group, the one who took charge and the one who led the way, then Cassia could see why; she seemed to strike a good balance between firm and fair.

She was glad that someone like her was present, and she was sure that she wouldn't have been coping anywhere near as well if it had been someone else instead. That firm hand was one of sanity, and yet it was also the one that had made madness a possibility. Again, a balance.

"If you have no more questions, you're free to go." Monet told her as they concluded their discussions, the younger girl indeed feeling somewhat better after the time they'd spent together.

"I have a lot, but they're mostly about this place. Lower Merveille, I m-mean."

Cassia fumbled now not because of nerves or fear regarding her immediate situation, but because the prospect of learning a great deal was rather intimidating in its own way.

"Some things I can tell you, some things I can teach you. Other things can only be learned through experience, and there are a great many things of that nature down here." Monet replied.

It was as if a subtle kind of wisdom underlined her tone, adding a semblance of depth to everything that she said. Cassia wasn't sure how much of that feeling stemmed from her own perception of the girl.

"You must never be afraid to voice your questions, or your worries. Such things are important. It's something I've repeated to everyone under this roof over the past few months."

Cassia nodded, hoping that she would remember as many of her words as possible.

"But... Where exactly are we? I'd never heard of Lower Merveille before I actually came here." The younger girl asked, deciding that it was best to keep things simple and to start back at the beginning.

She'd seen several districts for herself, and she'd read about others she had yet to visit, and there had never been anything regarding a Lower Merveille. Monet didn't seem surprised by this question, considering what she'd said on the matter earlier.

"That's understandable. Our district is one that often gets omitted from certain records, simply because it would make the city look bad."

Monet looked deeply thoughtful now, the point one that evidently weighed on her mind in a certain way, though what emotions or feelings were brought up remained unknown to Cassia.

She was always so difficult to read.

"We're to the north of the city, and most of the district is underground. There's an exposed area to the west, near the shipyards, though only certain individuals may pass through."