S a l e t é I I

XIII - Cheveux - Neuf

"Tell me what you think of this."

Monet produced Cassia's blazer now, handing it to the man, and he unfolded it as he began his inspection. He seemed impressed from the minute he actually felt the jacket in his hands, and after getting a closer look - checking for labels and such in particular - he simply turned back to Monet with a raised brow.

"Where'd you get this?"

"A one-time source."

The man returned to his inspection, his interest more than apparent, Cassia could understand why; something on the level of her blazer was definitely a rarity.

He seemed to be middle aged, and he looked as if he'd been in his trade for some time. The benefit of working with the materials he and his companion used was quite prevalent, as his clothes were in a better condition than some of the others that were worn by those around them. The woman he was with - she must have been his partner - hadn't taken any notice of them yet, as she was still busy mending what looked like a small mat.

"Your verdict?" Monet asked.

"It's well made... Very well made. You only get designs like this back up top, and even then..."

He paused again, for a short time now, before turning back to the girl.

"Are you looking to trade this?"

"Depends. What can you give me for it?"

Monet was straightforward, and she didn't waste time on small talk. She was a little intimidating when she was focused, a feature that Cassia was already liking in her. Uliana had a little smile on her face as she watched proceedings, as if this was a show she approved of.

"What are you looking for? Honey? We've got a couple of bottles in." He asked Monet, placing the blazer down on his stall for now, after folding it over.

"How many do you have?"

"Fifteen, I think."

"Fifteen it is."

"What? You can't have them all."

Whilst Monet's tone had remained unchanged, the man's certainly shifted in surprise as she put forward such an aggressive barter.

"Why not?" Monet asked, simply enough.

"They've got to last us all day."

"Why? You're not going to get anything as good as this, you know that. Why bother with anything else?"

"It's good, I'll give you that, but it's still just one blazer."

"You trade that in closer to the depot and they'll give you some good stuff. You could probably get some of your bottles back, and some things you can actually use. It would be better than spending the whole day here."

Monet didn't hesitate with her replies - she'd clearly thought everything through in advance. The man paused now, eventually making his offer.

"Ten."

"Fifteen."

"Twelve."

"Fifteen."

Monet was completely unflinching, a small smile managing to come to Cassia's face - she could see why Uliana found it so enjoyable; she was good at this. There must have been some truth to what she'd said, as the man was clearly considering it. All of the activity around them continued - all the talking, all the voices blurring together at times, the people coming and going - yet Cassia was able to stay focused on the display unfolding before her.