S a l e t é I I

XVII - Veines - Douze

"Come in."

Monet's voice had quickly followed after Cassia had knocked on her door at the end of the elevated walkway, even gentle taps giving off a fair amount of noise due to both the metal of the door itself and the expansive nature of the warehouse interior. She let herself in after receiving the go ahead, her envelopes in hand as she went.

She'd taken the time to write out that second copy of her letter - which was wholly identical to the first in terms of wording - whilst she'd been in the back room, using the small yet sufficient lighting from Zisel's own smaller fire as she sat on the old sofa, her eagerness fuelling the activity entirely.

Upon making her entrance, Cassia could see that Monet had been resting on the old bed in the far corner of the room, where she'd evidently been reading. The book, a small paperback that wasn't in the best condition, its spine creased and its covers faded, was still in her hand as she sat up to acknowledge her guest.

"Cassia? Do you need help with something?" She asked, her voice holding a small ember of interest that differentiated it from its usually blank state, even if it was just for that initial interaction.

"I um, I wanted to asked you something. A favour." Cassia said, announcing her intentions as she crossed the room to stand near the older girl, doing so in a fairly confident style.

"A favour? What kind of favour?"

"I was thinking, and the other girls helped me figure some things out. You know my letter?"

"Of course." The girl in red replied, shifting up towards the wall slightly as she spoke, after which she softly patted the space where she'd just been sat. Cassia accepted her offer, sitting beside her as they continued, the bed still decidedly adequate even if it was a little too firm to provide any long-lasting comfort.

Being next to Monet was made up for that, in terms of comfort. It was a thought that made Cassia feel a little silly, but the fact that the girl was bigger than her, in that she was older, and taller made her feel safe. Whilst her gaze may have been cutting at times, she now felt that such a demeanour was simply natural for her, and not the result of judgements or accusatory thoughts.

"I wrote another one, see? A copy."

"A copy?"

"Yep. I have two envelopes, so I figured that I should send two letters, just in case. The others said they'd help me with it."

"I see."

As usual, Monet's thoughts were not easy to discern.

"But I was wondering, because I'm not out there with everyone all the time... Would you please hold onto them? If I give you the things to swap with the courier people, would you do it, just in case I'm not there when they are?"

Cassia had done her utmost to sound sincerely hopeful, and it hadn't taken much effort, considering that the matter at hand was one of the highest importance. Even so, Monet still appeared unmoved, and she still didn't react in any readable sort of way. Thankfully, Cassia did not have to guess at her feelings for long.

"I'll take one."

"O-one?"

"Yes. You can handle the other yourself."

"But..."

Cassia didn't want to sound ungrateful in any way, seeing as Monet had already done a great deal for her, but the response had come as a bit of a surprise.

"I said that I would assist you, and I shall. You must also put your own work in, however." The older girl explained, and it was a sentiment that Cassia both agreed with and had expected, after that initial moment of confusion.