S a l e t é I I

XX - Dents - Quatorze

"It's like I said, there's times when we get a whole bunch of bottles pretty easily, and then there's times when it takes a while. It changes all the time."

After returning to the group on the ground floor of the building, Monet had - after witnessing an especially pleading gaze from Sleeves - agreed to stay for a while longer so that the girls could have some time together. Following this announcement, the four younger girls had returned to the courtyard outside, where they'd gotten into a game of hopscotch, and Uliana had expressed her own continuing optimism as she'd watched Sleeves take her turn. 

Spears and Shipshape had apparently gone back inside at some point, probably when she'd been upstairs, as they were currently nowhere to be seen.

Whenever she stepped outside in Lower Merveille after being indoors for a period of time, Cassia always felt as if the air carried an unusual presence, something off-putting that was...

Outside? She didn't exactly step "outside" did she? Everything was contained by the walls of the underground, by cold stone and uncaring rock, and there were times when she wondered how anyone could actually exist in the place at all.

Hopscotch hadn't exactly been on her list of expectations that day, and she'd been a little apprehensive about taking part - something she very quickly felt silly for - but she'd joined in simply because it made Sleeves happy. She, the long-sleeved girl and Sweets were taking turns now, whilst Uliana continued to watch from the side as she spoke.

"We'll be fine, we always are."

"Have you ever had to go without? I mean, entirely?" Cassia asked in a cautious manner, her friend replying in a way that made it clear she wasn't uncomfortable with recalling such times.

"Yeah, a few times. It happens."

"You're lucky." Sleeves mused as she reached the end the court beneath her feet, her latest attempt successful as she moved aside for Sweets to take her next one, and it didn't take long at all for Cassia to question such a statement.

"Lucky? What makes you say that?"

"It's something Chief said once. All you have to worry about is Honey, right? We have to get food and drink, we have to make sure it's good to eat, we have to be careful about getting sick, we have to keep warm..."

After only some brief thought, Cassie couldn't really do anything other than agree. Actually thinking about it was just another strange occurrence she could add to her already long list of mental oddities; everything that Sleeves had mentioned was nothing short of obvious, and yet Cassia had forgotten that they didn't all apply to her, considering that she was a Jouet.

Considering that she wasn't a human.

Putting it that way just felt... No, she didn't like that way of phrasing it at all. Human or not, she was a person, and...

Odd was not a suitable enough word to sum it all up.

They continued to play in the courtyard for a good few minutes, and Cassia was able to relax to an extent thanks to the presence of the other girls, Sleeves in particular helping her to unwind thanks to her ongoing attachment to her. Their conversations shifted away from the more serious matters in turn, instead focusing upon much more simple affairs. 

"You need to bring her with you next time."

"I don't know, I don't want her to get messy."

"But she could bring you luck! You know, like a mascot."

Sleeves was keen to see Cassia's smallest companion, even if the thought of taking Polina anywhere outside of the warehouse was one that left her owner perturbed. The way she'd put it was quite sweet though.