S a l e t é I I

XIII - Cheveux - Huit

The trek across what remained of the industrial sector hadn't taken an especially long time, but the sheer number of things to process along the way had made it feel more like an expedition rather than a simple excursion. The view from the slope at the end had been the defining marker, as Cassia felt that she now had a sort of general idea as to what the underground district was like.

A very, very general idea, but an idea nonetheless.

If the areas behind them were what she would have classed as "unloved" then perhaps she would have described the ones she'd seen ahead of and around the old street as "ramshackle". An effort had been made, as limited as those behind them had been, a lack of resources most likely standing as factor number one.

She'd been so absorbed in that view that she hadn't focused upon the scenes directly below them, and upon those frequenting the street. Yes, she'd witnessed the array of stalls and displays, but what had the people at those stalls actually been doing? What was on offer?

Now that she was down on the edge of the crowd and back at Monet's side, she could make out a few of these details.

Not all of the little, handmade fronts were offering simple exchanges - some seemed to offer services rather than goods. She could see a few stalls near where they now were, through the groups of people and the steady flow as they looked around.

One was being run by a lady who still appeared fairly young. As she was tending to some sort of group meal in a large pot - that several folks were keenly waiting for - a younger girl, who appeared more like a little sister than a daughter, was busy cleaning the shoes of those who were in attendance.

One stall seemed to have an array of textile supplies on hand, ranging from some decent looking tools to things like thread, spools and old materials that could be recycled with a little imagination. The individuals watching this front - a man and a woman, perhaps a couple - also seemed to be offering some things they'd actually made themselves; the woman was seated as she fixed up a rug of some description, whilst her companion was the one seeing to the customers.

The stalls themselves varied in overall quality, as she'd seen. Some were basic, put together in an obvious rush, serving their purposes perfectly well enough. Others appeared more refined, perhaps because they'd been maintained or built up over time, and some even possessed visible hinges, showing that they could be folded down and put away at the end of the day.

Whenever that was.

Some of the people in attendance seemed like perfectly likable folks, their appearances doing little to demean them. Groups of friends still smiled and laughed, strangers mingled with one another, those exchanging things made small talk...

It was all so... Normal.

The vast majority of people carried bags with them; simple bags with handles, backpacks of various sizes, shoulder bags... Coming to a place like the old street without a bag of things seemed like quite a pointless endeavour, like fishing without a hook.

Cassia also observed that many of the women and girls present sported shorter hairstyles, with chin length being the literal cut off point. A few still possessed long hair, always tied up somehow, though she couldn't see any children with long hair at all.

"Are you okay?" Monet asked, her voice still prominent even as the crowds stirred around them. Cassia hesitated for a moment, needing a couple of seconds to shift her focus from everything new back to the girl.

"Y-yes, I'm fine."

"Good. Now then..."

As Monet began to survey the street, her gaze sharp, and as Uliana caught up - coming to stand with Cassia - the newcomer took a moment to reflect on things.

She was fine, nothing bad had happened at all. She'd dealt with new surroundings before, so she could do it again. No problem. So what if those more recent surroundings were a little less comfortable? She'd handle that.

She kept repeating those thoughts, hoping to convert them into truths.

"First things first, let's see what we can get for your jacket." Monet announced, only after she'd taken a moment to inspect all of the stalls in their immediate area from afar.

"I thought that was what she was going to trade today." Uliana began, addressing Cassia now as Monet prepared to get moving, waiting for a break in the traffic.

"I saw you without your fancy clothes and I just knew."

"I figured that they would be more useful this way." Cassia replied, doing her best to smile, and Uliana returned much more warmth.

"It's still really nice of you to give us your stuff though, especially if you don't have much."

Actually receiving some acknowledgement from the other girl was... Yeah, it was nice. Cassia felt a little more useful, and that was the sensation she'd really needed to feel again. Just how useful her effort would prove had yet to be seen, however.

Uliana stepped close now, lowering her voice so that Monet couldn't hear them.

"I've still got junk saved, remember? Next time you come with us, I'll hand it to you."

Cassia smiled easily now, and Uliana again looked pleased to receive such a look from her.

She began to head over to the textiles stand that Cassia had noticed earlier, carefully navigating the flow of other people frequenting the street, not bumping into a single one of them along the way. Cassia was sure to follow close behind her, a fresh buzz - neither especially good, nor especially bad - rising within her as they actually stepped into the crowd. Uliana stayed close to her in turn, speaking to her in a slightly hushed tone.

"Monet is really good at this, just wait and see."

Monet's red dress made her easy to see amongst the groups around them, something that comforted Cassia to a considerable degree - at least she'd be able to spot her easily if they got separated - and it didn't unnerve her in any way; the older girl may have been noticeable, even if that distinct red had faded with time, but she didn't seem like a sort of target.

As Monet waited for the man at the stall to finish interacting with his current customer, she turned back to the other girls, and to Cassia in particular.

"Most stalls you'll find here have Honey. Do you remember what I told you? About how something we can't use could still be helpful?" She asked, to which Cassia nodded.

"You keep it so you can swap it with someone who has something you want." She replied, and it was Monet's turn to nod.

"Correct. That is what the people here do. If you have Honey, you're already in with a good chance of interesting a Jouet. For us, I suppose the same sort of effect could be achieved with food, though it's not always easy to come across things that don't perish quickly."

Monet looked as if she had more she wished to say, only her time had come, and she stepped up to the stall now as the previous customer moved along.

Taking a short moment to look around, Cassia became more mindful, and - after making an effort - she could indeed see that Jouets were also in attendance. Everyone wore relatively full outfits or coats, and so arms and legs were rarely visible, only the occasional glimpse of little black lines on places like necks coming through.

Adult Jouets... One was just to the left of them now, seemingly part of a small group, talking to two other people who seemed to be normal. He looked like a young man, with a fairly kind appearance marred only by the usual scuffs and wear. The neck was the giveaway here - Cassia could see the line there due to his low collar. Other than that...

They were certainly convincing.

"How can I help you, miss?" The fellow at the stall was asking, his attention upon Monet now, her gaze still unmoved as she took off her backpack.

Uliana looked as if quite a performance was about to unfold, and Cassia was sure to pay attention now, the concept of picking up on some new knowledge returning to her in full.