S a l e t é I I

XIX - Épaules - Treize

"That's gotta be our man." Spears said as he observed the new gentleman's entrance, and it was a notion that Chief agreed with as he fell into an even more reflective disposition.

"A Brisbois in the flesh... Never thought I'd see the day."

Monet said nothing, her gaze remaining immensely sharp, to the degree that Cassia couldn't watch for long, even if it was not currently aimed at her.

The gentleman who had stepped into view was dressed in a manner befitting of the city of Merveille - the city that Cassia remembered. He wore a smart, brown suede waistcoat over an immaculate white shirt that had somehow avoided the imperfections of the underground, a tie of a similar colour, only darker, tucked away beneath it. A chain was visible, coming from one of the pockets on this waistcoat, indicating the presence of what must have been a watch. One feature that Cassia hadn't seen before was that the coat itself was slightly longer at the sides and back, continuing to partway down his legs. Formal trousers and a pair of fine-looking shoes completed his look, that footwear tailored to practicality as well as a sleek style.

He appeared to be of a similar age to Esmund - or, at least, Cassia would have guessed as much. His hair was black, finely parted, slightly longer on one side, although it in no way obstructed his face due to its neatness. From what she could see from their current distance, his demeanour carried an air of confidence, his posture firm and his expression unburdened by any of the emotions that she might have experienced if she was the one about to step before a great number of strangers.

She couldn't help but look for any features that she would have considered to be familiar. Perhaps a vine like motif, or a dash of gold somewhere on his person, and yet she could see neither of these things. 

It might have been a small thing, but the absence of these elements left her feeling that he was somehow separate from some of the finer groups she had witnessed in her own time, such as the likes of Sabre, or the families of the hill district.

The other better dressed individuals to the far side of the yard now appeared to be underlings of sorts, servants of his cause, whatever it may have been.

"He looks like a bigwig alright." Uliana muttered, her voice low now, as if they would somehow be heard otherwise.

"I dunno... He kind of looks like the boss people from the Red District." Sleeves replied, her volume reduced in the same fashion. Cassia didn't join in this time, as her focus was thoroughly consumed by the proceedings below.

Once he was stood before the crowd, in the open space with nothing in the way of a stage to stand on - simple or complex - he began to speak, and he did so without any sort of speaker like the one that had been used moments ago. Such an item may have been unnecessary now, as he had earned the attention of the crowd with his presence alone, the discussions from before now almost entirely subdued, the echoes from the rest of the underground and the life it hosted the only real sounds of note otherwise at this point.

"I want to begin by saying that I'm genuinely impressed."

His voice carried the same vein of confidence that his appearance had suggested, and he addressed those in attendance with the necessary raised tone, ensuring that he would be heard by all. The open nature of the underground itself was, perhaps, a natural partner for his word, carrying them in an almost natural manner. 

If they could hear him from their vantage point, then the crowd would have had no difficulty whatsoever.

"I've been down here for two weeks now, and each day renews my sense of pride. The authority of Merveille may have taken a great deal from this place, but it clearly has yet to take the willpower from those who call it home."