S a l e t é I I

XIII - Cheveux - Douze

"Your jacket must have been fancy to get us all this."

"It was part of my best outfit. You know, for special occasions, and things like that...?"

"Really? That's kind of a shame."

"It's fine! Really, I don't mind. I can always get a new one, once I'm home."

Cassia was still getting quite a considerable degree of attention now that everyone had gotten their drink for the day. She, Klavdiya and Zisel stored the remaining bottles with the rest of their reserves in the locked room after Monet had left them to it, remaining by the fire as she kept Taya occupied for a while.

Uliana was waiting for them outside, ensuring that they didn't end up all packed into the storeroom together.

That drink had been good. It hadn't been perfect like the one's she'd had back home, no. It was, however, one that she'd gotten a hold of because of her own actions, and that was what made it special.

Klavdiya was quite eager to hear more, whilst Zisel had been the one to express some concern. Cassia would have been lying if she'd said that she didn't feel at least a little saddened about parting with the article of clothing. She didn't care so much that it was part of a formal outfit. Instead, she cared because it had been a gift from the household.

"I'm just amazed that you got all of those bottles for a jacket. Uliana's parts didn't even get this many." Klavdiya was saying, although Uliana was swift in her response, giving it from where she overheard them outside the room.

"Uh, I'd like to remind you that I've still got a load of them left." She said, sounding a little competitive now.

Klavdiya simply looked out and gave her a smirk in a bid to wind her up further. Such an effort worked for a moment, until Uliana realised what she was trying to do.

"It's a one-off thing though... I don't have a bunch of them I can swap every day." Cassia said as she put away the last two bottles from their haul, carefully aligning them in the box where they were kept.

She slid it back into its cubby hole afterwards, making surethat all was steady and safe, treating everything with a respectful touch. Klavdiya had been the one holding the torch this time with her free hand, preventing the room from becoming pitch black.

The cupboards, the grate in the wall at the back of the room, the goods themselves... All would be obscured by darkness. The remnants of a wall mounted light were present in one corner of the room, the bulb of which was long broken, its shell now filled with the same dust and grit that could be found everywhere else.

"That's fine! I'd say that you've paid Monet back for looking after you pretty nicely, after today." Zisel said, keen to provide some more warm thoughts, and Cassia was certainly thankful.

"Yeah, of course. She doesn't really show it, but you can sort of tell when she's pleased with something. The way she leant back in her chair just now? Totally smug." Uliana added in an attempt to ramp up that idea further in the newcomer's mind.

Cassia had to admit... Monet always sat with a tidy posture, neatly, like a true young lady - hands in her lap, legs together, back straight. She hadn't even noticed how relaxed she'd seemed by the fire only minutes before, only realising now that it had been pointed out to her.

Appeasing Monet? That wasn't a bad feeling. Not at all.

"Did you find the kit you were looking for? For your letter?" Klavdiya asked as she stepped out of the room, giving Zisel a pat on her arm in order to let her know that it was time to leave. Once they were outside, and as Cassia began to reply, Uliana set about locking the storeroom.