S a l e t é I I

XIII - Cheveux - Deux

"My... Blazer?"

"And your tie."

Monet continued to sort through her things, evidently searching for something in particular, as Cassia was left confused. The younger girl decided that there must have been a reason for such an odd request, and so she rose to her feet again for a moment, where she proceeded to unbutton her blazer as instructed.

She folded it up in a way that left her fairly satisfied, at which point she placed it on the central table nearby - popping Polina beside it - after which she began to remove her tie.

Roslindis wasn't going to be on hand to help her tie it again this time.

She rolled it up once she'd removed it, placing it with her blazer, and with the accessory now absent she moved to undo her very top shirt button as well. She still felt presentable, considering that she had that smart white shirt with her equally nice, pleated black skirt, which it was tucked into, and she felt a little lighter without that blazer on.

"I took them off." Cassia said as she returned to her seat, speaking up, as Monet was still searching through her belongings.

"Thank you."

Cassia remained unsure, only she didn't have time to dwell on the matter or to ask questions, as the girl in red had found whatever it was she'd been looking for. Monet turned to her, surprising her further by crouching before where she was sitting, her attention focused on her legs.

"What are you...?"

"Hold still."

It was at this point that Monet presented what she'd been seeking only seconds before - a pair of scissors, specs of rust adorning the blades in just a few places, the handles red - and she leaned in, implying that she was about to try and cut into her tights.

"W-what are you doing?" Cassia asked as Monet drew closer, flinching now, pulling away slightly. The older girl remained her calm self, looking up at her with that steely gaze.

"Your clothes are very nice, Cassia, and others will notice. If they think you're wealthy, you could end up in trouble, so I'm going to make you look a little less tidy, okay?" She explained, and whilst Cassia could sort of understand where she was coming from, the statement didn't make the affair any less troublesome.

"But... These are my best clothes, and..."

"You can get new tights. You're more important than a pair of leggings."

Cassia fell quiet, and Monet didn't speak again, as if she was giving her the time to come to a decision. She didn't attempt to proceed without her permission either, something that Cassia appreciated.

In the end, she moved back so that the older girl could continue.

"I'm sorry for doing this, but it is important. I wouldn't do it otherwise." The girl in red said.

She began to carefully cut several holes into Cassia's leggings, in several places, on both legs. Such holes made the lines on those legs more visible in places, and - whilst the sight remained an odd one - Cassia wasn't too concerned with them in that moment.

"You can't wear these when we're out, no way. You'd attract far too much attention." Monet explained after rising to her feet again, lightly patting the blazer that she'd removed earlier.

"We'll keep them here though. They are your things, after all."

Her things... They were, they were her best clothes, part of her formal outfit, and...

Formal clothes...?

"Do you... Do you think they would be valuable...?"

Monet appeared rather surprised by her question as she paused for a second, almost as if she wanted to make sure she'd heard correctly.