S a l e t é I I

XIX - Épaules - Un

The initial part of their run for the day went just about as well as it could have. 

They'd split up once they'd gotten further down the street, away from the crowds that had been growing near the entrance to the neighbouring district, and even Taya had gone her own way. Cassia had expected Monet to keep her nearby, but no, she'd headed off in her own direction with a keen sense of purpose, clearly ready to play the "finding game" she'd been mentioning so insistently.

It was something that she trusted Monet's judgement on. 

Cassia was able to do a little more thinking as she sought out a suitable stand she might have been able to trade with, looking for two things in particular - kind looking people and a lack of activity, the latter being more important, as appearances could always prove deceptive. Thankfully, the rest of the street felt just about as busy as it was on any regular day, and so she didn't have to contend with an increase in numbers or awkward navigation. 

The vast majority of the people who would have otherwise contributed to congestion were still being drawn to that area further along, where they'd been observing things moments before, and it was that area that she continued to think about now.

Everyone there seemed to be waiting for either something or someone, and she couldn't exactly tell which. From what she'd picked up on in the patchy conversations she'd heard, it sounded as if there wasn't really anything in the way of clarity for anyone in attendance, which hadn't served to help her make sense of it all either.

Oh well. The knowledge that Monet had developed some kind of understanding was decent enough for now. With a little effort, she could focus on her current job, and that discomfort that addressing strangers brought with it instead.

Her first attempt was aimed at a stall being manned by a grizzled middle-aged fellow and a girl who must have been in her late teens, presumably his daughter. She didn't look entirely thrilled to be there. 

The sight of a few bottles of Honey caught Cassia's eye, even if there were only three in total. The stall itself was dealing in bits of rigging and lighting, with a typically mismatched arrangement of choices on display, all of which appeared to have seen better days.

"Hello, mister...?"

She got the attention of both of them as she stepped up to their chosen spot, the girl in particular eyeing her with curiosity, perhaps due to her nature as a Jouet. This was short lived though, as she soon returned to paying her no heed.

"What's up kid? Need some juice?"

His voice was somewhat on the rough side, but he seemed perfectly nice. Or polite, at least. Cassia explained her desire to swap things, although she didn't get very far because of one simple condition he put forward.

"Got anything technical? We only take machine parts and such."

"Oh, uh... Not today..."

"No can do then, I'm afraid. That's just how it is." He said with a shrug.

"That's okay, thanks anyway."

She still gave a small bow of her head in order to acknowledge the time that he had given her before she moved to continue her search elsewhere.

Her next target was a stand slightly larger than most, being manned by a group of three - two girls and a guy, all of whom appeared to be of a similar, relatively young age. The girls were currently operating things, with one in the middle of a trade whilst the other was free, which was what had gotten Cassia's attention, aside from the presence of Honey, of course. The man was doing something behind them, sat at a scratched folding table of some kind, probably preparing a few things or mending something.